We appreciate the contribution you are making to the ICS in presenting the educational content. As a chair or speaker of a workshop there are several responsibilities which are yours to coordinate. If you are unable to make any of the deadlines or need assistance regarding workshops please contact Mairead Corbet mairead@ics.org.
1. Watch the Video!
Click on the above video to play.
2. Confirm workshop
Please confirm your participation in the workshop by 23rd February 2023.
Workshop Chairs - There may be some suggested changes to the format of the workshop so please read the acceptance email carefully and discuss where necessary with the ICS office.
3. Invitation to speakers:
At the time of submission of the application form it was the workshop chair's responsibility to invite the speakers and ensure their availability. ICS will contact all speakers directly to confirm their attendance and to request their disclosure forms. If there is any change, at any time, to speakers attendance please advise the ICS office immediately. Delegates purchase tickets to workshops largely based on the speakers and so we do advise all delegates in the event of a change. A speaker can only chair one or participate in two workshops. The ICS office will check that this is the case when the applications are received but should there be any changes to speakers, please ensure that they are not speaking at more than two workshops.
4. Registration
All chairs and speakers must register for the Annual Meeting – they must be fully registered delegates but do not need to register for the workshop itself. Flights and accommodation are not paid for by the ICS.
5. Disclosures
The ICS office will contact speakers to complete disclosure forms but it is the workshop chair's responsibility to ensure that all speakers have completed their disclosure. Chairs also need to complete a disclosure form. Failure to complete the disclosure form may result in the speaker or workshop being cancelled.
6. Schedule
Chairs and speakers will be advised of the date and time of their workshop by March 2023.
7. Handouts
The information provided in the application will be used to create the workshop handout. Once this is compiled you will be asked to check and confirm the handout and add any missing information - which we ask that you do in a timely manner.
8. Recording
All workshops, excluding hands-on workshops, will be recorded by the ICS office and be posted onto the ICS website for viewing. The Education Committee may select your workshop for an official eLearning course and the office will be in contact with the workshop chairs of those selected.
9. Presentation slides/PowerPoint
All speakers should prepare their lecture/discussion on Powerpoint. We strongly recommend that workshop chairs arrange for the slides to be sent to them ahead of the workshop for review to avoid any duplication of topic. It’s also good practice to check that each speaker will stick to the time allotted and is not trying to cover too much content. All speakers must bring their presentations to the speaker ready room onsite at least 24 hours prior to the workshop. Facilities will only be available for use of Microsoft PowerPoint so please ensure your presentations are compatible. As the workshops are part of the educational programme of the Annual Meeting we do ask that there are no links or logos to your affiliated industry or sponsorship on your handouts or PowerPoint slides. Please ensure that ICS Terminology is used throughout.
Please note that unless otherwise advised all the PowerPoint presentations will be made available after the annual meeting in pdf format on the ICS website. Please contact the office should you or any of your speakers have an issue with this.
10. Evaluation
Information regarding evaluations will be confirmed in due course.
Further advice for Workshop Chairs
Evaluation and Quality
All workshops are evaluated by the delegates. The ICS Education Committee reviews these evaluations and attends the workshops themselves to conduct further evaluation. It is the Chair’s responsibility to control the quality of speakers, handouts and PowerPoint presentations. Failure to do so may result in any future workshop applications being declined.
Special Requirements
If you have special requirements (such as equipment) then it is vital that you arrive at least ½ day to 1 day before your workshop begins in order to check the arrangements with the ICS congress company (currently, Kenes).
Timekeeping
Try to arrive at least 30 minutes before the session starts to check everything is OK in the room. Ensure to keep to time with the session and, as chairperson, ensure that speakers keep to time.
Breaks
Please note that for the 60 and 90 minute workshops there will be no break. Breaks for 3 hour workshops are to be set at fixed times, 1.5 hours into the workshop for 30 minutes.
Speaker Non Attendance
If a speaker fails to attend, please ensure there is material available which can be used to replace that part of the session.
Audience Feedback
Please use microphones for feedback from delegates where possible. Encourage participants to introduce themselves before speaking. Try to leave sufficient time for questions and answers.
Tips for good chairing
- Ensure your speakers keep to time, including yourself.
- Give speakers a 5 minute warning, a 2 minute warning, and then a 1 minute warning. Then tell your speakers to wind up.
- When taking questions make sure you look around the whole room.
- Ask the questioner to stand up and give their name and what country they are from.
- Make sure you keep to the time limit for questions and then stop taking questions.
- Do not let questioner ask more than one question.
- Remind the audience that if they have questions that have not been answered because of time limits then they can ask the speaker at the end of the session.
Teaching Tips
- Maximise action and interaction. This is the classic way to keep people’s attention and build their commitment to your session.
- Group workshop content. Into ½ hour – 1 hour sections, as attention rises at the beginning and end of sessions. Therefore build lots of beginnings and ends into your sessions.
- Surface objections. When participants have objections to the training those objections need to be heard by the trainer so that they can be addressed and the group can move on without leaving people behind.
- Design in feedback. People learn more through feedback than through anything else. It grips their attention.
- Design for Closure. Make sure participants will leave the training with a sense of completion, and of achievement.
Further guidance can be arranged through the ICS Office.
Thank you from all of us at the ICS for your commitment to the program this year, and congratulations on the acceptance of your workshop!
Howard Goldman
ICS Education Committee Chair