Planning for the Conference

Who will my audience be?
BuildingEnergy Boston is attended by the NESEA community, a group of professionals and practitioners who:

• prefer rich data and proven results
• seek innovative materials and ideas
• prefer discussion and interactivity over lecture
• are eager to learn from mistakes as well as success stories

People attending your session may include architects, builders, building owners, building operators, designers, engineers, installers, lenders and financiers, policy professionals, property managers, and sustainability officers, ranging from emerging professionals to heralded experts.

How should I plan my presentation?
Your session’s curator will schedule a conference call to discuss with you (and all other speakers) your session’s format and content. We encourage active-learning formats that move beyond slide-lectures.

How can I show slides with my presentation?
Each session room will have a computer (Windows). Bring your presentation—preferably as a PDF—on a USB flash drive. Arrive early enough to load your presentation onto your room’s computer.

In preparing your slides, follow standard guidelines for quality presentations, including:

• Few slides and few words (or a graphic) on each slide
• Large font size (at least 24 point).

For sessions in Harbor rooms: projector’s aspect ratio is 16:10. Sessions in all other rooms: 16:9 aspect ratio. Using presentations designed for 4:3 will not cause a problem.

Do I need to submit my slides in advance?
If your session has more than one speaker, your session’s Curator or Moderator may ask for your presentation a few days before the conference to combine everyone’s into one smooth show. If your session is selected for RESNET credit, NESEA staff will need your presentation ahead of time. We’ll let you know. Otherwise, you do not have to submit your slides to NESEA before the conference.

Can I include videos in my presentation?
If you plan to include video, embed the video in your presentation. The Westin’s internet connections (or your hotspot) can be unreliable for streaming videos.

Speaker Benefits

Do I get free registration for speaking?
Conference sessions will run on two days – March 8 and 9. NESEA covers your registration fee for the day you are speaking. You must register yourself using the discount code we emailed you. When you register, you will have the opportunity to add the second day of the conference and/or NESEA Night. A few speakers are presenting in two sessions; they will receive a full conference pass.

Does NESEA cover travel expenses?
No. If you need lodging, NESEA has arranged a reduced-rate room block at the Westin Boston Waterfront. Learn more and book your room here.

Will I be able to attend other conference sessions?
Yes. Your conference pass covers the whole day of content. In addition, plan to stay for the late-afternoon reception included in your pass. Also, we hope you’ll come for the opening reception on Wednesday, March 7; it’s free and open to everyone registered for the conference.

What about food?
Your conference registration includes a buffet lunch. Coffee and tea will be available all day. You can expect refreshments at the opening reception, the trade show reception, and NESEA Night.

What about evaluations?
We will be collecting feedback from attendees both onsite and post event and will do our best to share this feedback with you after the conference.

Do you expect anything else from me besides showing up to speak?
We want your BuildingEnergy Boston conference session to be a phenomenal success, so we expect you to participate in at least one conference call to coordinate with your session’s curator and the other speakers.

We also encourage you to spread the word about your presence at the conference. You will find marketing language and images in our Media Kit. You can also contact Jenny Goldberg at jgoldberg@nesea.org for additional assistance in promoting your session.

At the Conference

What can I expect about the room where I will be presenting?
Most session rooms will have a typical set-up: podium with a gooseneck mic; a panelists’ table with a wireless mic; a projector/screen for slides. Two rooms – Harbor 3 and Burroughs – will be set up with round tables for small-group discussions and activities, so plan accordingly. At the conference, a NESEA staffer or volunteer will serve as your room host and will make announcements to start the session.

Will flip charts be available?
NESEA will have a limited number of easels, flip charts, and markers on hand. Contact Conference Manager Susan Farber at sfarber@nesea.org to reserve a flip chart.

Will you videotape my session?
Not this year. Let us know if you're interested in this in the future.

Will you post my slides after the conference?
Possibly. NESEA staff will collect everyone’s presentations from the session room computers and select some to post on our website. We do this because attendees frequently ask to review data slides after the conference. You can opt out when you complete the speaker’s permission form.

Need more information?
For questions about your session’s content or format, contact your session’s Curator. For questions about logistics or registration, contact Conference Manager Susan Farber at sfarber@nesea.org or (413) 774-6051 ext. 17.