SupportCon Speaker Resources



SupportCon - Downers Grove

 

Congratulations on being selected as a speaker for SupportCon! Thank you for your time and effort organizing your presentation and for sharing your experience and expertise. It is you, the speakers, who make this Conference a great educational experience for educational support staff throughout Illinois.

As you prepare for SupportCon, please use this page to help guide you along the way. We hope this information will help make your speaking experience smooth and enjoyable. Please note that the 2017 SupportCon will be held on Friday, December 1, 2017 at the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Chicago - Downers Grove.

If you have any questions, please contact Lindsay Plath at (815) 753-9350.​

 


IMPORTANT DEADLINES

Deliverable

Due Date

Session Details

September 5

Speaker Bio & Head shot

November 3

PowerPoint & Handouts

November 27

 



LODGING INFORMATION: All speakers are responsible for their lodging accommodations and travel expenses unless otherwise notified by Illinois ASBO.

 


SESSION DETAILS

Please have all session details prepared to submit to Lindsay Plath by Tuesday, September 5, 2017.

This includes:
  • Session Title (10 words max)
  • Descriptive Blurb (80 words max)
  • Speaker(s)/Moderator
  • Level (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced)

 


SPEAKER BIO & HEADSHOT

Illinois ASBO requests that all speakers complete a speaker biography by Friday, November 3, 2017. Speaker bio information will be used in various marketing and promotional pieces for the Conference. The purpose of the speaker bio is to elaborate on your expertise within the field and why others would find your presentation(s) beneficial. Please keep the bio length at 2-3 sentences.

All speakers must also submit a professional head shot by Friday, November 3, 2017 Head shots must be in either a JPEG or TIFF large quality file. You will receive an e-mail if we do not have a bio and/or head shot on file for you.

Please submit your bio and head shot to Lindsay Plath.

AUDIO VISUAL EQUIPMENT & SET UP

Below is a detailed list of the audio visual equipment that will be provided in the breakout rooms.
  • Classroom/Theater Set Up
  • Maximum Capacity is 75
  • AV Table with Power
  • Projection Screen
  • LCD Projector
  • Panel Table with wireless hand held microphone
  • Wireless Internet
Presenters must bring their own computer with their presentation already loaded on it.
Breakout sessions will not have the capability for video or computer audio.

Please note, we cannot guarantee special requests.
 

PRESENTATION GUIDELINES

  • To provide attendees access to session information prior to the Conference, we ask that you send us your presentations and we will post it onto a special Google document/folder with all of the sessions for SupportCon. Please submit your presentation/handout(s) to Lindsay Plath by Monday, November 27, 2017.
  • Do not use any other templates as the introductory slide must be included in all presentations.​
  • All presentations must be of an educational nature, and may not be used to promote products and/or services.
  • Any graphics included in the presentation (i.e. charts, graphs, etc.) should be embedded in the PowerPoint file to minimize file size.
  • You are responsible for printing any handouts you would like to have available on site.

 


POWERPOINT RECOMMENDATIONS

  • You must use the provided PowerPoint templateDo not use any other templates as the introductory slide must be included in all presentations.​
    How to merge the PowerPoint Template with Google Docs
  • The number of slides in your presentation is not limited but we recommend no more than 20-25 slides for a 60-minute presentation (i.e. one slide per three minutes).
  • Additional Formatting Suggestions
    • Limit the amount of information on a single slide.
    • Create slides to highlight your presentation not to duplicate exactly what you will say.
    • Use a large font. Remember, those sitting in the back of the room should still be able to read the slide.
    • Avoid red letters, which are difficult for some people to read.
    • The best readability comes from high contrast of intensity rather than by clashing colors.
  • Be sure to include your contact information on the last slide of your presentation to allow attendees to contact you with follow-up questions.
  • Remember, it's always a good idea to bring a backup copy of your presentation!

 


SPEAKING TIPS

  • Determine the location of your session room in advance. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the AV equipment.
  • Display the presentation title and your name on the first PowerPoint slide so attendees can verify they are in their preferred session.
  • Allow time for questions and answers at the end of your presentation.
    • Inform attendees of this at the beginning of the presentation and ask they hold all questions until then, unless you have already planned to integrate questions throughout your session.
    • Repeat each question from the audience before answering so all attendees can hear the question and benefit from the question and answer section.
  • Please keep track of the time; you have 60-minutes from the scheduled start time of your presentation to complete your session and answer audience questions.

 



MODERATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Greet attendees.
  • Identify yourself and then introduce the presenter(s). 
  • Remind attendees that the evaluations will be done via an electronic survey. The survey should only take a few minutes, so encourage attendees to complete it. We value their feedback! 
  • Please remember that attendance should be for professional development and not for competing with other attendees or presenters.
  • Please note that if a vendor is a presenter and uses the presentation as an arena to "sell" their product or services, the Moderator has the authority to stop the presentation if the presenter refuses to modify the content of their presentation. The Moderator will report such actions to the Assistant Executive Director of Illinois ASBO for follow-up.
  • Due to a potential conflict of interest, no Moderator shall moderate a seminar given by an employee for their own company.
  • Moderators are given the authority to ask any attendee to leave if they become combative with presenters.
  • Any vendor presenter who violates these regulations may be excluded from presenting at future presentations, in addition, to loss of membership in the Association.


REGISTRATION & ON SITE CHECK-IN
All speakers and moderators must check-in at the Registration desk and pick up their name badge and registration packet.