Thank you for volunteering to serve as a moderator during the 2026 SBCC Summit in Panama. 

Please find the Moderator Guidelines below. You will also find the full program here, which includes the date and time of the session you are moderating.  

Moderator Guidelines for the International SBCC Summit

22-26 June, 2026

A moderator is someone who introduces the session and the panelists, keeps everything moving according to time, facilitates discussion, indicates when a presenter can speak and coordinates question and answer sessions. If you have volunteered to be a moderator, please follow the guidelines below:

Moderators will be provided with information about the sessions they are guiding, including the abstracts and contact information of the panelists. 

Room Equipment

A laptop connected to a projector with wireless and audio capability will be available in each meeting room. Presenters should upload their presentation to their online profile (per abstract) on the SBCC Summit website in advance. When they arrive at your session, they will be able to open their presentations from the website on the laptop in the room. They should also bring their presentation materials on a flash drive with any slides or audiovisual files prior to the start of the session, as a backup. Microphones will be available, and AI interpretation will be available.

Presenters are responsible for ensuring their presentation materials are available in your assigned room, but as moderator you should confirm that they have done so.

Timing and Structure

Oral Sessions and Pre-formed Panels have been allotted 75 minutes. Each presenter will have a maximum of 10 minutes to allow at least 20 minutes for interaction/discussion with the audience after all presenters have spoken. The last 15-20 minutes in every session must be allotted to Q&A interaction with the audience. Presenters have been asked to strictly observe these time limits. Moderators are expected to strictly enforce time limits out of fairness to all presenters and the audience who will want time to ask questions and participate in discussion.

Multimedia Showcase sessions will also be moderated. Each session is allotted 75 minutes. Each presenter will have a maximum of 15 minutes to introduce their multimedia product and show part or all of it, as time allows. Presenters are encouraged not to show slides and to speak for no more than 5 minutes to introduce the material they are going to showcase; they are expected to adhere to this time limit to allow at least 20 minutes of the session for interaction and discussion with the audience after all presenters have spoken.

Prior to the Summit

• Familiarize yourself with the abstracts that will be presented during your assigned session
• Familiarize yourself with the guidelines for presenters and the format of the session you are assigned to

Prior to the session

• Please arrive 15 minutes before the session begins
• A table, chairs and podium for the presenters will be provided at the front of the room along with microphones. Sit in the seat closest to the podium where presenters can see you clearly
• Greet presenters when they arrive and introduce yourself
• Verify presenters' biography data and how to pronounce their names
• Brief them on how the session will be conducted. Remind them of the time they are allotted for their presentations. Let them know how you will communicate time warnings throughout the session
• Verify that their presentation materials are ready and can be opened on the laptop in the seminar room (technical staff will be available to facilitate that process)
• Please make sure you begin every session ON TIME. This will ensure that every presenter has equal time to present their abstracts

During the session

• Start each session by requesting that participants silence or turn off all cell phones
• Ask the audience to hold their questions until after all presenters have spoken to ensure that all presenters have equal time to present
• Briefly introduce each presenter just before they speak. Mention the presenter's name, title and the organization they are affiliated with for this event
• If a presenter does not show up to the session, readjust the order of the presentations accordingly
• Use the provided time cards (5 Minutes Left, 2 Minutes Left, 1 Minute Left, Please End) to ensure presenters are staying on time during their presentations
• When the question-and-answer period begins, ask audience members to refrain from offering extended commentary or opinions about the presentations and encourage them instead to focus on questions for the panelists
• Always end the session by thanking the presenters and the audience

What to do if…

A presenter will not stop talking? It's important to establish the rules with presenters before the session. Explain the importance of staying on time. If you have been providing visual time cues but a presenter is still going over time and showing no signs of stopping, stand up next to the person as yet another visual cue. If this doesn't work, it's perfectly acceptable – and respectful to other presenters – to interrupt the presenter and ask him/her to stop in fairness to the other panelists.

No one is asking questions to some or all of the presenters? If possible, write down a few questions of your own that you can ask each presenter in case this happens.

A presenter does not show up? Contact the room monitor to notify them of any presenters who are not present. If the person still does not show up, you can allow additional space/time for those in the room or for questions and answers. Adjust accordingly. 

An attendee is being unruly? Establish the guidelines for the session before beginning. If an attendee is being disruptive, ask that questions/comments be held until the end so that the session does not fall behind time. If the person continues to be disruptive, report it to a room monitor or staff.