Introduction
The conference will be delivered over a professional platform, Zoom, and will be managed by a highly competent and very experienced technical team. The conference platform is rich with features such as text-based chat, questions with polls, and more.
All paper presenters i.e. physical and virtual should have a pre-recorded presentation video to avoid any technical issue. However, speakers should virtually or physically attend for their entire session to participate in the discussion.
The hybrid conference will be similar to an in–person conference. Paper presentations are assembled into sessions according to a theme and can be accessed through separate Zoom Links which will be provided in the Conference agenda. Session chairs coordinate each session. All registered attendees can attend all technical sessions and switch from session to session at will. Paper presenters are also given an option to attend the conference in-person and present their paper at the conference venue under strict health and safety guidelines.
As with in-person conferences, there will also be a dedicated period for questions and discussion after the presentations.
Presentation format
Your oral presentations will be in English and cover the same material as your research paper. Paper presenter(s) will have 10 minutes for the presentation and 05 minutes for the discussion. Please strictly adhere to the time constraints and present your research paper during the allotted time slot in the session schedule which will be given to you in due course.
Your presentation should COVER the following areas,
- Research Topic, Name of the Author, Affiliation, and Email on the first slide
- Introduction/Background of the study
- Research problem/Questions/Objectives/Hypotheses
- Review of literature
- Methodology
- Findings
- Discussion
- Conclusion
- Theoretical and practical implications of the study
Make sure to prepare your presentation only with MS PowerPoint using the template attached herewith. Please go through the attached video guide for presenters. Be sure your visuals are clear and legible. Please name the PowerPoint slides using the paper ID and surname of the first author (Ex: 001_Alwis) and upload your presentation slides on or before 4th December 2021 to the https://forms.gle/jRVovWwabmsFKJeV8.
Pre-recorded presentation
All authors are required to send a high-quality video presentation that is free of background disturbances. This video presentation will be played at the session. Your pre-recorded presentation should align with academic features. You are free to choose the style of presentation you want, you can decide to record only your slides, yourself, or both. It is suggested to use creative methods, e.g., subtitles, animations, and video, to enhance your presentation further.
You can use the software or application of your choice to pre-record your presentation. However, we recommend recording your presentation using Zoom as Zoom-generated MP4 is compact and of high quality.
We recommend using the attached ICBM 2021 Virtual Background with a green screen and uniform lighting to allow Zoom to detect the difference between you and your background.
We recommend that you do a test beforehand to see whether the background works better for you, depending on your environment. Your video file has to be named with “Paper ID_Surname”.
Your video presentation should not exceed a 10 minutes duration with a maximum of 12 PPT slides. The discussion will take place in Livestream following your presentation. The technical staff will give you access to the discussion, and the session chairs will lead the discussion.
Helpful Links and Tutorials on Zoom Platform
The following links and documents may be useful as you prepare for your virtual presentation
- Creating a Zoom Account
- Audio/Video Testing
- Screen Sharing
- Recording
- Screen Sharing a PowerPoint Presentation
Reviewing your presentation video
To make sure your presentation passes quality control, please review the following before uploading:
- Is your file saved as a .mp4 file?
- Is your file size less than 1 GB?
- Is the audio consistent and clear, free from static, hums, hisses, or interference?
- Is the audio at the right level, without having to adjust your volume very high or very low?
- Does your talk start promptly? (Your narration should begin within the first 3 seconds)
- Does your recording end promptly after your closing remarks without being cut off early or continuing for too long?
- Is there audio on every slide? Having audio on every slide ensures that each slide gets the correct timing before advancing. If a slide is self-explanatory, you can simply say, “This slide is self-explanatory.”
- Do all your slides, movies, and animations appear correctly?
Uploading Your recorded video
The presenting author/s have to upload the prerecorded video to the following link after selecting the relevant track (https://forms.gle/jRVovWwabmsFKJeV8). The first author will receive an email confirming we have received your video. In addition, your video will be checked for any technical issues and inform the first author if any revision is necessary.
Preparing For Your Virtual Session
Before the conference starts
- Please upload your pre-recorded presentation following the instructions above before 04th December, 2021.
- In order to enter the platform, make sure you are registered to the conference. If so, you should have received a confirmation email from ICBM.
- *Please note that the access details will be sent in a reminder a few days before the conference to all registrants
- Find your respective session in the Conference session schedule shared in due course.
- You are required to participate in the morning session of the relevant track commences with the speech of the session speaker.
- Make sure to install Zoom on your computer or update it to the latest version; it will be requested to access the platform.
- Test your internet speed, we recommend an Internet connection download speed of at least 2.5Mbps.
- A microphone is recommended as well as a quiet place cut off from ambient noise for better interactions. Moreover, a USB connected headset will offer a better sound quality.
A technical staff will be assigned to each virtual session to ensure smooth transitions between presentations and promote speakers when needed (e.g., question period). A session chair will also be assigned to each session to facilitate and oversee time and discussion session.
Before the session starts
- Please make sure to join the virtual session 10 minutes prior to the start.
- When entering the session, make sure to identify yourself with your “Paper ID_Surname” to help the technical staff and session chair finding you easily.
- As a speaker, please note that you will be live as soon as you open your microphone and/or your camera after being promoted as such by the Session Host. Registered attendees will be able to hear you automatically.
During the session
Pre-recorded presentations will be managed by the technical staff according to the established schedule.
The discussion will take place in livestream following the pre-recorded presentation. After the stream, the screen will be switched to panel mode by the technical staff, and the session chairs and the speaker will appear side by side on the screen. The session chairs will lead the discussion and time allotted.
You can use the Raise your hand tool to inform the moderator of your presence in the virtual room.
Registered attendees will use the Chat tool to ask questions. The session chair will choose the most relevant ones to read for the presenter to answer during the question period.
The Chat tool will be used by the session chair and technical staff to privately contact the presenters if needed. In addition, if you need technical assistance, you will be able to inform the moderator using this tool.
Tips: Test your audio and video as you join; Mute your microphone when not speaking; Position your webcam at eye level and make eye contact as much as possible.
Physical Presentation
If you are opting for a physical presentation by visiting the conference venue, please pay attention to following guidelines and requirements.
Please ensure that you are fully vaccinated to attend the Conference physically.
- Wear a face covering over your mouth and nose at all times during Conference Events.
- Please make sure to bring your PowerPoint presentation in a pen drive on the day of the presentation (9th December 2021). However, presenters are also required to share the PowerPoint presentation in advance.
- Each session room is equipped with laptop computers running Windows and Microsoft Office and a multimedia projector.
- Arrive at your respective session room 15 minutes before the start of your session to introduce yourself to the session chairs and the convener.
- The best research paper from each session will be selected based on criteria and awarded a certificate. Thus, authors are encouraged and requested to stay till the end of the day’s proceedings. The best paper will be awarded at the end of the Business Forum held on 10th December 2021 at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura.
- Please make sure to provide evidence of your payment to the staff at the Registration Desk on the day of the conference, and collect the Conference KIT.