Dear Session Moderator,

You are free to conduct the session as you see fit. However, the participants will be used to the way most sessions are conducted. It might be useful to realise that this is the format both paper presenters and other participants expect, unless you tell them otherwise.

In the standard procedure of academic Enkidu Conferences, the moderator gives a brief introduction to the session mentioning each paper to be presented and each speaker. If the session is bilingual, it is recommended to introduce the session in both English and Castillian. The moderator is expected to ask at the beginning of the session if anyone present needs translation. 

If a large number of attendees require translation, the session will be conducted with interpreter.

If a small number of attendees require translation, the interpreter will translate from a table in the background, and people needing translation should take a seat there. In this case, the actual session on the podium will only be conducted in one language. Attendees requesting sign language translation should have signed up in advance.

In the break before the session starts, the moderator should inquire among the speakers if they bring along hand-outs or other materials to be distributed. If this is the case, the material should be placed on a table close to the entrance during the break, so attendees entering the auditorium easily can pick it up.

After the introduction of the session moderator, each speaker presents his or her paper. The time allotted to each participant obviously depends on the number of papers presented in the session, but would normally be something like 25 minutes. After that the session moderator starts the discussion with a comment in which each of the papers is mentioned.

Thereafter the discussion is open to everyone and we encourage dialogue, comments and constructive debates. Please make sure that there is at least half an hour left for this discussion, which is a very important element of the conference.

Roundtable sessions and 'Meet the author'-sessions are conducted in more or less the same way: the chair should to give an introduction, in a Meet the author session the author should have about 45 minutes, each commentator about 30 minutes and in both types of sessions enough time should be left for a discussion with the audience (at least half an hour, preferably more).

Suggestions

If you have any suggestions to improve the role of session moderators in future conferences, please send us an e-mail: info@enkidumagazine.com 

» For comments and questions please send an e-mail to info@enkidumagazine.com