Session venues (spaces and setup)

Email us at contact@amicalnet.org with any requirements or setup that is not covered by the descriptions below.

General information

• Wi-Fi will be available through an open network at all the conference venues.
• Computers, where available, will be equipped with an Internet-connected computer running Windows 10 Enterprise with Microsoft Office, either 2010–2016.
• Audio speakers are not provided unless requested.

Community Idea Exchange sessions

In each Community Idea Exchange (CIE) session, 10-12 presentations will be offered simultaneously. All sessions will take place at the Mohammed VI Library’s Reference Reading Room, which uses an open floor plan. You can see photos of how CIEs at AMICAL 2020: several presentations or one presentation.

CIE sessions may be presented using printed visuals (poster), a laptop, or both. Presentations using computers will only use table areas. Stands will be provided for the poster presentations.

• Posters: The local organizers will provide stands with large boards for pinning visuals to CIE presenters that requested it. (Ask us if you have concerns about the sizes.)
• Computers & monitors: The local organizers will provide computers and monitors to all CIE presenters. You can connect your own laptop to the monitor using a provided VGA cable. Note that most recent laptops will require an VGA adapter, which you will need to provide.

Interactive sessions & workshops

Check the online schedule to see which room your session has been assigned to.

ACC Classrooms / B4 Classrooms

These rooms include student chair desks, a computer, projector (HDMI hookup), whiteboard, along with flip-charts, post-its and markers. Chairs will be arranged in a U-shape, but can be arranged in banquet seating (groups of 4-5), if requested.

M6L ThinkSpace

A multi-purpose space with wheeled chairs, mobile desks, computer, projector, and whiteboards, along with flip-charts, post-its and markers. Chairs are arranged around tables in groups of 5 (banquet seating).

Classroom B4, 008 (Computer Lab)

A large computer lab set up in rows, facing a whiteboard and projector screen.

Project Incubator teams

Each team will be assigned a room that they will be sharing with another Incubator team. The room includes chairs, tables, a projector (HDMI hookup), and a whiteboard. Teams are welcome to leave their assigned room and work in the lounge, or any other location, as long as it is not being used by another session.

Session design considerations

Community Idea Exchange sessions

• The material you prepare should be suitable for an informal session where attendees will come and go freely (like in a typical poster session).
• Consider how your presentation can inspire or support some kind of action among attendees, and not just be informative. For example, by describing replicable practices, inviting feedback, seeking collaborators, or sharing practical material (and if these materials are publicly shareable files, we can attach them to your session’s abstract on the conference website).

Workshops

• Aim for one or two important outcomes that can be achieved in the time of the workshop, including margin for things to take longer than planned.
• Ensure that most of the session is practical, hands-on.

Interactive sessions

• Clearly identify the purpose of the session at the outset.
• Capture good practices and next actions discovered during the session. We’ll help you share the ideas out and follow through with the actions after the session.
• Some sessions may include upwards of 15+ people, so ensure you have a plan for working in small groups to ensure that everyone can participate.
• Consider incorporating inclusive, engaging facilitation methods in your session. Some “Liberating Structures” that may be useful include:
  • 1-2-4-All – “Engage Everyone Simultaneously in Generating Questions, Ideas, and Suggestions”
  • 25/10 Crowd Sourcing – “Rapidly Generate and Sift a Group’s Most Powerful Actionable Ideas”
  • 15% Solutions – “Discover and Focus on What Each Person Has the Freedom and Resources to Do Now”
  • Conversation Cafe – “Engage Everyone in Making Sense of Profound Challenges”
  • What, So What, Now What? – “Together, Look Back on Progress to Date and Decide What Adjustments Are Needed”
  • Troika Consulting / Wise Crowds – “Get Practical and Imaginative Help from Colleagues Immediately”
  • Wicked Questions – “Articulate the Paradoxical Challenges That a Group Must Confront to Succeed”
• You may also find it helpful to look at The Rockefeller Foundation’s Convening Design Guide. It’s a brief document with many useful ideas to consider when bringing people together for a common purpose.

Your presentation file and visuals (if you have/need them)

Bring a copy of your presentation file – preferably on a USB drive, or stored in a cloud-based account, or both, if possible.

As much in advance of your session as possible, you should load your presentation files onto the computer you’ll be using, and check that it displays correctly, including any websites and multimedia you may be using. You can do this on your own, during any break before your session.

The presentation file formats that may be used on the local computers are:

• PDF: We recommend you use PDF, unless you need the features of another format. Even so we recommend that you have a PDF version of your presentation as a backup. PDF is the most compatible format and works offline. You can export a PDF of your presentation from PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides, etc.
• PowerPoint: PPT, PPTX, and PDF files can be opened directly on venue computers. The version of PowerPoint available will be Microsoft Office 2010–2016.
• Google Slides & Prezi: These can be displayed online in a browser. Be sure to test well in advance of your session using the presenter’s computer in your venue.

AMICAL logos

We encourage you to incorporate the logo of the AMICAL 2023 Conference in your presentation. It’s available in color, black and white. If you want to use AMICAL’s logo, you can find high-quality images on our Brand assets page.