Instructions for chairs

Briefing notes for Chairs of concurrent sessions 

Dear Colleague, 

Many thanks for agreeing to step in as a chair for concurrent sessions at the 27th WONCA Europe / RCGP annual conference 2022. The Scientific Committee and Host Organising Committee are grateful to you for your time and your support. 

Ahead of the conference, we felt it would be helpful for us to share with you some briefing notes to assist you with the chairing, particularly as this conference will be held as a hybrid event, with virtual participants. 

Below are some general recommendations as well as specific guidance notes depending on the format of the session. 

Before the session

• Please be in your session room at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the Session.
• Check prior to the session whether all AV equipment is working properly.
• Please note that there will be an iPad at each session for you to see if virtual attendees ask any questions. A technician will be on hand to explain how to operate this.
• Please familiarise yourself with the session being presented. Have the speaker details to hand, e.g. Name, Country, Title of Session. If there are multiple presenters make sure you have information on all.
• Some sessions may have two chairs to support each other and facilitate the discussion. Please discuss with yuor co-chair how you would like to work together.
• Please ensure that the session and individual presentation within it run to time – this is the most crucial function of a chair, particularly in multi-presenter sessions. 

During the session

• Start your session in time. Stick to the timetable.
• At the start of each presentation briefly introduce each speaker/speakers.
• Please make the fire safety announcement: “There are no planned fire drills during the conference. If a fire alarm goes off in the event of a fire, please leave via the clearly marked fire exits, where venue staff will guide you to the designated meeting point“.
• Explain the format of the session and the timing and remind the speakers that they should strictly observe timing.
• In case a presenter does not show up, continue with the next presentation right away.
• You are free to rearrange the order of the presentations if necessary and agreed by the presenters.
• Ask the attendees if they have any questions, if there is time and the session format allows (see below).
• Check the iPad for any questions from virtual attendees, if there is time and the session format allows (see below).
• Prepare some questions for the presenter if there is no discussion.
• Ensure best use of the limited time for discussion, prevent the discussion from getting stuck on one particular point.
• Support presenters to make the best of their presentations, especially if this is their first conference presentation.
• At the end of each session, please thank the speakers and attendees and tell Conference participants the next point in the programme (coffee break, another session, plenary). 

Additional guidance notes for specific session formats

 State-of-the-art sessions, workshops and symposia

• Duration is 75 min.
• 1 abstract per session.
• The abstract author(-s) will be leading the session.

 Lecture

• Duration is 75 min.
• 5 presentations in total.
• 10 min for each presentation + 5 min for questions.
• Please check the iPad for any questions from virtual attendees.

 Science Slam

• Duration is 75 min.
• 7 presentations in total.
• 10 min for each presentation, no questions.

 1 Slide – 5 Minutes

• Duration is 75 min.
• 15 presentations in total
• 3 min for each presentation + 2 min for questions.

 Case presentations by young doctors

• Duration is 75 min.
• 5 min for each presentation + 10 min for questions.

 Once again, great many thanks for your help – and see you at the conference!

Kind regards,