Guidelines for speakers, abstract presenters, session chairs and poster exhibitors

Speaker centre

The speaker centre is intended to support all speakers, abstract presenters and session chairs/facilitators. It is located on the ground floor of the RAI, in Europe Foyer 2, close to the main entrance. The opening hours are as follows:

PowerPoint presentation upload

All PowerPoint presentations must be uploaded prior to the session as it is not possible to run PowerPoint presentations directly from a laptop in the session rooms.

Presentations should be saved on a USB memory stick or CD/DVD-ROM and brought to the speaker centre. Presentations should be uploaded at the speaker centre at least four hours prior to the start of the session. The presentations will then be uploaded to the session room network and made available in the session room at the time of the presentation.

We kindly ask for your understanding: due to time limitations at the speaker centre, presentations should preferably be prepared and edited before upload. Thus, please bring your presentations with you in a ready-to-upload format.

When agreeing to publish your presentation, please make sure that you remove any confidential data that you do not want shared with the public (data behind tables/graphs, speaker notes, etc.) before submitting them for uploading on the online programme.

Technical requirements for presentations

The AIDS 2018 computers will run MS PowerPoint 2013. Only MS PowerPoint (*.ppt or *.pptx) presentations with video formats will be accepted. Use the pre-installed standard font types available in MS Office 2013.

Click here to download technical requirements and practical guidelines on how to produce efficient PowerPoint presentations. Click here to download a PowerPoint template that can be used at the conference.

Movies and video files

If your presentation contains links to video files, it is essential that you bring not only your PowerPoint file, but also your video files to the speaker centre. Most video files types (MP4, MPEG, .wmv, .AVI, etc.) are accepted. All videos linked to PowerPoint slides must be tested and checked in advance in the speaker centre to make sure that they will work properly.

Please note that Prezi is not supported. If you are using this format, your presentation must be sent to the secretariat prior to the conference, and it must be converted and tested before it can be uploaded in the speaker centre. Please contact the secretariat at [email protected] for further information.

Data format – images, audio and movies

Place all audio and movie files linked with the presentation into a single file folder (for example, when transferring the presentation from your hard disk to removable drives, such as USB sticks, or when uploading it). Do not use any passwords or encryption for your files.

Flash animations and macros

Flash-animations are not supported. If they are essential to your presentation, please contact [email protected].

Do not use macros within your presentation.

Presentation format

Please use 4:3 as your presentation format.

File size

There is no size limit for presentations uploaded on site at the speaker centre (it is, however, recommended that presentations do not exceed 500MB).

Saving of files

For on-site uploading at the speaker centre, the presentation has to be saved on a USB memory stick (which is preferred) or an external hard disk.

Please use only “WinZip” to pack your data (find a free download of the current versions at www.winzip.com).

Fonts

Do not use special fonts that are not part of the standard PowerPoint package as this will cause problems while uploading your file.

Special characters

To avoid any compatibility problems, please do not use special characters (for example, «, Ö, Ø, ñ, ε, ®, ý, }, {) to name your presentation or movie files.

If you use a Macintosh computer 

Please note that PowerPoint.mac and Keynote (*.key) presentations are not accepted. Even if you have transferred your presentation to a Windows format, you must check your presentation in the speaker centre to ensure that it is fully compatible with the conference computers.

Conflict of interest disclosure in presentations

The conference organizers require faculty members (session speakers, chairs, moderators and facilitators) to disclose any conflicts of interest that they may have. The intent of this policy is not to prohibit faculty members from presenting or participating in sessions, but rather to inform the audience of any bias that they may have.

The purpose is thus to identify and resolve potential conflicts of interest that arise from relationships with commercial interests relevant to the content you are planning, developing or presenting for this activity.

The conference organizers thus ask that all speakers/presenters with a conflict of interest to fill in a disclosure form and include disclosure slides at the beginning of their presentation. Please note that the disclosure slide(s) must be included even if you do not have a conflict of interest. The slide will thus state that you have no conflict of interest.

If you have conflicts of interest, please include a short description of the conflicts of interest and explain how you have made sure that your presentation is not affected.

For the purpose of this policy, the following principles apply:

1. A commercial interest is any entity that produces, markets, re-sells or distributes healthcare goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients.
2. Any financial relationship within the past 12 months, as well as known financial relationships of your spouse or partner, must be disclosed.
3. Types of relationships that must be disclosed include full-time or part-time employee, independent contractor, consultant, research or other grant recipient, paid speaker or teacher, planning or advisory committee or review panels, ownership interest (product royalty/licencing fee, owning stocks, shares, etc.) or any other financial relationship.

Please note that failure to disclose or false disclosure may result in the Planning Committee replacing the faculty member.

If you need more information or support regarding disclosure of conflicts of interest, please contact us at [email protected].

The Pharma Codex

In the European Union, there are specific rules for pharmaceutical advertising with which speakers and chairpersons must comply. The regulations around pharmaceutical advertising are governed by EU Directive 2001/83/EC and implemented by the Dutch Foundation for the Code of Pharmaceutical Advertising. These rules were developed to serve as a code of conduct for self-regulation of drug promotion. This code of conduct protects the general public, or non-prescribers, from pharmaceutical marketing. 

AIDS 2018 speakers and chairpersons must comply with the regulations governing pharmaceutical advertising. There are three requirements for compliance:

1. Presentations that include drug-specific information must be presented in a balanced and factual way.
   As defined by the Dutch Foundation for the Code of Pharmaceutical Advertising, “balanced” means that complete information is given about all the relevant treatment options in an educational manner. Drugs should not be “promoted”, meaning that both positive and negative information must be provided in a neutral manner. 
2. Speakers must disclose their ties with commercial interests BEFORE their presentations.
   There is a required format for the disclosure slide, which can be found here: http://cgr.nl/en-GB/Medische-congressen/Format-of-disclosure.
3. Chairpersons must be instructed to ensure that moderated discussions are facilitated factually and neutrally.
   AIDS 2018 speakers and chairpersons giving or facilitating presentations that include drug-specific information must ensure that the information is presented in a balanced and factual way. Complete information should be given about all the relevant treatment options in an educational manner. Moderated discussions should also be undertaken in a neutral tone. Chairpersons are asked to caution participants and redirect the conversation if the discussion veers toward drug promotion, for example, drug names being mentioned repeatedly, or only positive aspects being highlighted.

It is the speaker’s responsibility to ensure compliance with the code of conduct. An auditor will be present on site. For a complete overview of the regulations, please visit the CGR website: www.cgr.nl. 

Session recording

Presentations in session rooms will be recorded. If the presenter has given consent, the recordings will be published on the online conference programme and on YouTube. Further information on how consent can be given or declined will be sent out closer to the conference.

Session room equipment

Session rooms will contain the following basic equipment:

• Lectern with microphone, laptop and mouse
• Chairperson table with microphone(s)
• Session room screen displaying the PowerPoint presentation (in some of the bigger sessions rooms, the speaker might be displayed too)
• Presentation timer
• Microphones on stands for questions from the audience.

Guidelines for invited speaker sessions (plenary sessions, bridging sessions, symposia sessions, special sessions)

Invited speaker sessions address a variety of current viewpoints and issues. Session format, duration and focus will vary, depending on the session type.

Click here to download general guidelines for speakers.

Guidelines for session chairs

Click here to download general guidelines for session chairs.

Guidelines for oral abstract session presenters

The oral abstract session lasts for up to 90 minutes and usually consists of five to six oral presentations of 10 minutes each. A five-minute question and answer session will immediately follow each presentation. An interactive moderated discussion, facilitated by the co-chairs, will be held at the end of the session, time permitting.

Click here for general guidelines for oral abstract session presenters.

Guidelines for poster discussion presenters

Held daily from 13:00 to 14:00, poster discussion sessions last for up to 60 minutes, featuring four to six oral presentations of five minutes each. An interactive moderated discussion, facilitated by the co-chairs, will be held at the end of the session.

Poster discussion presenters are asked to mount their posters outside the session rooms on Tuesday, 23 July, between 08:00 and 09:00, and remove them on Thursday, 26 July, between 18:30 and 19:00.

Click here for general guidelines for poster discussion presenters.

For guidelines on poster layout and format, please see Guidelines for poster exhibitors below.

Guidelines for poster exhibitors

The poster exhibition is open from Tuesday, 24 July, to Thursday, 26 July, from 10:00 to 18:30 each day. It is located in Hall 1, next to the Global Village (ground floor, near the main entrance).

Posters are displayed for viewing from Tuesday to Thursday. Each poster is displayed for one day. Late-breaker posters are displayed for the duration of the conference (Tuesday to Thursday) in the poster exhibition area.

Authors will stand by their posters between 12:30 and 14:30 on their day of presentation to answer questions and provide further information on their study results.

Posters must be mounted between 08:00 and 09:00 on the day of presentation, and removed between 18:30 and 19:00 on the same day.

Presenters of late-breakers posters are asked to mount their posters on Tuesday, 24 July, between 08:00 and 09:00, and remove them on Thursday, 26 July, between 18:30 and 19:00.

Poster exhibitors are not required to check in at the speaker centre.

Click here to download general guidelines for poster exhibition presenters.

Poster printing

The AIDS 2018 conference does not have an official partnership with a printing company, however please find below a list of possible printers close to the conference venue where you can print posters. Please contact them directly regarding any inquiries about poster printing.

• Grand Prix Copyrette Printing & Design: Website | Email
• Copycenter: Website | Email
• RAI Amsterdam Business Centre: Website | Email

Protest protocol for speakers

Principles and values of conference participation at AIDS 2018

The International AIDS Society (IAS) endorses freedom of expression as an essential principle in the fight against HIV and AIDS and in promoting full participation in our conferences. Peaceful protest has always been and continues to be a key element of participation at the conferences. Protests expected at AIDS 2018 could include rallying and demonstrating as part of social or political movements.

The IAS opposes the destruction of property and the use or threat of physical force by any individual or group of individuals during the conferences.

Procedures involving disruptions within sessions

You will be notified if conference organizers anticipate a disruption in your session. Protesters are allowed two minutes to protest during a session or satellite symposium. IAS staff and security will be present in the majority of conference sessions and will handle disruptions that persist longer than two minutes. If no IAS staff are present in the room, the in-room audio-visual manager will contact IAS staff for support. 

Please follow these steps in the event of a disruption:

Step 1

In session halls, a slide will be displayed by the audio-visual technicians in your line of view with the following text:

Protesters have 2 minutes.
Please step away from the microphone.
The session will resume once the protest is finished.
A new slide will be displayed if the protest does not stop after 2 minutes.

Step 2

Step away from the podium and microphone and remain calm.

Step 3

Allow for the protest to unfold for two minutes. At the end of two minutes, a slide will be displayed on the main screen asking protesters to re-take their seats.

Step 4

As the protesters are exiting or re-taking their seats, step back to the podium or the microphone and continue speaking. The session resumes.

Step 5

If the protest does not stop within two minutes, IAS staff and security will intervene and engage with the protesters to address the situation.

Step 6

Step back to the podium or the microphone and continue speaking once the protesters have taken their seats. The session resumes.

Slide templates

Protest speaker slide

Protest public slide