PRESENTATION SESSION STRUCTURE

FMS presentation sessions are 65 minutes total in length. The time for each presenter will depend on the number of presenters (usually 3-4). You will have to check with your Session Chair as to how much time you have. Remember to leave a few minutes for questions and answers.

POWERPOINT TEMPLATE

When creating your presentation, we recommend that you use the FMS branded PowerPoint template. If you choose to use your own template please use the FMS logo on your slides.

ORGANIZATION AND TIMING

The 65 minute session length limits how many technical points you can expect your audience to absorb. You can expect to speak about six sentences per slide, which normally runs 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. For example, if you have ten slides, your basic presentation will last about ten to twelve minutes. You should leave a few minutes for questions and answers.

VISUAL AIDS

You should plan a slide for each key point. Each slide should have at most five major supporting concepts. When using PowerPoint, try not to overdo things. Small print, tiny figures, and odd color combinations can make your slides completely unreadable. We suggest you limit your text to 30 words per slide, and put figures and graphs on separate slides rather than crowding them in with the text.

PRESENTATION UPLOAD INSTRUCTIONS

Presenters, upload your Presentation's PowerPoint slides to this BOX link by July 8, 2026 so that they can be organized by your Session Chair to be presented at FMS 2026. A reminder: Chairs do not have the ability to accept slides via USB on the day of your session. If you have any questions, contact [email protected]

Please use the following naming convention to identify your presentation when you send it in - Date of Talk_Session Number_Your Last Name

Example: 20260804_ACAD-101-1_Smith

FMS 2026 PROCEEDINGS

By uploading your presentation to the link above, you authorize us to post a PDF of your slides on the FMS 2026 Proceedings page. If you don't wish to have a PDF of your FMS 2026 presentation posted, please let Marty Foltyn, FMS Program Manager, know at [email protected]

A FEW SUGGESTIONS ON PRESENTING

You will most likely be presenting from a podium on a riser in the front of a meeting room with a microphone. The screen with your slides will be to your right or left.

Put a few words in your notes to start your train of thought at each point.

Be sure to add to the slides; don't just repeat what the audience can already see. Vary your approach, style, speed, and tone. Humor can help if it isn't in bad taste or insulting. Be sure to make eye contact with your audience (and not just with one person).

Try to say something original, surprising, or controversial. Raise significant issues; do not belabor the obvious.

Before answering a question, be sure that everyone knows what the question is. Repeat it if necessary. Note that people in back of the questioner usually cannot hear a thing. Then answer the question concisely and directly. Restrict your answer to about two minutes. If someone wants more detail, ask him or her to meet with you afterward. Do not argue with questioners or other panelists. Let the Session Chair manage the discussion.