SPEAKER ORIENTATION

Texas Statewide Independent Living Conference, “Take a Seat to Make a Stand,” March 3rd-5th, Austin, Texas

Thank you for being a speaker for the Texas Statewide Independent Living

Conference!

Let’s make this the best Conference ever! This PowerPoint will offer information

about the location at which you’ll speak, the Conference set-up, expectations of

speakers, and general dos and don’ts.

If you have specific questions after reading the PowerPoint, call Christina Goebel at

the Texas SILC, 512-371-7353.

Did you send us your picture? Go to

http://www.txsilc.org/conference/index.php/a

genda/speaker-bios to verify.

Do we have your biography for the

program? We start printing programs February 15th!

Checklist

Have you sent us a copy of your PowerPoint presentation? We

can test it with room computers before you come to make sure the version is

compatible. Allowing us to make your PowerPoint available online before your

session means people can upload it in the most accessible format and review it

at the most accessible time for their needs.

Reminder:Presentations include hands-on or interactive activities that engage participants by

being as inclusive and accessible as possible.

Printed materials also should be available in large print (16 font) and Braille.

Your presentation should include the option for oral and written discussion.

LOCATIONThe “Take a Seat to Make a Stand” Conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza

Hotel in Austin. It’s located at 6121 North IH-35, Austin, TX 78752. The phone

number for the hotel is 512-223-5466. It’s located off the feeder road that’s north of

the intersection of US-290 and I-35. If you don’t live in the Austin area, make sure

you’ve reserved your hotel room! To reserve at the Plaza, call 1-877-2-CROWNE

(1-877- 227-6963) and use the following instructions: CODE: ILC.

About the Hotel

General Sessions and larger breakout

General session featured speakers will address an audience of 250-300

people seated in a large dining room of circular tables with a computer and

screen at the front of the room. General sessions will have American Sign

Language interpreters and CART captioning.

Larger breakout session speakers will address half the dining room

separated by a thick partition, and will speak to around 125-150 speakers.

We are still determining which speakers will have larger breakout sessions,

but they will be based on the largest expected draw.

Breakout sessions

Regular breakout sessions will

have a computer and screen.

Participants will be seated theater-

style (without tables) to

accommodate around 25-30

people. Every speaker needs to

wear a microphone. It’s not easy to

hear at the back of the room!

ASL interpretation and CART captioning will be available for breakout

session attendees upon request. Large print or Braille materials will be

available upon request, when needed.

Computers will be available. If you want to bring your own computer,

realize there is little time to set it up between sessions (sometimes as little as

five minutes). It may be easier to bring a flash drive and use the computer

already set up in the room.

If you’ve submitted a copy of your PowerPoint, we will have a flash drive

copy on hand and will be able to test your PowerPoint in the computers we

have on hand prior to the Conference.

If you want to bring your own laptop, make sure you know how to

connect it to a projector and can deal with unexpected connection

problems.

The easiest thing to do is to save your PowerPoint to a flash drive.

Especially if you feel like a caveman.

Have you planned how to

keep participants

engaged during your

session?

Engaging audiences with interactive sessions

Avoid being like

Michael Scott from The

Office. Plan ahead,

make sure your content

is related to the session

description, and plan for

audience participation.

Will you ask questions?

How will you engage

your group and make

them want to learn

more?

Adding humor and

getting input from

your audience goes

a long way!

Session structure

Make sure that you are in

your session room 10

minutes before your session

begins.

If you are attending other

sessions, this means you

will have to leave early.

A facilitator will

introduce you.

Toward the end of your

presentation, you will be

signaled by time cards

showing how many minutes

you have left to present.

Plan your time carefully.

You will need time for

introductions, conclusions

and audience

participation.

Be sure to

provide

Contact

information for

follow-up,

questions, and

networking

opportunities.

Provide resources! You won’t have enough

time to share everything, but you can leave pamphlets

and provide links that provide additional information.

Contact us regarding questions you have at

conference@txsilc.org or 512-371-7353.

Christina Goebel’s direct contact is cgoebel@txsilc.org.

Thank you for being an important part of the Texas

State Independent Living Conference, “Take a

Seat to Make a Stand!”

You will make the difference!