Welcome, Innovations presenters! The 23rd annual Innovations Conference incorporates ideas and initiatives from four conference tracks into the broader goal of encouraging and facilitating student and organizational learning through innovation, experimentation, and institutional transformation. Your participation at Innovations 2020 represents your dedication to the future of education.

Presenter Agreement

All presenters must respond to the Presenter Agreement email from Robin Piccirilli, Conference Director, by the stated deadline to affirm their commitment to (a) attending the conference; (b) presenting their session(s); (c) registering for the conference; and (d) paying for registration according to the payment, refund, and cancellation policy. Failure to meet this deadline will result in session(s) being removed from the schedule and conference app.

Conference Registration

All presenters are required to register for the conference and pay the registration fee. Those from League Board and Alliance institutions receive a registration discount. If you have registration questions, please contact Judy Greenfield at 480.705.8200, x200.

When you register and pay by credit card, you will receive an email invoice that serves as your receipt. If you select the “Pay by Check” option, the email invoice can be forwarded to your college’s business office for payment. You may also log on to our website with your username and password to access and/or pay open invoices in the My Account dropdown menu.

Neither honoraria nor expenses are provided to presenters.

Registration Payment, Refund, and Cancellation Policy

Registration fees must be paid in full* by January 28, 2020. Registrations not paid in full by January 28, 2020, will be cancelled and a cancellation notice will be emailed to you.

Refunds minus a $200 cancellation fee will be issued after the conference for cancellations received in writing (e.g., email, post) by January 28, 2020. Refunds will not be issued for cancellations received after January 28, 2020.

Participant substitutions for this event can be made any time up to and including March 1, 2020, and are applicable only to this event.

*If mailed, your check must be received in the League office or postmarked by January 28, 2020.

Conference Schedule

The 2020 Innovations Conference will take place over 3.5 days starting at 8:30 AM on Sunday, March 1, and ending at 12:00 PM on Wednesday, March 4. The schedule provides a big picture view of all activities taking place at the conference.

Video Streaming Sessions

Special Sessions will be recorded for future delivery on iStream, the League's web-based, multimedia portal. All Special Session presenters will be notified and asked for their permission to record their session. No session will be recorded without written permission from all presenters involved in that session.

Conference App

The League’s event app* provides all the information participants need for a rewarding conference experience. Your session(s) will be featured on the app to allow for maximum exposure.

*A downloadable PDF of the schedule will be available on the website for those who prefer a hard copy.

Presentations on the Web

Presentation materials will be posted on the League’s website for presenters who upload their files. Instructions will be provided for this process. Files will not be edited or changed and will appear exactly as they are received.

Questions about your participation as a presenter at Innovations 2020?

Contact Robin Piccirilli.

PLEASE NOTE: PRESENTERS WHO NEED A LAPTOP/TABLET, AS WELL AS ASSOCIATED ADAPTERS, ARE REQUIRED TO BRING THEIR OWN. 

Special Sessions and Forums

Special Sessions and Forums are supported with wired high-speed Internet access, a video projector (with HDMI and VGA connectors) compatible with Windows and Mac platforms, a microphone, speakers, and a screen. Presenters who need a laptop/tablet or an adapter other than those mentioned above for their session(s) are required to bring their own. The League does not provide this equipment. (Presenters who need to rent equipment/adapters from the AV company will be charged a fee; availability is not guaranteed.)

Presenters are responsible for ensuring that presenter-provided equipment connects and functions with the equipment provided by conference organizers. Presenters assume full responsibility for the technical requirements of custom setups, as well as the security and operation of their own equipment.

Before arriving, presenters should ensure that their laptops have updated virus detection software and the latest software patches installed. Onsite, presenters who need technical assistance may contact League staff or the Technical/AV Support Team. The Technical/AV Support Team cannot provide laptops, tablets, adapters, specialized cabling, drivers, software, connectors, or other out of the ordinary items.

Poster Sessions and Roundtable Discussions

Please note that neither electricity nor an Internet connection is available for Poster Sessions or Roundtable Discussions. Poster Sessions and Roundtable Discussions cannot accommodate equipment other than a presenter-provided, battery-operated laptop. 

To order additional equipment, contact Robin Piccirilli. (Presenters who need to rent equipment/adapters from the AV company will be charged a fee; availability is not guaranteed.)

Here are some helpful tips to assist you in preparing and delivering an effective presentation.

PowerPoint Tips

Keep the size of your audience in mind. Visuals that are not clearly legible to all participants are distracting and annoying. Remember that some participants will be in the back of the room.

Use fonts that are simple and easy-to-read. Generally, one font should be used throughout your presentation, with perhaps another used sparingly for special emphasis.

Keep your displayed message simple. Your presentation graphics should highlight the points you are making, not repeat them word for word.

Four to six colors are usually plenty to communicate your message. Of these, only one or two should be intense colors.

Black text on a white background is always the best visually, but is also a boring choice. Use colors that are easy on the eyes and always keep good contrast in mind so that conference participants do not have to strain to guess what is typed on a slide.

Presentation Tips

Plan your presentation well in advance. A good presentation requires careful planning and review.

You will lose your audience if your presentation does not address the issues described in your session description. One of the most common complaints heard from conference participants is that the session description provided in the conference app did not describe the actual presentation.

Rehearse your presentation in advance. A dry run of your presentation to knowledgeable individuals is the most successful method of preparation.

Be sensitive to your audience. Avoid distractions and potential offense by insensitivity to gender, sexual preference, race, and ethnicity.

Equipment failures are not uncommon, so be prepared to make your presentation without equipment support.

Your session will be 60 minutes long. Throughout the conference, there will only be 15 minutes in between sessions. Out of respect for those presenters who follow you, it is imperative that you begin and end your session on time.

Be prepared for questions and answer them directly. Try to anticipate the types of questions you may be asked. Repeat the question to make certain the entire audience has heard it before you begin to answer.

Be comfortable and poised. Good eye contact will help hold the audience's attention, as will a steady voice that emphasizes the variety and interest of your presentation. Your body movement should be conscious and deliberate. Avoid swaying and pacing. Remember, you do have something important to say and the audience wants to be supportive!