Conference Presentations Background Briefing Q & A

If you are preparing to submit a conference presentation for consideration by the program committee and have questions - let us know and we will respond via this blog entry. Here are the questions and answers from the teleconference background briefing and new questions that have come in subsequently. Keep 'em coming!

Q: Will there be real-time simultaneous translations into other languages of presentations?

A: None are planned at this stage, we will welcome though sessions in English, Spanish and French consistent with our membership profile.

Q:Will you accept submissions that pay attention to business outreach participation strategies?
A: Yes if the outreach reflects a two-way strategy and where there has been public engagement to enhance participation in decision-making

Q: Can you please provide some more clarity on the differences between the streams.

A: Each of the streams pays attention to a different part of the process of decision-making; and one way to consider these differences it to notice that there is a pre-decision process; a decision process and a post decision-process. We recognise that many processes and projects could fit into any one of the streams so one we have received all the submissions we would be very happy to review them and see where they best fit which may lead to submissions being aligned in a different stream to the one they were submitted in to enable balance in the overall program.

Q: Our preferred project to showcase is a large city-wide project and we are not sure what to focus on that will meet the conference objectives – can we have some ideas about what focus we should take?

A: Typically IAP2 conference participants are looking for tools they can use in their practice and learning from others about what works and what doesn’t work – so some of the best presentations have been about processes and techniques that didn’t work! Learning from others and being shown how to apply tools and techniques, identifying skill and knowledge sets, resources to enable and enhance processes are all appreciated by IAP2 conference participants; in other words you may like to highlight aspects of the project you have selected rather than the project as a whole.

Q: Have you got any conference papers we can review from the past?

A: While there are past conference papers and we will be putting some previous ones on our website, we would not want you to look to these as exemplars. As we are all about participation, much of what can be reproduced is difficult to present in this kind of a platform, due to the interactive nature of the sessions. This is one of the reasons we would prefer to call for “presentations” and not “papers”. In this program we are looking for highly participatory sessions, including technology enabled, film/video, site visits, experiential learning and use of techniques in presentations that enhance the learning transfer (eg world cafe, bear pit, open space). Do not restrict yourself to the concept of papers when you submit your presentation for consideration by the program committee

Q: How many sessions are there going to be?

A: This is still under consideration, there will be capacity for hour and one and half hour sessions. We are anticipating 25 -30 sessions. So are seeking around 100 submissions in order to make program selections.

Q: Can we submit more than one submission for consideration?

A: Yes

Q: Will you be open to receiving program ideas that reflect non-conference elements such as the use of techniques for conference participant engagement?

A: Yes and please send them in!

Q: is it possible for us to get a vendor booth area where we could offer interactive demos of our software? If so, would that cost extra?

A: IAP2 is exploring offering site space for vendors and will be providing additional information on this aspect in March.

Q: Is being a sponsor the way to go in order to be able to set-up a booth at this conference?

A: Sponsors will other types of access to the registrants as you will see from the sponsorship brochure; this is dependent on the level of sponsorship taken. We will be offering booth space to a range of vendors that compliment the conference and its themes (eg book store on the topic, web-based tools and devices).

Q: Under the various Sponsorship packages, it mentions 'Other Opportunities'. Do those 'Other Opportunities' include the conference registration fees and any company logo placement?

A:The sponsorship packages offer some options for registration places and places to the Core Values Gala Event. The 'other opportunities' include supporting an international registrant to come from an under-developed country, providing support to the volunteer team (eg they could be wearing t-shirts provided by your company with your logo on it etc).

Q:Are there any discounts for presenters, if we were one who would be chosen?

A: There are no discounts for speakers. As the presentation submission information brochure says presenters are expected to register for the conference.

Q: Will you pay for speakers expenses?

A: No

See you in San Diego in September! Conference Registrations are now open