Instructions for Session Chairs

The technical program of the 2006 SES Conference will be held on the campus of Penn State University on August 14-16, 2006 (Monday-Wednesday). The technical program consists of plenary sessions, keynote sessions, and breakout sessions. One plenary session will be held each morning of the conference, followed by three breakout sessions. Eight simultaneous breakout sessions will be run each day. The co-organizers of each symposium have been designated as the session chairs unless other provisions have been made to-date.

Presentation rooms will be equipped with a screen, an overhead transparency projector, and an LCD projector. Individuals must bring their own computers if they desire to use them for their presentations. The local meeting organizers and conference facility are not responsible for the operation or safe keeping of computer-related equipment belonging to participants. Only one connection for the LCD projector is available at the podium. Hence, chairs are urged to allow sufficient time between presentations for speakers to connect and disconnect their computers.

A list of papers to be presented in each session will be posted by the conference organizers outside the door of each breakout room. Symposium or session chairs are requested to pick up a copy of their speaker list at the registration desk prior to the start of their symposium. Chairs are encouraged to verify prior to their sessions that all their speakers are indeed present at the meeting and to obtain information for introducing each speaker. A minimal introduction of a presenter by a chair would include the names and positions of the co-authors and the title of the paper. Chairs may add additional introductory information at their own discretion. Before each session, chairs should strongly encourage their speakers to verify proper operation of their computers with the projection equipment on hand.

A uniform schedule has been established for all breakout sessions so that attendees can move easily from one breakout session to another without missing much of any presentation. All presentations are 25 minutes long, the including question/answer period and computer swapping time. Session chairs must closely follow this schedule. If speakers do not appear in time for their presentation, they should be rescheduled for a later time in the program. In the event of a "no-show," the chair must call a session break until the next regularly scheduled presentation. Speakers running overtime should be politely asked to come to closure. These procedures have been established so that attendees can be certain when presentations of interest are occurring.

Plenary presentations and keynote presentations will be 50 minutes long. Each breakout session will be 125 minutes long and will consist of five presentations of 25-minutes duration as mentioned above.