Session Chair Guidelines

Oral Session Chair Resources 

eLightning Session Chair Resources

Poster Session Chair Resources 

Speaker Marketing Toolkit

Session Chair Tips

Meeting Platform: Registered attendees can log in to #AGU21 from the main #AGU21 page to access the mobile app/online planner to build your schedule, view pre-recorded content and interactive posters, and navigate the meeting. Most sessions will be live streamed. They will be available for on-demand viewing within 72 hours of the session’s end and until February 2022 for registered attendees.

   Important Notes:

1. Declare whether you will be presenting in-person or online here if you have not already done so.
2. Register for #AGU21. You will not have access or be admitted to the Zoom room for your session unless you are registered.
3. Review the Health & Safety updates, including how to show proof of vaccination before attending #AGU21 in-person. AGU strongly encourages all in-person attendees to complete the SafeAccess verification process ahead of arriving to New Orleans. After you have registered for the meeting, expect a vaccine verification email from [email protected]. Please allow up to 2 business days for the email.
4. AGU will require masks to be worn at the convention center, including the oral session rooms, poster hall, and exhibit hall floor unless actively eating, drinking or presenting. AGU will require masks regardless of New Orleans’ policy at the time of the meeting. 
   
   Quick Tips:

1. Declare whether you will be chairing in-person or online here if you have not already done so.
   1. Register for #AGU21. You will not have access or be admitted to the Zoom room for your session unless you are registered.
   2. If you are attending in-person, complete your vaccination check in. This takes 48-72 hours for approval. Look for an email from “SafeAccess” sent to all attendees after you register.
   3. All in-person presenters and chairs must wear face masks when not speaking.
2. Review the schedule for your session. Be ready to keep presenters on time and facilitate the discussion (have a few questions ready).
3. Reach out to your presenters and be sure that they are ready, registered, have indicated if they are presenting virtually or in-person, and have uploaded their presentations or iPosters.
4. If you are chairing a poster session, you must select a time for the poster summary session here by 10 December. We recommend reaching out to the presenters in your session to optimize the time and communicate it to them.
5. IMPORTANT:  Log into the presentation system,#AGU21 upload site This system will:
   1. Provide access to and the upload status of all the presentations in your session.
   2. Have the Zoom link for the chair (and presenters) if you are chairing the session virtually. If you are chairing in person, the session room will already be connected to the Zoom webinar. The Zoom link will be available at least 24 hours in advance of the session. Only the listed chair and presenters will be allowed into the Zoom.
6. If you are not attending in person and your session is not an oral session or online only session, please reach out to one of your session chairs that is attending to facilitate the session or designate one of the in-person speakers to help or contact AGU here so that a volunteer can be assigned. 
7. Review the Zoom tips to ensure you:
   1. Have your slide presentation ready to share and be familiar with how to share.
   2. Have tested you audio and video settings for Zoom prior to starting the meeting.
   3. Have the latest version of Zoom.    
   
   

1. Hybrid and online only Session Chair Tips (review the detailed Session Chair Tips here):
   1. Check into the in-person or virtual Zoom room 20 minutes in advance.
   2. Introduce the session and each presenter.
   3. In-person attendees will present from the podium, bringing up their slides from the in-room computers.
   4. Online attendees will share their screen and present their own slides.
   5. After the presentations, manage the discussion and please follow the AGU guidelines for an inclusive meeting.
   6. Questions from the in-person and online audience will take place using the mobile app.
      
      
   Update: In-person oral session chairs, please plan to attend one of the onsite session chair trainings below. In-person or online chairs, you may also view the recorded training here* or slides here.
   
   Sunday, 12 December: 4:30pm, Room 255-257
   Tuesday, 14 December: 7:00am, Room 255-257
   
   Presenters are welcome to attend as well.
   
   *Please note, the following corrections should be noted in teh recorded training (the slides have been updated). 
   
   - Laser pointers will not be used in the oral session rooms
   - If a session is comprised of 5-minute talks then that means that each presenter has approximately 5 minutes for their presentation, including 2 minutes for wrap up and transition to the next presentation. Q&A will occur either after the presentation or at the end of the session depending on the session schedule.
   
   

• Day of Access for hybrid oral, online-only oral, online-only eLightning and online-only poster discussion sessions (hybrid eLightning sessions will NOT use Zoom):
  
  1. Only hybrid oral and online-only oral, online-only eLightning and online-only poster discussion sessions will take place in Zoom Webinar. Online presenters and chairs must access Zoom from #AGU21 upload site to join the Zoom webinar. 
  2. Online presenters will share their screen and overview presentation slides for oral sessions (uploaded summary presentations for online oral presenters serve as a backup) online-only eLightning or online-only poster sessions will share their screen and iPoster or PDF.
  3. If a presenter is having trouble sharing their screen, please inform the support staff for that session. The presentation can then be shared by them, provided it has been uploaded (as a backup).
  4. IMPORTANT: The Zoom link for registered online presenters and chairs only will be available at least 24 hours prior to the session through the #AGU21 upload site. Please DO NOT join the session from the attendee link in the online planner or mobile app. Only confirmed, online presenters and chairs will be admitted as panelists in Zoom. For online attendees, the Zoom link will be available through the mobile app and online planner.
  5. In-person oral presenters will also be logged in to Zoom to participate in the Q&A and discussion from the head table via a laptop and will present from their podium, pulling up their presentation from the computers on the stage. All uploaded presentations will be available in the room. When all presentations have concluded, all presenters will be in the gallery view and will be shown on the screen.
  6. Social Q&A: When all presentations have concluded, all presenters will be in the gallery view and will be shown on the screen and the discussion/Q&A period will take place within  the Zoom webinar. View the full instructions for Social Q&A here. The Zoom Q&A feature will be disabled (except for online only sessions).
  • This slide will be shown in the room instructing in-person attendees to go to fm21.cnf.io to submit questions to your session.
  • Please remind the in-person attendees to do this and instruct the online attendees to either use the same method or they can also get to the Q&A by clicking on the session in the mobile app/online planner.
  • To moderate your session’s Q&A, go to the workshop listing where you will have the option to sign in as a moderator. The password to do this has been sent to you via email.
  • We recommend that you or one of your fellow chairs moderate the Q&A on a personal device during your session.