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This event wouldn’t be possible without our slate of talented presenters. Thank you for helping to make #AASHE26 a success!

Presenter Next Steps (all deadlines are September 11):

  • REGISTER BY SEPTEMBER 11 using the discount information received in your acceptance email.
  • Registration as a presenter will serve as the confirmation that you will present your accepted sessions as listed in your acceptance notification email
  • In the registration process, you will get to accept the Presenter Policies. 
  • Through Sessionize, the owner of the session can make minor changes (e.g., editing title, session summary, session description), 
  • Speakers can update profiles like bio and headshot in Sessionize as well.
  • If you need to make changes to the presenters associated with your session (add/remove/replace) or cancel your session, please use Session Update Request Form.
  • Reserve your hotel room (if needed). Act quickly to secure your spot and ensure a seamless and comfortable stay during the conference.

Tips for a Successful Session

  • Before the Conference (Field Reports, Learning Labs, Networking Meetings)
    Develop your session by following this step-by-step guide for an engaging, interactive, psychologically safe, accessible and inclusive session. Also consider these quick tips:

    • Start with your audience in mind. Consider what you can offer that is likely to be relevant and useful to attendees and structure your presentation so as to make clear what they will take away from your session or program. In particular, think about how attendees could learn from your experiences as they try to advance sustainability on their own campus.
    • Engage the audience. Consider best practices for building your session as a collaborative experience which taps into the expertise of the participants and leaves them feeling energized and inspired. View the #AASHE26 room maps to understand the physical layout of your session. 
    • Focus your session on something specific (e.g., the findings of a particular research project; a valuable skill or competency; or an especially successful initiative). Don’t just provide a general overview of an institution’s sustainability efforts.
    • Highlight the unique or novel aspects of your program/initiative/topic while still demonstrating relevance to other institutions. For example, if you are presenting a session about your institution’s green fund, be sure to describe any special features that distinguish your green fund from other green funds and that might be useful for other green fund administrators to implement.
    • Go deep! Many of our members are seeking advanced, in-depth content. 
    • Be provocative. We appreciate sessions that thoughtfully challenge conventional wisdom.
    • Emphasize the impacts of your research or initiative (e.g., on sustainable behaviors, carbon emissions, or operational costs). Sessions that demonstrate significant real-world impact tend to be more successful. 
    • Provide evidence to support your presentation. Attendees value presentations that are well supported with evidence and/or empirical research.
    • Avoid sales pitches. All sessions must be educational in nature. 
    • Prepare your presentation materials and load any slides on a thumb-drive. To minimize technical issues, bring both PowerPoint and PDF versions of your presentation. Use the #AASHE26 Slide Template. 
    • Make sure your slides are in widescreen format (16:9 aspect ratio). Learn how to switch to this format.

    Attendees will be able to access slides and other presentation materials via the mobile app. We encourage presenters to share their materials by uploading them through the Speaker Portal in advance of the conference. This will also enable AASHE to post these materials in the Campus Sustainability Hub after the conference. If you prefer, you may wait until after your live presentation to share your materials.

  • Before the Conference (Lightning Talks)

    New for #AASHE26, Lightning Talks are short, fast-paced presentations focused on one or two key ideas. Designed to spark interest, inspire new thinking, generate curiosity, and encourage follow-up conversation, each Lightning Talk is up to 10 minutes. There will be no time for questions from the audience between each Lightning Talk.

    AASHE will assign speakers to Lightning Talk sessions after September 11 and will email you with your assigned session information: date, time and designated session room. Lightning Talk sessions will also be added to the full conference schedule and mobile app after these assignments are finalized.

    How the format works

    3–4 Lightning Talks will be combined into a 35- or 45-minute session. AASHE will do its best to group talks by topic, theme, and/or audience, creating a session that brings together multiple perspectives on a shared area of interest.

    Prepare your Lightning Talk

    • Review the Guidance for Field Reports above: some suggestions apply to Lightning Talks as well.
    • Know your session context: Think about how your idea contributes a unique perspective to the larger conversation of the topic, theme, and/or audience for your session’s grouping.
    • Focus on one or two key ideas: Don’t try to fit a traditional 30- or 60-minute presentation into 10 minutes.
    • Start with a hook: Open with a question, story, surprising finding, image, or problem that makes people curious.
    • Share a specific perspective: Consider what you can contribute to the larger discussion that is useful, unexpected, innovative or different.
    • Tell a story: A challenge, experiment, discovery, lesson learned, or unexpected result can help make your idea memorable.
    • Keep it visual: PowerPoint and other presentation formats are welcome but not required. If you choose to use slides, we recommend no more than 5 slides in total. Prioritize images, diagrams, charts, examples, and short phrases over text. 
    • Rehearse and time yourself: Your talk must be 10 minutes or less. If you’re over time, cut content rather than simply speaking faster.
    • End on a high note: Leave attendees with a question, takeaway, challenge, or invitation to continue the conversation.

    Prepare beyond your 10 minutes

    You don’t need to include everything in your presentation. Attendees will be able to access slides, handouts, and other resources through the conference mobile app. Use these resources to provide additional details, research, tools, templates, examples, or references for participants who want to go deeper.

  • At the Conference

    Field Reports & Learning Labs Presenters

    • We strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with the program overview and layout of the conference in order to arrive at your session on time. You can access session locations and maps within the mobile app (will go live later in October).
    • Each session room will be equipped with
      • Technology:
        • a PC laptop (with MS Office installed), screen, projector, 
        • Mac laptops and Mac adapters will not be provided.
        • Use a USB drive to transfer your presentation to the laptop.
        • You may not project from your own device.
      • Furniture:
        • podium with microphone,
        • head table with one table microphone and three chairs behind it.
        • Sessions with more than three presenters may move additional chairs from the audience seating area to the front as needed.
        • Please be sure to return chairs and any other furniture to the correct place when your session is over.
    • A limited number of supplies will be available for borrowing from the Registration Desk.
    • Recording of sessions or performances is prohibited without written consent from AASHE.
    • Arrive at your room at least 10 minutes before your presentation is scheduled to begin to test the equipment and get your presentation ready.
    • If technology problems arise during your session, AASHE Program Staff stationed near session rooms will be able to help locate AV support.
    • Be prepared to monitor your start and end times to keep on the conference schedule.
    • Speak slowly and loudly so everyone can hear you and face the audience as much as possible.
    • If you would like to project video, please make sure that videos in your slides are embedded and also bring them along separately on your thumb drive. Attempting to stream your video from the internet may result in choppy, poor-resolution videos. Reminder: Slides should be 16:9 format.
    • Using tape or other adhesives on the walls of the convention center is not allowed. Sticky notes are okay.

    Networking Meeting Facilitators

    In addition to the above, the following also apply:

    • These sessions are intended to encourage networking among attendees from the same region or with a common interest.
    • Meetings should be highly interactive and typically do not include a formal presentation with slides.
    • To prepare for a networking meeting, you may wish to develop a series of questions for group discussion. We also recommend activities that foster small-group discussion among attendees.

    Lightning Talk Presenters

    Follow guidance for field reports above and additionally:

    • Arrive at your assigned session room at least 10 minutes before the session begins to meet the other speakers, get settled, and test your presentation.
    • Know your place in the session. Three to four Lightning Talks will be presented together as a 35- or 45-minute themed session. AASHE will provide the session order and timing.
    • Keep an eye on the clock. Your talk is limited to 10 minutes. Staying on time helps ensure that all speakers have an opportunity to present and that the session stays on schedule.
    • Be ready to transition quickly between speakers. Lightning Talks are designed to keep the energy and conversation moving.
    • Use the provided conference technology. You may not project from your own device. Bring your presentation on a USB drive in both PowerPoint and PDF formats, following the general presentation technology guidance above.
    • Connect with your fellow speakers. Your Lightning Talk is one part of a larger conversation. Listen for connections between the talks and consider how your ideas complement or build on one another.
    • Stick around for the conversation. There is no time for questions after each lightning talk so we encourage presenters to  to engage with attendees and fellow speakers after the presentations.