Guidelines & tips for presenting at the IAPCT conference and submitting a prerecorded talk.
Update: September 9, 2025

This year’s conference setup is like Perth, in 2024, in a hybrid, local and online format. We used to have prerecorded versions of all talks available, but given this years’ schedule, we could leave it to presenters whether they want to prepare a prerecorded talk or not.

We encourage presenters to present live (online in MS Teams or locally in Zwolle). If you want, you can submit a prerecorded version of your talk as backup, or if you can’t be present during your presentation.

The conference talks will be recorded and all recordings will be made available for all attendants (local and online).

Submitting a recording beforehand will allow conference participants across timezones to be part of the conference by watching your talk at a time convenient for them, and will broaden the reach of your message.

Content preparation

All information on the 2024 conference can be found here: https://www.iapct.org/events/2025-conference/
Please take care not to exceed the time allotted for your presentation and leave at least 10 minutes open for discussion and switching to the next speaker. Please check the schedule for the correct timing. https://www.iapct.org/events/iapct-conference-2025-schedule/
Our audience is diverse: some are quite new to PCT while others have years of experience. We all want to be inspired and learn from each other’s work. In preparing your presentation, keep in mind what message you want your audience to take home. Focus on what’s important to the PCT audience. Don’t bother explaining the basics of PCT, start from where your idea brings something new. Please actively involve participation of the audience, for example by asking questions, polling or doing a demonstration.

General Technical Setup

Microsoft Teams

We will use Microsoft Teams for the conference, because our local camera/microphone setup needs MS teams to function properly. Presenting quality is best if you have installed the MS teams software on your pc/laptop (instead of the web application): https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/download-app

Audio equipment:

Use a headset or external microphone for better audio quality.
Avoid using built-in laptop or computer microphones if possible.
Test your audio setup thoroughly beforehand.

Video equipment:

Camera: Ensure it’s capable of at least 720p resolution, preferably 1080p.
Lighting: Set up front-facing lights to evenly illuminate your face and prevent backlight from bright lights behind you.

Internet connection:

Use a wired connection if possible for stability.

Computer setup:

Close background applications to maximize performance.
Ensure your device has sufficient storage for the recording.

Video settings:

Set your camera to 1080p resolution if supported.
Adjust your camera’s field of view to frame yourself properly.

Prerecording Instructions

Note: You should be able to make a proper recording using your regular work pc or laptop, without needing to invest in extra equipment. Please don’t stress about making the perfect recorded version of your talk. We love to have you as a speaker at our conference and will appreciate your work anyway.

There are several ways to prepare a prerecorded talk using applications which are already familiar to you. We share short instructions for Zoom, Teams and Powerpoint below. If you have the latest version of Powerpoint, you might be able to use the very helpful cameo feature which allows full control over the recording and placement of your face at each slide.

Using Zoom

Start a new meeting in Zoom.
Before recording, go to audio settings and select your headset or external microphone.
Do a quick audio test by recording a short clip and playing it back.
Click on the “Record” button in the bottom toolbar.
Choose “Record to Computer” for local recording.
To share your screen, click “Share Screen” and select your presentation.
Use “Alt+C” (Windows) or “Option+C” (Mac) to start/stop recording.
When finished, click “Stop Recording” and end the meeting.
Zoom will process and save the recording to your computer.

Using Microsoft Teams

Start a new meeting in Teams.
Before recording, check your audio settings to ensure the correct microphone is selected.
Perform a quick sound check by recording a short test.
Click on the “…” (More actions) button in the meeting controls.
Select “Start recording”.
To share your screen, click the “Share content” button and choose your presentation.
When finished, go to “…” again and select “Stop recording”.
The recording will be processed and available in Microsoft Stream.

Using PowerPoint

Standard Recording

Open your presentation in PowerPoint.
Before recording, go to system sound settings and select your headset or external microphone.
Go to the “Slide Show” tab.
Click on “Record Slide Show” and choose “Record from Beginning”.
In the recording interface, check that the correct audio input is selected.
Do a quick audio test by recording a short segment and playing it back.
Use the controls at the top left to start recording.
Navigate through your slides and present as usual.
When finished, click “Stop” and then exit the recording view.
Go to “File” > “Export” > “Create a Video” to save your recording.

Using Cameo Feature (PowerPoint for Microsoft 365)

Open your presentation in PowerPoint.
Ensure your audio settings are correct and do a quick sound check.
Go to the “Insert” tab and click “Cameo”.
Choose where you want your camera feed to appear on the slide.
Adjust the size and position of your Cameo as needed.
Go to the “Recordings” tab.
Click “Record” to begin your presentation with Cameo active.
Use the recording controls to navigate slides and stop recording.
When finished, go to “File” > “Export” > “Create a Video” to save.

Optimizing Your Recording

Consider incorporating automatic captions if they are available in your software.
Use hardware acceleration for encoding if available on your device.
Consider using OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) for advanced recording options and more control over your audio and webcam.
If editing is required, use video editing software to trim start/end and remove any mistakes.

Technical Specifications for Submission

Video format: MP4 (H.264 codec) preferred.
Resolution: 1920×1080 (1080p) preferred, minimum 1280×720 (720p)
Frame rate: 30 fps
Audio: AAC codec, 44.1 KHz sample rate, 128 Kbps bit rate
Aspect ratio: 16:9 (broad screen)
Maximum file size: typically 1-2 Gb.
Please name your videofile properly (Last Name_Title of your talk.mp4) before uploading.

Uploading your prerecorded talk

We have created a shared folder to upload the talk, which was shared with the presenters in the presentation instructions email. Please do not share this link with anyone else (for safety). Uploading large files may take some time. You are welcome to add your sheets (pdf or pptx) as well. You might also want to consider uploading your talk to youtube, to share it with a wider audience.

Sharing of materials

All talks and slides will be made available to registered participants. The conference will be recorded for our archives. We would also like to share selected talks (prerecorded or live versions) to a wider audience on YouTube or selected social media channels. If you object to recording or sharing, please let us know explicitly by sending an email stating that you opt-out (from sharing prerecorded video or conference recording) before the conference ends.