Presenting Your Paper

How long should my presentation be?

Regardless of whether your panel has three or four presentations, your allotted time is 15 minutes. Your allotted minutes include time for playing clips and presenting other visual aids. (The Q&A session is at the end of the panel.) You will be held to this time frame!

Can I play video clips, music, a PowerPoint or Prezi, etc?

Yes. However, in case there are wifi issues, we recommend saving/downloading everything to your laptop/tablet in advance – rather than planning to stream files from the web or the cloud. Services like ssyoutube and Y2Mate can download videos from websites such as YouTube.

If you need to play a file from a CD or DVD, you will need to make sure the laptop you bring has a CD/DVD drive. Alternately, you can upload the file in advance. The AV team will not be able to provide CD or DVD players.

Older formats (such as VHS tapes, cassettes, and slides) can often be converted to CD, DVD, or digital files – either for a fee or through your school’s media or IT department. You may want to consider this option in advance, if warranted.

In case your tech does not work correctly, we strongly encourage you to create a presentation that the audience will still understand and enjoy without the accompanying multimedia.

How early should I arrive for my presentation?

On the day of your presentation, you should plan to arrive at least 10 minutes before the panel is scheduled to start, regardless of whether you are the first or fourth scheduled presenter.

What A/V does each conference room include?

Each meeting room at the Marriott Albuquerque is equipped with an LCD projector with HDMI cable, screen, speakers, and a microphone. Free wifi is also available, and you can find the wifi password at the registration desk.

What do I need to bring to utilize the A/V?

You will need to provide your own laptop, tablet, or presentation-capable smartphone. All rooms will have an HDMI cable; however, depending on your device, you may need to bring an HDMI adapter.  SWPACA will have a limited number of adapters available for check-out at the Help Desk, but we cannot guarantee the availability of every type of adapter.

It is safest to bring your own adapter. You can order these adapters online or from various chain stores. We also recommend that you consult with your school’s media or IT department to verify which adapter to bring – or check your device’s user manual or the manufacturer’s website.

Can I visit the room early and test the technology ahead of time?

Our conference schedule is very full, which means most sessions all rooms are in use throughout the day; therefore, the earliest you can enter your room is 15 minutes before. However, there will be tech staff floating to rooms prior to each session’s start to assist with the projector and, in some cases, microphones.

All presentation rooms include an HDMI cord, but you may need an adapter depending on your device. SWPACA has a limited number of HDMI adapters for check-out at the Help Desk. For more information on in-room technology, please see the question above on “What A/V does each conference room include?”

What should I wear?

There is no formal dress code, although presenters should be presentation-ready. That being said, it is a popular culture conference, and many presenters will wear t-shirts or other clothing reflective of their particular pop culture interests that they might not wear in other academic conference settings. Most attendees dress business casual, although some attendees wear suits and some wear jeans.

How can I avoid problems with the time limit?

Practice! We strongly encourage you to practice reading your presentation aloud (including time for visuals) and timing yourself. Do not plan on being able to speak for more than your allotted minutes. Practice before the conference so that you will be able to say everything you want to say. We recommend conferring with your panel moderator to discuss time signals, if you need.

If I’m still in the middle of my presentation and I hit my time limit, what should I do?

Many moderator give presenters verbal or visual warnings at 5 minutes left and 2 minutes left. Check with your moderator ahead of time to be sure you know how and when they will give you time signals. When you hit the 2-minute warning, begin to wrap up your presentation even if you are only part-way through the material you wanted to cover. Your moderator will interrupt you and cut you off if you go over your allotted time. Feel free to offer to discuss your topic at further length with anyone interested after the panel. Please be respectful of the time limits. Don’t make your moderator cut you off.

Should I read from my paper or speak from notes?

This is up to you. Most presenters read from a pre-written paper (a good tip is to print out your paper in large font—like 14 or 16 point—so you can more easily keep your place as you look up to make eye contact with your audience). Some presenters do speak from a PowerPoint presentation or note cards, but this generally requires more experience. We encourage first-time presenters to read from a written out paper. Either way, your presentation should be a clear, concise, pre-prepared argument.

Am I expected to stay for a whole panel or can I move between panels?

As a presenter, you are expected to stay for the whole panel. It is is standard conference etiquette to stay for all presentations on a given panel, out of respect for your fellow presenters and attendees.

What is expected of me during the Q & A session?

Given that all the presenters keep to time constraints, there will usually be 25-30 minutes at the end of each panel for questions. Your panel moderator facilitate discussion by “calling on” audience members with questions. An audience member may ask a specific question directly to an individual presenter or may ask a broader question directed at two or more presenters. You may comment on a question not directed specifically at you, although you should let the person to whom it was directed answer the question to their satisfaction first. You may also ask questions of your fellow presenters.

Useful Links

Submitting a Proposal

Registering & Paying

Attending the Conference

Code of Conduct

Presenting Your Paper

Serving as a Moderator

Becoming an Area Chair

Contact Us