SPEAKER MILESTONES
**indicates speaker action items
PRE-EVENT
October 2022
- Distribution of Online Speaker Agreements & Follow Up Forms
- Online Speaker Agreements, Follow Up Forms & Headshots Due via Speaker Portal HERE**
November 2022
- Registration & Housing Opens via Annual Session 2023 Website**
January 2023
- Distribution of #AAOChicago Social Media Toolkits via Email
February 2023
- Special Requests Due via Email**
- Printed Onsite Program Materials Finalized
- Distribution of Annual Session 2023 Branding Assets for Presentations
April 2023
- E-handouts Due via Email**
- Distribution of Personalized Onsite Speaker Reference Guides via Email
EVENT, APRIL 21-24
Upon Arrival
- Pick-up Name Badge in Registration Area**
24 to 2 Hours in Advance of Session Start Time (in Speaker Ready Room)
- Upload Presentation Slides**
- Pick-up Speaker Check, if applicable**
- Pick-up Speaker Badge Ribbon**
15-Min in Advance of Session Start Time
- Arrive at Assigned Session Room**
POST-EVENT
May 2023
- Expense Reports Due via Email/Fax, when applicable**
June 2023
- Expense Reimbursements Processed, if applicable
- Distribution of Speaker Certificates and Session Evaluations

SPEAKER REQUIREMENTS
Speakers are required to upload their presentation slides to the network onsite in the Speaker Ready Room at McCormick Place West in Chicago, IL.
Sessions must begin and end on time; the total duration is inclusive of session content and Q&A.

Guidelines for Presentation Slides:
- Must be either PowerPoint (Windows or Mac) or Keynote (Mac) file formats, preferably a current software version
- Must be in the aspect ratio of 16:9 (projection screens are in 16:9)
- Cannot be branded with a commercial product, service or company logo
- A Conflict of Interest Declaration slide is required, and additional slides may be provided and/or instructed as the meeting approaches
- Video files should be embedded, preferably mp4 file types
- Standard font collections packaged in Mac, Windows and/or MS Office are preferred; custom font packages are highly discouraged as they may cause formatting/alignment distortions
ROOM SPECS
AUDIO/VISUAL SET-UP
- In-room audio/visual tech staff
- Two projection screens for slide presentation
- Floor confidence monitor with countdown timer
- Speaker lapel microphone
- Speaker slide advancer
- Aisle microphone(s)
FLOOR SET-UP
- Theater style audience seating
- Stage
- Podium with microphone & presentation laptop
- Bottled, room temperature water

If you cannot comply with each of the speaker requirements above and/or you would like to discuss alternate session room specs to enhance your session format/delivery, you must communicate these SPECIAL REQUESTS to Melissa McCulloch via email at [email protected] by February 24, 2023. Special requests received after this date risk foregoing accommodation.
FAQs
A Conflict of Interest Declaration slide is required (see instructions on the Conflict of Interest Declaration form). Additional slides may be provided and/or instructed as the meeting approaches.
No, you may use your own template, however, your template cannot be branded with a product and/or service.
In limited instances, our Committee on Conferences & Meetings reserves the right to review presentations in advance to ensure adherence to Speaker Agreements and/or Conflict of Interest Declarations.
No less than two hours in advance of your scheduled session start time in the Speaker Ready Room at McCormick Place West.
Yes, however, please be mindful and courteous to other speakers and limit these to minor revisions.
Definitely and we highly encourage it! A practice mode will be integrated into presentation upload kiosks. These kiosks will be available in the Speaker Ready Room at McCormick Place West on a first-come, first-served basis.
Unless otherwise indicated in your speaker agreement, checks for US speakers will be available for pickup onsite in the Speaker Ready Room at McCormick Place West. Canadian and International speakers must submit an AAO expense report accompanied by itemized receipts no later than May 31, 2023.
In the event that your assigned session room exceeds the maximum seating capacity, a Central Overflow space in Hall F1 of the Exhibit Hall will be available and additional physical attendees may watch your presentation from that room.
Possibly. The video camera is used for live picture-in-picture audio + video feeds to the Central Overflow Room or a livestream feed from select session rooms to the virtual audience. Helpful Hint: See a video camera? Stick to the stage!
It is a 42” LCD monitor positioned on the floor in front of the podium which will display the current slide of your presentation reflected on the projection screen. Presentation notes are not displayed on this monitor; notes can be viewed from the presentation laptop positioned on the podium.
Individual speaker presentations are not available for sale or complimentary distribution; however, you will be able to purchase the compilation of meeting recordings at a discounted speaker rate via registration. If you elect to participate, your presentation audio and/or slides will be included in this compilation. Preview a past recorded presentation HERE.
Concurrent sessions are attended in an a la carte fashion; they are not ticketed sessions. Please refer to the Program Grid HERE for the estimated seating capacity in your assigned session room.
Yes, however, they may not attend other CE sessions and will not be eligible for CE.
- Exhibits – Elizabeth Cordes at [email protected]
- Sponsorships – Holly Kiel at [email protected]
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? PLEASE CONTACT:
MELISSA McCULLOCH
Sr. Specialist, Education
Education & Events
[email protected] | 800-424-2841 ext. 557