SETAC Europe 27th LCA Symposium

Platform Session Guidelines 

It is NOT possible to stream remote participants or presenters into the session room. Also, sessions will not be recorded.   

Before the session starts 

• OPTIONAL: the principal chair can prepare and upload “Introductory Remarks” slides (PPT, PPTX, PDF, max file size 500MB) to support the three-minute session intro. Please keep to the scheduled time for this introduction:  
  • In the first week of October, you will receive an upload link via email. Instructions will follow in due course. You may also visit the Speaker Ready Room (PCO office, level 1) to upload your slides and get assistance. 
  • Upload your slides (PPT, PPTX, PDF, max 500MB) by 23:59 CET the day before your scheduled presentation. If your file exceeds the upload limit, bring your presentation to the speaker-ready room (PCO office, level 1) and upload it on-site. Prezi presentations are also allowed. 
  • You can also visit the speaker-ready room to upload or test your presentation. 
• Be in the session room at least 20 minutes before your session starts to welcome the presenters and check your information on the presenter’s affiliation and name pronunciation. Presenters have been instructed to arrive 20 minutes beforehand and introduce themselves to you. 
• Be mindful of and respect participants' preferred pronouns. If a participant explicitly expresses a preferred pronoun (e.g., on their name badge or verbally), chairs should address the participant accordingly. Proper use of pronouns plays a key role in creating an inclusive and respectful environment. If you are unsure of someone's pronouns, it is always appropriate to politely ask or refer to participants by name.  
• Presenters have been instructed to upload presentation slides ahead of the meeting. Volunteers are available in every session room for assistance and will check that the presentation files open. If a presenter requests to upload slides or make any last-minute changes, instruct them to go to the Speaker Ready Room (PCO office,  level 1). It is not possible to upload slides directly to the lectern laptop or to swap computers. 

At the start of the session  

• One of the session chairs should welcome the audience and speakers, and provide a 3-minute introduction summarising the theme and objectives of the session. 

• Introduce the speakers, their affiliation, and the title.

During the session 

• Keep the sessions on schedule with respect to the following presenters and the audience. Each platform slot consists of 15 minutes, with 12 minutes for presentation and 3 minutes for Q&A. Do not hesitate to cut off a speaker if the scheduled 15-minute time slot is exceeded. If you receive complaints from speakers, please direct them to the SETAC staff. It is VERY important that all sessions stay on time to allow the audience to move from one session to the other without missing any part of the next presentation.  
• Under no circumstances shall a session chair change the published order or timing of the programme. Also, if there is a cancelled (“presentation TBD”) or “no-show” presentation, try to start a discussion. 
• Chair the question period and restrict questions to the time slot. Intervene if questions become unprofessional. Ensure that questions are clear so they can be heard by the audience: instruct the audience to use microphones for questions or, alternatively, repeat the question yourself. The session room volunteer will assist in operating the microphone. Be prepared to initiate a discussion if there are no questions from the audience. 
• The session room volunteers can contact a technician or the SETAC staff if a problem arises. 
• Conclude your session by briefly acknowledging the speakers and audience. 

Poster Session Guidelines 

• Presenters will set up their posters between 09:00–11:00 CET (Mon) and 08:00 – 09:00 CET (Tue, Wed). They will be displayed in the exhibition area (“The View”). The authors have received instructions on where to put them up. Your presence as a session chair is not needed during the poster set-up. 
• Visit the poster presenters during the break and poster socials: acknowledge your contributors and initiate a discussion if feasible.   
• Posters are not offered virtually. 

   

Dissemination Activities

SETAC Globe 

Session chairs are strongly encouraged to spotlight the key discussions and lessons learned in SETAC’s home journal, the Globe. This is a magazine-style news outlet and not a scientific journal, the summary should focus on the relevance of the session and important discussions and conclusions. Have a look at the guidelines for submitting session summaries.  

Virtual Discussion Sessions 

Virtual discussions are held on an overarching topic, aiming at summarising the state of the science from the research presented at the regular scientific sessions or prioritising key research questions that need to be addressed. Meeting participants are invited to attend the complementary presentation sessions to make the most out of them. If you have a topic in mind for a virtual discussion session, we’d love to hear from you! Learn more about how to propose an event and view the virtual event planning schedule.