ASTD Speaker kit

SESSION Guidelines

Contents

1.   Speaker Responsibilities

2.   ASTD Audience Information

3.   Standaard Room Set

4.   Speaking to an Adult Audience

5.   Tips for Succesful Sessions

6.   Session Evaulation Form

7.   ASTD Speaker Policy

1. Speaker Responsibilties

SESSION PREPARATION AND DELIVERY

• Read speaker information made available to you via emails and the Speaker Kit and Speaker Information websites. Respond to action items by deadline.
• Read and adhere to the Speaker Kit Handout Guidelines. Submit hard and electronic copies of your handout by the deadline.
• Return the speaker forms by the deadlines.
• Review these Speaker Kit Session Guidelines before preparing your session and before arriving at the conference.

Look at the Session Evaulation Form and keep it in mind as you plan your session¾session participants will use this form to evaluate your session, and the results will be referenced by conference program advisory committees when planning future conference programs.

Prior to your session, review Tips for Successful Sessions. It includes:

• Arrive in your session room 30 minutes before your session begins.
• Test your audiovisual equipment prior to the start of your session.
• Begin and end your session promptly.
• Review your session description and objectives with your audience. Be certain you deliver what has been advertised in conference promotions.
• Ask questions early to stimulate the learners and create a climate of participation immediately.
• Ask your room monitor to strongly encourage your audience to fill out and return the  evaluation forms.

RULES OF BEHAVIOR

• Ensure the dignity and social equity of any individual or group.
• Ensure your ideas are portrayed as yours and not ASTD’s.

Do not use the session to sell, promote, or endorse products.  You may mention your product(s), but further promotion is prohibited. If you have a book for sale in the ASTD Book Store or are signing books at the Book Store, we encourage you to publicize this to your session audience. Model ASTD values of an open approach to learning and growth.

2. ASTD AUDIENCE INFORMATION  

WHAT IS ASTD?

ASTD (American Society for Training & Development) is the world’s largest association dedicated to workplace learning and performance professionals. ASTD’s members come from more than 100 countries and connect locally in 140 U.S. chapters and 24 Global Networks. Members work in thousands of organizations of all sizes, in government, as independent consultants, and suppliers.

ASTD started in 1944 when the organization held its first annual conference. ASTD has widened the profession’s focus to link learning and performance to individual and organizational results, and is a sought-after voice on critical public policy issues.

AUDIENCE SIZE

There will be approximately 1,000participants in the conference and there will be up to 9concurrent sessions going on at any one time. An educational session can typically draw anywhere from 50 to 200 or more participants. We have no way of predicting in advance how many participants might attend your session. If you have spoken at an ASTD conference before, we will use your attendance history as a guide to make every attempt to place you in an appropriately-sized meeting room. 

AUDIENCE PROFILE

The “typical” TechKnowledge conference participant:

• works for a company with 800 employees.
• has a bachelor’s and likely a master’s degree.
•   has an average of 9 years of work experience.
• manages a budget of under $500,000.
• has the title training manager, director, or team leader (43%) or team member (33%).
• works in “for profit” companies (more than 50%).
• 98% of learners are from the U.S., 2% are from outside the U.S.

What the “typical” learner wants from you as a speaker (based on past feedback):

• exemplary handout material
• exemplary delivery skills
• exemplary use of current delivery technology
• no “sales pitches”
• ability to adapt adult learning principles to a large group
• session that follows the original session description
• information to take home and use on the job

Please consider this information when preparing your session.

3. STANDARD ROOM SET  

With nearly 80sessions taking place during TechKnolwedge, it is necessary to maintain permanent meeting room sets throughout the conference week. Please plan your session to use the standard room configuration. A small number of rooms will be allocated for round tables. If you requested this room set, we will contact you if we are able to meet your request. Do not plan your session based on a non-standard room set if we have not confirmed the change.

CONCURRENT SESSIONS

• Theater-style seating for the capacity of the room (typically 150 to 200). Rooms are set theater style to allow as many participants as possible to attend your session.
• Due to fire codes, please do not move the chairs. Although the chairs can’t be moved, audience interaction is still possible. For example, depending on audience size, participants can interact with those sitting around them or move to sit in groups within the room set. 
• Head table (6') for two on the floor (there will not be risers in the rooms). If your session consists of a panel of speakers, this set up will be adjusted.
• A lectern at the head table.
• Evaluation collection tray at rear of room.

In most instances, audiovisual equipment for all sessions in a meeting room on a particular day will be placed in the room before the first sessions begin. Technicians will check your meeting room prior to the first session to ensure that all requested equipment is in place and operating correctly. Please do not move or remove any equipment from the room—there is not time between sessions to re-set equipment. Please notify the Speaker Ready Room if you have concerns.

PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS

• Rooms are set in rounds.
• Attendance is limited to 30-50 participants.
• Head table.
• Lectern.
• Evaluation collection tray at rear of room.
  

4. SPEAKING TO AN ADULT AUDIENCE

Learners expect your session to reflect the description on the conference Website and in the program guide. Failure to do so is the number one negative comment about sessions. Review and clarify the session objectives at the beginning of your session.

• Adults learn best when theory is applied to practical situations. ASTD audiences expect information on how to apply session ideas to their work and organizations.
• Adults need variety in the session format to hold their interest. Be creative and keep in mind the large group setting.
• To the adult learner, the delivery method is as important as the content. This is especially true for ASTD learners, many of whom facilitate learning themselves and are subsequently more demanding.
• Demonstrate early in your session how the information being delivered will benefit the learner. 
• Provide opportunities for questions and answers throughout the session.

5. TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL SESSIONS    

IN YOUR SESSION

• Arrive in your session room 30 minutes before your session begins.
• Introduce yourself to the room monitor and test your audiovisual equipment and overheads. Ask the monitor to control interruptions so you can get organized before the session.
• Ask your assigned session monitor to dim lights, signal you when your time is up, collect evaluations, or assist in other ways during your session.
• Begin and end your session promptly.
• Introduce yourself and any co-speakers (there will not be someone to introduce you).
• If there is more than one speaker in your session, turn off your microphone when you are not speaking to avoid distracting from your co-speaker.
• Review your session description and objectives with your audience. Be certain you deliver what has been advertised in conference materials.
• Ask your audience what they expect from the session. If your content will not meet expectations, encourage those participants to move to another session.
• Ask questions early to stimulate the learners and create a climate of participation immediately.
• When fielding questions, repeat any questions from the floor before answering.
• Summarize at the end of the session and close with a memorable idea that leaves the learners with a positive impression and information they can take away and use back on the job.
• Ask your room monitor to strongly encourage the return of evaluations.

DELIVERY METHODS

How you deliver your session is as important as the content.

• Remember that this is a learning experience.
• Limit your use of PowerPoint as a delivery mechanism. Instead, design interactive means to engage with the participants and have them engage with each other.
• If you aren’t a seasoned trainer or facilitator or want to brush up on your delivery skills, research and practice some of the key strategies for facilitating learning. ASTD offers many publications, such as Training for Dummies, that can assist you.     
• Make sure that your content supports your session’s Application-Focused Learning Objectives that appear on the Conference Website and in the program guide.
• Model as many of the concepts you are delivering in the session as are possible and practical.

The Speaker Ready Room is an excellent place to familiarize yourself with the AV equipment and talk to a technician about the technical aspects of your session.

• If you intend to base your session on accessing the Internet, please have a back-up plan in case there are technical difficulties accessing the Internet.
• Replace words with images. Graphics are easier to read than tables of information (see Visual Design Tips in Other Resources for further information).
• Keep slides simple. Limit each slide to one idea or topic.
• Limit each slide to fewer than six lines with no more than six words per line.
• Standard output resolution is 1024’ x 768’.
• Test all equipment, connections, and lens focus prior to beginning your session.
• Begin the explanation of the slide before putting it up on the screen.
• Flipcharts in sessions are not advised—room and audience size make it difficult for learners to see the flipchart. Flipcharts do work with the smaller audiences in preconference workshops.
• Prior to starting your session, cue audio or videotape to the starting point of the portion you wish to play.
• Check that the volume control is set at the appropriate level.
• Check the sound and picture quality.

ASTD does not permit independent audio- or videotaping of conference events.

6. SESSION EVALUATION FORM

This form, or one similar to it, is distributed to the audiences at every session. Please consider this evaluation form as you plan your session¾participants will use this form to evaluate your session, and the results will be referenced by conference program advisory committees when planning future conference programs. You may review your evaluation forms in the Speaker Ready Room after your session, and you will receive a report of your evaluations 6-8 weeks after the conference.

SESSION EVALUATION

7. ASTD SPEAKER POLICY

CODE OF ETHICS

The ASTD Code of Ethics provides guidance to members to be self-managed HRD professionals.  Clients and employers should expect the highest possible standards of personal integrity, professional competence, sound judgment, and discretion. Developed by the profession for the profession, the ASTD Code of Ethics is the Society’s public declaration of its members’ obligations to themselves, their profession, and society.

RULES OF BEHAVIOR

Members of the Society shall...

• refrain from any overt statement or pointed humor which disparages the rightful dignity and social equity of any individual or group when delivering from any Society platform.
• make clear, when using the Society’s name or in introductions to speakers, that the ideas delivered are personal and do not represent those of the Society.
• not use the Society’s platform to directly sell, promote, or otherwise encourage participants to purchase or use their products or services.

Leaders of the Society (defined as the board of directors, national advisors for chapters, council of governors, and members of committees, task forces, teams, and special projects) shall...

• not solicit or receive anything of value for services rendered in the Society’s name or using the Society’s materials.
• not use any Society funds for their personal gain.

PROGRAMS

ASTD practices an open approach to learning and growth. Those appearing on ASTD programs may represent disparate views. The Society is not endorsing these individuals, their viewpoints, or their organizations.

Unless specifically designated, ASTD programs are noncommercial forums. Individuals should refrain from the use of brand names and specific product endorsement whenever practicable. Under no circumstances should the Society podium be used as a place for direct promotion of a speaker’s product, service, or monetary self-interest. This does not apply to Expo-related sessions.

Speakers from any Society podium must refrain from overt statements or pointed humor which disparages the rightful dignity and social equity of any individual or group.

All sessions are monitored.  Violation of these principles will be reflected in the evaluation of your session.