Guidelines for PRESENTATIONS

Thank you for contributing to the VTEC 2026 Conference.  Here is a link to the detailed programme: VTEC 2026.This is a near final version, however it is still subject to minor changes. Please find below the Guidelines for Individual Oral Presentations and for Flash Poster Talks at VTEC2026. Below the guidelines for the speaking elements, you will find the guidance for the presentation elements  - please note the guidelines for your format of talks as there are subtle variations. 

  • Be aware there are different submission deadlines for different formats / elements
  • The local team cannot provide poster printing nor pick up posters on behalf of presenters
  • Note the information about accessibility and remember to acknowledge funders and contributors to your work
  • Remember to practice to ensure your presentation is no longer than the time allowed

Individual Oral Presentations

Presenting Guidelines:

  • Each session will be assigned a chair who will be listed in the conference programme in due course. 
  • Your talk should last no more than 12 minutes in length.
  • If you do go over your 12 minutes then the chair of the session will stand up to indicate you must end your talk. There will be a short amount of time for some questions and your chair will pick these from the attendees.
  • Talks should be presented in English.
  • Please remember that you will be speaking to an audience that may not have English as a first language, and you should pace yourself accordingly.
  • Please note that you do not have to use a PowerPoint (or other) presentation and can chose to focus on a verbal presentation – if this suits your presentation style and topic.
  • We have a very busy programme and we will help you to keep on time as over-running impacts on other presenters and the programme overall.
  • All rooms will have a laptop, screen and projector and there are technical staff and members of the local organising committee on hand to help with any technical issues.

Flash Poster 4 Minute Talks

These short oral presentations are a chance to publicise your poster in a short elevate-style pitch, and gives you a maximum of 4 minutes, using a maximum of 3 slides, to briefly discuss your work, enabling you to highlight the key points of your poster, and to inform delegates of your poster board stand number so that they can come along at a later time to learn more. Your digital display / poster will not be present at the 4 minute talk session, however you are welcome to submit a three slide PowerPoint, see the guidance below. 

Please see here for our guidance on Poster Presentations to gather the information you require for your poster, and read below for the details on the presentation aspect of your talk.

Presenting Guidelines:

  • Presentations should last no longer than 4 minutes. There will not be time for questions or discussions.
  • Please note that you do not have to use a power point (or other) presentation and can chose to focus on a verbal presentation – if this suits your presentation style and topic. You have the option of presenting three PowerPoint slides without any animations.
  • If you do go over time the Chair will stand up to indicate that you must stop speaking.
  • We have a very busy programme and we will help you to keep on time as over-running impacts on other presenters and the programme overall.
  • Talks should be presented in English.
  • Please remember that you will be speaking to an audience that may not have English as a first language, and you should pace yourself accordingly
  • All rooms will have a laptop, screen and projector and there are technical staff and members of the local organising committee on hand to help with any technical issues.

Oral and Flash Talks 

Presentation Upload Information

If you are using a presentation we have now made it even easier for you and you can upload it directly via:

 Presentation Upload

  • Presentations must be with us by 22nd April 2025 to ensure we can pre-load these onto the laptops for the event.
  • Please ensure your presentation is entitled ABSTRACT NUMBER YOUR FULL NAMEPLEASE NOTE: presentations sent after midnight on the 22nd April 2025 will not be pre-uploaded.
  • You should also bring a copy of your presentation on USB, just to be on the safe side.
  • If you don’t provide your presentation before the deadline please make sure you upload it to the appropriate folder, on the appropriate laptop, in the appropriate room, at the latest at the break prior to your session. This is your own responsibility.
  • There is a maximum of 3 slides for Flash Talks and 10 Slides for Individual Oral Presentations.

Please consider the following accessibility guidelines:

  • It is recommended that in PowerPoint you use the widescreen (16:9) slide size.
  • The amount of text per slide should be limited to allow for increased font size and to allow time for all delegates to read content. Be aware that neurodiverse delegates may need longer to read content.
  • All conference rooms will have access to a laptop or PC which can accommodate most formats of PowerPoint. Technicians will be on hand to help you upload your presentation if required.
  • Please see our quick guidelines on making accessible PowerPoint Presentations
  • If you are using alternative presentation software let us know and we can test it will work in advance.
  • Please arrive in good time for your session to meet the chair and other speakers in your session.

For any other information on the conference please consult the conference website or email cpdservices@abdn.ac.uk 


Poster Presentations

Please see here for our guidance on Poster Presentations.