Presenting

 

So, want to present at Penguicon? We’d love to have you! Our content is almost entirely sourced from the community, and both beginning and veteran presenters are welcomed.

Sarah “Sparrow” Slovik, who usually runs the EcoGeek Track, is currently creating the culmination of people time a space for the 2012 convention.  The schedule will be under construction until April 1.  Please check back for the schedule and more information about the upcoming information.

Not sure what you can contribute?  Please review the descriptions of each type of participant. Some of these are events familiar to science fiction conventions, and others are more familiar to tech shows, but both types often have all these to one degree or another. All of these types of presentations can be tailored to any subject matter.

The difference between a panel, presentation, round table, and birds of a feather is:

(1) The number of participants committed in advance to attend.

(2) How much difference there is between speakers and audience.

A panel is any discussion with multiple participants who have committed to be there, get up in front of an audience, and discuss. It is preferable to have something to say about the topic, but not required, since committed participants are sometimes moderators.

A presentation is a talk prepared and delivered by one person who has committed to be there and do it. Because there is only one person, a presenter can prepare far more than can a panelist. Also, if the presenter doesn’t have much to say on the topic … that would be odd, wouldn’t it? So they do.

A round table is a small session in which every audience member is an active participant in the discussion. This usually results from a panel that attracts such a small audience that the audience is invited to join the panel on the other side of the table. These are often worthwhile and rewarding, but cannot be scheduled in advance as Round Tables per se. If no one is willing to commit to be there, there is no sense reserving a space and time for it, but if someone is willing to be there, they constitute a panel.

A birds of a feather session is any discussion which was scheduled on an impromptu basis, in which no one present actually committed before Penguicon to attend it. If more than one person registers in advance of Penguicon to participate in a scheduled discussion, they constitute a panel.

Understand where you fit in now?  To get started, fill out this application.

You are also welcome to e-mail the staff members below for more information regarding their respective tracks. If you’re not sure where you fit in, send our programming head an email, and they will direct you to the appropriate person.

We appreciate it if you can provide as much information as possible, such as a descriptive blurb we can print in the program book, and an idea of any needs you may have (projector, many tables, etc).