Guidelines for Oral Presentation

About the Oral Presentation

  • Oral Presentation will be divided into two parts. The first part will include the 12-minute oral presentation. A two-minute warning will be given to terminate the presentation. The second part is the question and answer which is limited to only 3 minutes.
  • Session chairs are instructed to terminate oral presentations which exceed their allotted time.
  • Multiple presenters for a single presentation will be allowed to present however the time allotted must be split among the presenters.

Guidelines on the Use of the PowerPoint Presentation

  • Be sure to explain/define any slang terms or acronyms.
  • PowerPoint slides should not have more than seven lines of information.
  • Be cautious of your allotted time.
  • Information on the slide should be spaced evenly.
  • Use the provided template for your presentation. (If you have not received a copy of the template, feel free to email the 2IRF secretariat.
  • Maintain consistent fonts all throughout the slides. Avoid using no more than two fonts on one slide.
  • Use professional traditional bullets (i.e., circles or squares) instead of ‘fun’ or ‘fancy’ bullets.
  • Background and font color must be easy to read at a distance.
  • The font should be easy to read and should not be smaller than 24-point.
  • Headers are in the same font and font size throughout the presentation.
  • The body of the slides should be in the same font and font size throughout the presentation.
  • Limit the use of animations. If using animation, be sure that animation is timed, and transitions do not occur on the click.

Speaker Guidelines

  • Your audience is multinational, and some do not have mastery of the English language. It is therefore recommended that you speak slower than usual, and use simpler/smaller words, and simpler/shorter sentences. Long, compound sentences will confuse the audience.
  • Minimize the use of acronyms or internal lingo and jargon unless previously described/explained.
  • Do not tell jokes! Feel free to use humor, but not too much of that.
  • Avoid using graphics or photos on your PowerPoint presentation that may be nation-centric or that could be offensive to other cultures. Keep it simple!
  • Remember that your PowerPoint should only serve as an aid to your presentation with a limited number of words. Do not read your presentation.