Program Development Guidelines
- SESSION CHAIR RESPONSIBILITIES
- SPEAKER RESPONSIBILITIES
- CONTINUING EDUCATION GUIDELINES / DISCLOSURE Q&A
- GENERAL PROGRAM GUIDELINES / PROGRAM PARTICIPANT RECRUITMENT AND SUPPORT
- AT A GLANCE: GUIDELINES AND FORMATS FOR THE GLOBAL ANNUAL MEETING PROGRAM OFFERINGS
- HELPFUL HINTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCE
- PRESENTATION GUIDELINES
- REQUIREMENTS FOR PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS
- TIMELINE – IMPORTANT DATES
- STANDARD ROOM SETUP/AV EQUIPMENT
- VOLUNTEER CODE OF CONDUCT
- ACCME STANDARDS FOR COMMERCIAL SUPPORT
Session Chair Responsibilities*
The following are general guidelines for your role as a Session Chair in a program offering (session, forum, workshop, and other program offerings).
- Maintain communication with Track Chair(s) (members of the Annual Meeting Program Committee/ AMPC) and DIA regarding the development of your session, workshop, forum, program offering, etc.
- Review the General Program Guidelines/Program Participant Recruitment and Support section and Program Format Descriptions as you begin the development of the program offering and the recruitment of speakers.
- Adhere to DIA Annual Meeting deadlines and assist DIA in ensuring that all speakers meet their deadlines.
- All confirmed speakers and participants of the Global Annual Meeting program must complete Speaker Disclosure and Authorization for Use of Presentation Materials via the website. Refer to Requirements for Program Participants for more information.
- All presentations must be submitted by the established designated deadline to DIA’s presentation management system (EP@C). Access to Epac will be added to Speakers Corner in early May.
- Maintain close working relationship with speakers as they develop their presentation.
- Ensure that the content being developed matches your vision for the program offering.
- Meet with speakers well before the program offering via teleconference and/or email to ensure a cohesive session by reviewing the goals and objectives for the session, the length of time per presentation (if applicable), and how Q&A with the audience will work.
- Provide speakers with learning objectives and difficulty level.
- Request and review speaker’s draft outline of presentation.
- Ensure there is no overlap of content between speakers.
- Encourage speakers to attend one (1) speaker webinar; schedule to be announced.
- Advise speakers that their presentation must not be commercial or promotional, and speaker clothing may not carry logos or other company-specific emblems.
- Review and approve speaker presentations after they have been submitted to DIA’s presentation management system (Epac) to confirm that each presentation:
- Does not include the presenter’s company logo anywhere in the presentation if the speaker represents a commercial entity.
- Meets the content level criteria designated for the offering.
- Fits within the written offering overview.
- Helps meet the learning objectives outlined for the offering.
- Is non-commercial, objective, fairly balanced, and otherwise adheres to the DIA Policy Concerning Promotion of Products and Services from the Podium.
- Does not overlap with others, and, if it does, consider modifying the overlapping presentations to avoid redundancy.
- Plan for Q&A success. Review our guide with quick tips and tricks that will make a big difference in your session’s Q&A.
- During the program offering:
- Start on time and finish on time.
- Maintain timing of each presenter and allow ample time for questions and answers from the audience.
- Ensure all presenters properly use the podium microphone and laptop provided.
- Have your starter questions prepared for opening the Q&A portion of your session. This will allow you to engage audience participation while waiting for questions to come in from the audience.
- Project your voice and speak clearly. The microphone should be placed hands width away and just below your mouth. Face your audience and avoid turning your head away from the microphone.
- Repeat questions that were asked without the use of a microphone.
- Turn off mobile devices.
*Inclusive of Session, Forum, and Workshop
Note: there will be limited internet connectivity available in the room. If you require internet in your program offering, please let us know and we will approve it on a case-by-case basis.
Speaker Responsibilities
The following are general guidelines for your role as a Speaker within the Global Annual Meeting program agenda (session, forum, workshop, and other program offerings).
- Adhere to the DIA Volunteer Code of Conduct
- Confirm your participation and review details for your presentation
- Adhere to program deadlines (see Timeline – Important Dates)
- Complete the Speaker Disclosure and Authorization for Use of Presentation Materials via the website, as this is a requirement for participation; instructions are provided to participants.
- Review presentation to ensure that:
- The prepared presentation is not commercial or promotional, is objective, fair balanced and adheres to the DIA Policy Concerning Promotion of Products and Services from the Podium at DIA-Sponsored Programs
- It does not contain logo or other company-specific emblem.
- It meets the content level criteria designated for the offering (i.e., beginner, intermediate, or advanced).
- It helps meet the learning objectives for the program offering.
- It does not overlap with the other presentation(s) within the program offering.
Continuing Education Guidelines/Disclosure Q&A
Continuing Education Guidelines:
- All presentations are to be fair balanced and free of commercial bias.
- All offerings must have at least two (2) learning objectives that clearly indicate what participants will be able to do after attending the session.
- In support of the Continuing Education guidelines, DIA has implemented a policy where anyone in a position to control the content (this includes program chair and committee members, track chairs, program offering chairs, speakers, and panelists) must provide DIA with any relevant financial relationships they have with the manufacturer of products or services as discussed within their presentation or with regard to the content of the program offering/meeting (for those who are not speaking). If a program participant has a conflict of interest as a result of the financial relationship, this will need to be resolved prior to the meeting. Note: For more information on disclosure, please review the Disclosure Questions and Answers section below as well as the Requirements for Program Participants.
- If a program participant does not provide a disclosure to DIA, he/she will not be permitted to participate in the meeting.
- When discussing therapeutic options, it is DIA’s preference that only generic names and not trade names be used. If it is necessary to use trade names, please use the trade names of all products being discussed.
- All recommendations involving clinical medicine in a CME session must be based on evidence that is accepted within the profession of medicine as adequate justification for their indications and contraindications in the care of patients.
Disclosure Questions and Answers:
Frequently asked questions regarding participant disclosure and responses are noted below.
Why do volunteers need to disclose? As an accredited provider DIA is required to identify and resolve any conflicts of interest prior to the educational activity taking place. DIA must also provide disclosure information to the participants.
Who needs to disclose? Anyone in a position to control content: Program chair(s), Track chairs, Program offering chairs, Speakers, Panelists, Authors, DIA staff developing content. (The above are referred to in this document as program participants.)
What needs to be disclosed? All relevant financial relationships between the commercial supporter (if applicable) or manufacturer of services discussed within the activity and/or presentation. Program chairs and track chairs need to provide disclosure related to the development of the activity; program offering chairs, speakers, and authors need to provide disclosure related to the content of their presentation. If a program participant has no financial relationships that also needs to be disclosed.
Does a program participant need to disclose all financial relationships? No, only those that pertain to the content of the educational activity or presentation.
Does a program participant need to disclose the amount of the financial relationship? No.
If a volunteer participates as a program participant in multiple activities, does he/she have to complete a disclosure form for each activity? Yes. The disclosure is pertinent to the content/presentation of the given activity.
Do the new Accreditation Council for Continuing Education (ACCME) Standards affect all DIA activities? Yes. The policies and procedures established to support the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support apply to all DIA continuing education certified activities.
General Program Guidelines/Program Participant Recruitment and Support
Below are general guidelines to be followed within each program component:
- Review Program format descriptions.
- Please note: there may be limited internet connectivity available in the session room. If you require internet in your program offering, please let us know and we will approve it on a case-by-case basis.
- Program participants are responsible for their own travel/hotel expenses.
- Program participants will receive complimentary registration for DIA 2019 only on the day they are presenting. To attend all days of the meeting, program participants may register at the discounted rate of $295.
- DIA meetings will be educational, not commercial and promotional. All speakers MUST ensure that their presentation is not of a commercial or promotional nature.
- For-profit organizations or industry logos are no longer permitted to be included in slide presentations, per ACCME Standards for Commercial Support. In addition, speaker clothing may not carry logos or other company-specific emblems. All participants must follow the DIA Policy Concerning Promotion of Products and Services from the Podium.
- DIA does not permit video recording of live sessions. If you wish to video record a speaker’s presentation, please contact AnnualMeetingProgram@DIAglobal.org to make arrangements.
Program Participant Recruitment:
- Due to the large size and scale of the Global Annual Meeting, it is highly recommended that each session has only ONE Session Chair. Requests for Co-Chairs may be submitted to DIA, at AnnualMeetingProgram@DIAglobal.org, for consideration.
- Requests for co-speakers may be submitted to DIA, at AnnualMeetingProgram@DIAglobal.org, for consideration.
- DIA recommends that no more than one participant from the same company present within the same program offering. Requests for additional session participants, from the same company, may be submitted to DIA, at AnnualMeetingProgram@DIAglobal.org, for consideration. Please note: limiting the number of speakers from the same company is a Continuing Education best practice and mitigates perceived bias from within the audience.
- Session Chairs must ensure good representation/diversity in the selection of speakers/panelists. If applicable, government, academia, patient/patient advocate, CSO, and/or industry perspectives should be represented.
- When selecting speakers, please note that the DIA Global Annual Meeting has a global focus, and therefore the program offering should be globally oriented.
- If your session format requires presentations, DIA recommends planning 15-20 minute talks within sessions. E.g. for a 75-minute didactic session: Two minutes to introduce the session, three talks at 20 minutes each (45 minutes) leaving 26 minutes for Q&A.
Inviting Regulatory Agency Speakers:
- Individuals from the following regulatory organizations may NOT be contacted directly to participate: FDA, EMA, EU, MHRA, PMDA, and CFDA. Per regulatory agency policy, DIA is to officially request the participation of speakers from these organizations. The session chair is to provide DIA with the requested speaker’s name and topic to be presented as early as possible to ensure the best opportunity for receiving approval from the respective agency. Agency approval can take anywhere from 6-8 weeks depending on when the request is received. Speakers from other organizations not indicated above may be contacted directly by the Session Chair.
- Speakers from other organizations not indicated above may be contacted directly by the component chair.
- Meeting registration fee is waived for confirmed full-time regulatory agency speakers.
Speaker Support Eligibility:
- Eligible supported speakers include full-time government/regulatory agency employees. Full-time academic and not-for-profit (with 501[c] 3 status) employees will be considered if budget allows. All requests for support must be sent to DIA for approval before Session Chairs/speakers/panelists are invited and before the program offering is developed.
- Supported speakers will receive round-trip coach/economy airfare or train fare (arranged through the DIA travel agent only), plus two nights’ hotel room and tax at one of the DIA contracted hotels, and a per diem of up to $50 per-day for up to three days to cover food and miscellaneous expenses. Reasonable expenses for local transportation and airport parking costs will be covered outside of the per diem. DIA will not reimburse for car rental or limousine car service. Receipts must be submitted at time of reimbursement.
- The meeting registration fee is waived for confirmed supported speakers. Please contact DIA staff at AnnualMeetingProgram@DIAglobal.org with any questions regarding status.
Note: DIA’s support policy may be subject to change.
At a Glance: Guidelines for the Global Annual Meeting Program Offerings
Program Offering Guidelines | Session/Forum | Workshop | Engage and Exchange | Content Hub |
Length of Program Offering | 90*, 75 or 60 min. *DIAmond sessions may be 90 minutes in length. | 75 min. | 60 min. | 30 min. |
Session Format Notes | These sessions are designed to take attendees through methodology, the latest trends, hot issues, and in some cases, to provide foundational information. Stage sets may include: talk show (forum), a runway, debate, theater-in-the-round, etc | Workshops are designed for highly interactive learning e.g. simulation, role-playing, group activities etc. | Engage and Exchange is all about peer-to-peer learning. Experts will begin with a 10-minute presentation that is followed by 30 minutes of dedicated small group discussion (breakout groups) and concludes with 20 minutes of sharing and open discussion. | This non-traditional learning/networking hybrid is specifically designed for a small groups to connect face-to-face with others that share the same interests to gain rapid insight in a subject of value. |
Co-Chair / Co-Presenter Permitted? | No. It is highly recommednded to have only ONE Session Chair | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Recommended Number of Participants (Includes One Session Chair and Speakers/Panelists) | 4 | 3 | 1-2 | 1-2 |
PowerPoint Required | Yes (Forum: No, but optional) | No (optional) | No (optional) | No (optional) |
Meeting Room Setup for the Audience | Theater style, classroom style, round tables, or mixed seating (a combination of the set up styles). Seating sets are determined by DIA and are based on historical attendance counts and the convention center space available to DIA | Round tables | Round tables | Casual seating e.g. small cocktail rounds, couches, and high tables for standing |
Average Number of Seats within the Meeting Rooms/Area | 125-260 | 75-100 | 50-90 | 30-50 |
Helpful Hints for a Successful Program Participant Experience
Visit Speakers Corner for resources specifically designed to help our Session Chairs and speakers to make the most of their experience at DIA. Resources will continuously be added to the site throughout the planning process.
Presentation Guidelines
Copyright: In an effort to ensure that you, as the speaker, and DIA are fully compliant with copyright, we ask that you review all of your materials that may need copyright permission. If you already have permission to use these materials, please provide DIA with the source/reference. Copyright permission is a very important issue that DIA takes seriously.
PowerPoint Templates: Session Chairs and speakers MUST use the templates that have been provided by DIA. The template includes a disclosure slide which must remain in the PowerPoint per our accrediting organizations. Templates will be available in early May.
Epac Presentation Management Website: Opening in early May, this is where speakers will upload PowerPoint presentations. Instructions for uploading have been sent to speakers; contact the Annual Meeting team with any questions at AnnualMeetingProgram@DIAglobal.org.
Requirements for Program Participants:
Speaker Disclosure and Authorization for Use of Presentation Materials
Confirmed participants in the Annual Meeting program are required to complete Speaker Disclosure and Authorization for Use of Presentation Materials; to be completed through Speakers Corner on the DIA website.
Note: Participants whose abstracts were selected for the program have completed Speaker Disclosure and Authorization for Use of Presentation Materials during the abstract submittal process unless the abstract was submitted by someone else on their behalf.
Individuals who do not complete Speaker Disclosure and Authorization for Use of Presentation Materials will be ineligible to participate as a faculty member for this program.
Standard Room Setup/AV Equipment
Please note:AV Equipment is very dependent on the size of the meeting room and session format. The below list may be used as a general guide. Specific AV equipment lists, per meeting room, will be noted on the Meeting Room Fact Sheet that is disseminated/made available via Speakers Corner at the end of April/early May.
Traditional, Talk Show, and Runway Rooms:
Equipment:
- (1-2) Screens
- (1) LCD
- (1) Lectern with wired microphone or headset microphones (dependent on session format)
- (1) Laptop* (meeting room laptop will be equipped with Windows and PowerPoint 2010; the use of a personal laptop is not permitted, as it will interfere with audio-visual equipment)
- (1) Head table/dais, 4 chairs
- (2) Table microphones
- (2-3) Floor microphones
Workshop Room:
Equipment:
- (1) Head table on the floor with three chairs
- (1) Laptop* (meeting room laptop will be equipped with Windows and PowerPoint 2010; the use of a personal laptop is not permitted, as it will interfere with audio-visual equipment)
- (1) LCD projector
- (2) Screens
- (1) Wireless lavaliere
- (2) handheld microphones for Q&A in the room
Engage and Exchange Session:
Equipment:
- (1) Laptop
- (1) LCD projector
- (1) Screen
- (1) Wireless lavaliere
- (2) handheld microphones for Q&A in the room
- (4) whiteboards for the participants
Important Dates for Chairs and Speakers
November-January Deadlines- Week of November 5: Notifications sent to abstract authors
- December 1: Chairs to finalize speakers and have overview descriptions and learning objectives completed
- January 6: Deadline to fill any speaker gaps
- January 23: Deadline for chairs to update their session title, complete disclosures and bios and forward their headshots to DIA
- January 31: The program agenda goes LIVE on the DIA Website
- April 9: Deadline for information to be included in printed Final Program
- Early May: PowerPoint templates available, with instructions for uploading presentations
- June 13: Final deadline to upload presentations
- June 17-21: Review of presentations by chairs and DIA staff. Follow-up with speakers as necessary
- June 23-27: DIA 2019 Global Annual Meeting, San Diego Convention Center