Oral and Poster Guidelines

If you are participating as either a speaker or poster presenter or in an interactive session at Adaptations Future 2025 please read through the information below. If you have any queries, please contact  af2025@theconferencecompany.com  

Oral Presentation Guidelines for Papers

• We have allocated 15 minutes per paper but we encourage you to speak for 7-10 only to allow time within your presentation for questions at the end. 
• You are welcome to use your own PowerPoint template, however if you would like to use the conference PowerPoint template please click here to download.
• PowerPoint Presentations should be made to the ratio of 16:9. This can be altered in page setup.
• At least 3 hours prior to your first session, please take your presentation on a USB stick to the Speaker prep room at the venue to load ready for your presentation. Staff at the registration desk will advise you where the technician is located. As a back-up, we recommend you bring two copies on separate memory sticks.
• If you are presenting remotely (via zoom) a link will be provided closer to the event to upload your presentation.
• Please take a few minutes to familiarise yourself with your session venue, room (details will be in the Meeting App and Website) and audio visual equipment at some stage before you are scheduled to speak.
• All rooms will have a AF2025 appointed in-person facilitator responsible for overseeing all Papers/ panels/ workshops. Please be in your session room/zoom green room at least 10 minutes prior to the start of your session and introduce yourself to your session facilitator. 
• All sessions will be recorded and available for conference delegates to watch later via the conference app. 

The Speaker Preparation Room will be open at the following times.

• TE PAE
  Sunday, 12 October 1700 - 1900
  Monday, 13 October 0730 - 1800
  Tuesday, 14 October 0700 - 1800
  Wednesday, 15 October 0700 - 1730
• TOWN HALL
  Thursday, 17 October 0730 – 1700

Presentation Types

1. Knowledge Sharing Sessions

Panel Proposals: All Panels must include one moderator, and a minimum of three panelists. The exception being if the entire panel is an allocated fully virtual presentation (see below) scheduled in a NZ evening time.

If you are part of a panel please ensure you have at least one presenter/moderator in-person to act as the onsite point of contact for this panel.  This person will be responsible for moderating the panel, coordinating with panelists (whether remote or in-person) and holding all relevant contact details of the panel for emergency purposes.

AF2025 encourages inclusion of different organizations, or ideas, experiences and/or career stages. Each panel session will be 45 minutes long. Individual presentations should be no longer than 10 minutes to allow time for broader discussion. The moderator is expected to ensure speakers adhere to their time limits to avoid delays in the overall schedule. 

2. Co-creation Sessions

To promote co-learning and exchanges for actionable solutions, AF2025 welcomes innovative submission formats beyond traditional posters, papers or panels. These interactive “co-creative” sessions are designed to:

• Encourage active participation
• Generate new knowledge
• Gather feedback
• Explore future directions in research and practice

As with panel presentations, each co-creation session must have at least one presenter or moderator physically present at the event to act as the onsite point of contact. This person will be responsible for moderating the session, coordinating with all contributors (whether remote or in-person) and holding all relevant contact details for emergency purposes.

Interactive sessions are 45 minutes long and may include diverse interactive formats such as: 

• Wānanga/Talanoa/Dialogue/Workshop These are inclusive discussion sessions that aim to build relationships, and networks, and encourage in-depth community/researcher or professional reflection to advance new knowledge across communities, regions, stakeholders or sectors including Indigenous Knowledge or Local Knowledge, in ways that accelerate adaptation and include diverse voices and epistemologies. Inspiring examples include Community Kraal at AF2018, Inkundlas at SRI 2022, Agora sessions at Montreal AF2023.
• Creative performances These sessions provide the audience with an opportunity to talk about and reflect on adaptation science using music, theatre, art or design installations.  
• Hand-on activities These are opportunities for interactive discussions while working with materials or technologies to explore aspects of adaptation.
• Knowledge Café These sessions focus on generating collection action by bringing people together to share experiences, learn from each other, and explore new possibilities for ways forward in a moderated series of small group reflections.
• Side Event These sessions provide dedicated spaces and time slots for attendees to network and share knowledge in ways that advance AF2025 aims including: highlighting new professional organisations, research opportunities, or publications. Some inspiring examples: book or journal launches, Professional Association launches/presentations, Edit-a-thons, Provocations for example 2021 Rise Africa. 

Virtual Session – Monday and Tuesday evenings ONLY

Virtual sessions follow the same format as in-person presentations but are held fully online, with no in person attendance. They are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday evenings from 8.00pm – 10.00pm (NZST).

These sessions are only held on the virtual platform (OnAir). All presenters are strongly encouraged to join a brief platform test to ensure access and resolve any technical issues. This test will only take a few minutes. We recommend you test your device in the same location that you will be presenting on the day of your session. Dates and times for these tests will be shared by 30 September.

Technical support will be also available on the day of the event.

Poster Presentation Guidelines

• Each poster is limited in size to A0 Portrait, this is 841mm (wide) x 1189mm (high). Dimension larger than those stated cannot be accommodated on the poster boards.
• Posters will be on display from the Monday morning until after afternoon tea on Wednesday. With dedicated lunchtime viewing sessions by theme (see poster programme) and an evening grand presentation of all posters on the Monday night during the welcome reception – please ensure you are available by your poster for the time allocated. 
• You will be connected with a Poster Theme Facilitator by 31 August who will be your point of contact on the day for your dedicated viewing session and to answer any questions. 
• You are requested to hang your poster by 1000hrs on Monday 13 October and removed after 1545hrs on Wednesday 15 October.
• Poster numbers will be emailed by 31 August 2025 so you know where to hang your poster within your poster theme zone.

Poster Printing

Should you wish to have your poster locally printed and delivered by the conference organisers, please complete the order form provided in your confirmation email. Otherwise feel free to make your own arrangements. 

• Poster size: The size of the poster is A0 (841mm x 1189mm).
• File setup: PDF, minimum image resolution 300dpi, 3mm bleed
• Stock: Printed on 160gsm Synthetic white poster paper (water & tear resistant).
• Cost: NZ$90 – payment to be made by Visa at time of ordering 
• Delivery: All orders using this service will be delivered to the conference venue ready for collection and hanging on your poster board during registration. 
• Deadline: This service is available until midnight Wednesday 1 October (NZST). For any orders after this date please contact City Digital Print directly. 
  
  Please note files will not be cross checked before printing so please ensure you adhere to the size and setup guidelines.

For all other general printing requirements please contact City Digital Print directly.

Guide for Preparation of Posters

1. INITIAL SKETCH
Plan your poster early. Focus your attention on a few key points. Try various styles of data presentation to achieve clarity and simplicity.  Does the use of colour help? What needs to be expressed in words?

2. ROUGH LAYOUT
Enlarge your best initial sketch, keeping the dimensions in proportion to the final poster. Ideally, the rough layout should be full size.  Draw rough graphs and tables. This will give you an idea of proportions and balance.

3. FINAL LAYOUT
The artwork is complete. The text and tables are typed but not necessarily enlarged to full size.  Now ask - "Is the message clear? Do the important points stand out? Is there a balance between words and illustrations? Is the pathway through the poster clear?"

4. BALANCE
The figures and tables ought to cover slightly more than 50% of the poster area. If you have only a few illustrations, make them large. Do not omit text, but keep it brief. The poster should be understandable without oral explanation.

5. TYPOGRAPHY
Avoid abbreviations, acronyms and jargon. Use a consistent type-style throughout. Use large type, for example HELVETICA. A 22mm x 30mm sheet photo statically enlarged 50% makes text readable from 1.5 metres.

6. MOVEMENT
The movement (pathway) of the eye over the poster ought to be natural (down columns and along rows). Size attracts attention. Arrows, hands, numbers and symbols can clarify sequence.

7. SIMPLICITY
Do not overload the poster. More material may mean less communication. Ask yourself, what do I want the viewer to remember?