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TECHTalk Speaker Information

Find monthly meeting timeline and general information for TECHTalk teams, speakers and emcees.

Notes on a TECHTalk

  • TECHTalks are Zoom meetings (vs. webinars), meant to be casual, interactive and entertaining.
  • Host team, please keep your video on throughout the meeting when you are speaking.
  • Check to be sure you are well lit.
  • Assign a team member to be your Zoom Host to:
    • monitor chat:
      • Post links and topic-related information for the audience
      • Answer questions in chat, when needed
      • Relay questions to speakers
      • Notify speaker when there are raised hands for questions
    • run polls
    • mute audience mics if needed

Timeline Overview

11 to 11:30 a.m. – TECHTalk setup, clarification, questions and practice

11:20 to 11:30 a.m. – Attendees begin to login. Speakers and team great and warm up the audience.

11:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. – After logins ramp up, Emcee intro, presentation and Q&A, emcee closing remarks and session ends

Meeting Details

11:00 a.m. – Pre-Check Meeting:

Presenting and support teams login to check video, backgrounds and sound, assign a host in Zoom, assure all roles are covered and answer any questions.

11:20 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. –  Attendees begin to login. 

  • Speakers and support team interact with and warm up the audience before the meeting starts:
    • Greet and chat with the audience and each other
    • Tell (clean/Dad-type or tech) jokes
    • Try activities like fun, topic-related polls, games, etc.

11:30 a.m. (may delay 2-3 minutes if audience is still logging in) – Session starts

  • Attendee welcome.
  • Host mutes all open mics
  • Introduction:
    • "Welcome to the [MONTH] TECHTalk"
    • (Emcee - Introduce Yourself): Name, department plus anything you'd like to promote: current work, projects, tech-related group meetings, events, etc.
    • (Insert any additional announcements provided by the TECHTalk Team)
    • "TECHTalks are recorded and will be available on Blink by the end of the day Friday"
    • Introduce the first speaker and talk name or topic.


11:31/After Introduction
– Speaker presentation(s) and Q&A

12:18 to 12:20 p.m. – Team member closes meeting:

  • (Make any additional closing points or event plugs)
  • "Thank you all for coming."
  • "We’ll see you on [next talk DATE, TOPIC]"

Meeting Emcee Information

Thank you for filling this small but important TECHTalk role!

The Emcee is intended to be a different member of the campus or Health technical community each month. The idea is that the audience gets to hear from someone they are familiar with, who wants to announce that they are in a new role, or is new to UC San Diego.

This is your time to connect with your tech-related peers, so use this few minutes to introduce yourself and anything you want to add. 

There is a script in the Meeting Details box above with a bullet list for your intro and closing.

Emcees will be added to the invitations for the 11 to 11:30 a.m. pre-check meetings and the 11:30 to 12:20 TECHTalk.

Introducing Yourself

11:30 - 11:32 Take 2-3 minutes to give your name, department, what you do and any specific project/tools/etc. you'd like to identify your interests and help others in the audience relate to you/your work, causes or topics of interest. 

Example,

"I'm Joan Smith, System Administrator at Social Sciences IT, and a member of the Women in Tech at UC San Diego group. Women in Tech hosts a lunch meeting each month for anyone interested meeting others and talking about being or supporting women in technology fields. Our next meeting is coming up on [DATE/TIME/LOCATION]. Find more at [URL] or contact [EMAIL ADDRESS]."

Introducing the Speaker

11:33 - 11:35 – After your introduction, announce the TECHTalk speaker(s) and their topic.

Session is presented with time for Q&A. You will break in as Q&A slows or at 12:19, whichever comes first, to close the meeting.

Closing the Meeting

12:19 or as session slows down - The timekeeper, who is assigned in the pre-check meeting, will alert the speaker to take the final question just before 12:18. 

12:19 or after speaker announces the end of their Q&A - The Emcee turns on audio and video to announce the session end.

Make any closing announcements, thank the audience for attending and sign off at 12:20.

TECHTalk PowerPoint Template

Download the template and, at minimum, insert the title slide before your talk slides. This provides a clear starting point for the recording as well as a good thumbnail when it's put online. 
You may also end your presentation with the TECHTalk slide for contact information/website. 

The body of the presentation does not have to use the TECHTalk template, but it is available for anyone who would like to use it.

TECHTalk PowerPoint Template

Zoom Backgrounds

All speakers and team are asked to use this Zoom background for the entire TECHTalk to help your team stand out from the audience!

TECHTalk Zoom Background

Contact tech-feedback@ucsd.edu with any questions.