Main Program Presentation Guidelines

Presentation Slide Template

Conference Program

As mentioned, we are using a content aggregator called Conference Harvester for uploading your presentation materials, including your PowerPoint (PPT) and prerecorded video (.mp4).

Within the Education Harvester, you'll be able to upload session materials, add/edit your headshot, bio, abstract description and more. 

As a main program presenter, you are required to submit your PPT slides to IDEA for our review by Wednesday, April 30, 2025. The PPT you submit is the version we will load on the laptop for you. A  PDF of your slides will be automatically created upon upload, to be included in the IDEA2025 app for attendees to view.

Additionally, you are required to submit a video recording of your presentation with slide sharing by Friday, May 16, 2025. You may record this video using Zoom, Teams, or directly in the PowerPoint app. Friday, May 16 is also the last day to upload any minor edits to your slides.

Please do not send your presentation files  or videos to us directly - they must be submitted through Education Harvester.

Main Program Presentations will take place in one of five concurrent meeting rooms, depending on the date/time.

The room set for all main conference presentation rooms is the same in every room, including:

• A mic’d podium for presenters, on a riser/stage positioned at the front-middle of the room. 
• A 6' table on stage, next to the podium, to allow seating for sessions with multiple presenters.
• An IDEA laptop on the podium, with presenter's PPT presentation preloaded. 
• A large screen (where slides will be projected) set up in the corner of the room.
• A microphone for audience questions, stationed in the middle of the room, 

Your session is 25 minutes, which amounts to 18-20 minutes for your presentation, followed by 5-7 minutes for Q&A.

Each session track has a moderator who will do a quick intro of the session and speakers. To save time, your full bio will not be read as people can read it in the app. The moderator will also field questions from the audience at the conclusion of your presentation, during the Q&A period.

An AV tech and an IDEA staff member will also be on hand to assist when needed.

IDEA divides the program into session tracks, which are blocks of time in which multiple presentations on the same topic are given over that period of time. IDEA asks that the speaker(s) for each presentation be present in the room at the beginning of their time block, ready to go on stage when it is time for their presentation to begin.

As you begin to craft your presentation, a few very important things to consider.

Content Requirements:

• Case studies and project data must be included. Please present technologies, equipment, tools, etc. within the context/application of a case study/project.
• NO COMMERCIAL CONTENT ALLOWED (e.g. equipment/product cut sheets, product catalogs, company profiles, “About Us” slides, marketing slides)
• Bios/Photo. Speaker photos and bios will be made available on the IDEA2025 website and event app.
• No comparisons to other vendors’ and/or competitors’ products.

 PowerPoint Format Requirements:

• IDEA recommends using the IDEA2025 PowerPoint Template for your presentation. While you are not required to use it, please refer to it as it does map out the flow of the presentation.
• Whether you use the template or not, we ask that your presentation slides begin with the first slide in the template deck (the slide including the meeting image).
• PPT should be in 16:9 widescreen presentation ratio.
• Font size on slides should be no smaller than 25 pt.
• Slide content must be presented and written in English.
• Your presentation is slotted for a total of 25 minutes. Please plan for 18-20 minutes of presentation and 5 minutes of Q&A with the audience, this should amount to 20-25 slides including:
  • The first slide in the template should be the first slide in all presentations.
  • The second slide should include your presentation title, company name(s) and logo(s), and name of the speaker(s)
  • One or more slides introducing the problem
  • Solution slides featuring a Case Study/Project
  • Lessons Learned
  • A “Q&A” Slide (see second-to-last slide in attached PPT file)
  • Thank You Slide with company logo, speaker name(s) and contact info

OK, Why a Prerecorded Video?

The prerecorded video is made available to all registered attendees post-event in the IDEA Learning Center, giving attendees who missed your live presentation an opportunity to view it (there are 5 sessions running concurrently). This will greatly increase your visibility with attendees.

Due to the potential hazards associated with livestreaming and the significant costs to video tape live sessions, video recording is the most reliable and effective way to get your content to our online audience.

Recording your video is not a Spielbergian production - simply record a Zoom or Teams call with screen share, video and audio and that will suffice. If you're presenting solo, Microsoft PPT has a record feature that can be used as well.

This is a fantastic way to increase your visibility among the entire IDEA2025 audience, not just those in attendance at your session. it's also an excellent opportunity to practice your session before you get in front of a live audience. 

Hundreds of speakers have successfully produced session recordings over the past five years for IDEA conferences, often finding it a helpful ‘dry run’ for their presentation.

Deadline to Submit, Friday, May 21 2025

Please note: Do not record your video until IDEA has approved your presentation slides. Once your presentation materials and/or slides are uploaded, they will be reviewed and (barring any issues with content) approved by IDEA ASAP.

How Do I Record A Video? 

IDEA has put together a helpful How to Record Your Presentation Using Zoom cheat sheet for your review.If you have questions on how to record your video, please contact Jason Beal at jason.idea@districtenergy.org.