Oral Presentation Coaching
The Oral Presentation Coaching Initiative offers presenters a valuable opportunity to work closely with members of the ACM Multimedia community in preparation for their oral presentation at the conference.
Through coaching sessions, participants receive personalized guidance on structuring their talk, communicating their research clearly, and engaging effectively with a technical audience. This initiative is open to all accepted oral presenters at the main technical track, Brave New Ideas track, and Dataset track.
Benefits
The Oral Presentation Coaching Initiative is particularly encouraged for, but not reserved for, those presenting at ACM MM for the first time. Being coached for your oral presentation has the following benefits:
- Increase the impact and value of your work: great research deserves to be communicated with equal clarity and conviction.
- Get deeper insights about your research: a clear presentation will trigger sharper and more pertinent questions.
Globally, the initiative also helps to foster a culture of mutual support and knowledge-sharing within the community. Oral presentations that are well-prepared elevate the quality of the programme and enrich the experience of every attendee.
Participants
Presenters
We warmly invite eligible oral presenters from the main technical track, BNI track, and dataset track to take advantage of this opportunity. The authors of the papers that are accepted for oral presentation will also be contacted directly.
Coaches
We also extend a sincere invitation to members of the ACM Multimedia community to volunteer as presentation coaches. The knowledge, experience, and insights you have accumulated over your career can help emerging researchers, not only to deliver a compelling presentation but also to grow in confidence as members of the SIGMM community. The time commitment is modest, but the impact, especially on an early-career researcher, can be profound and long-lasting.
You can sign up as a coach here before 31 July 2026: Coach sign-up form.
Organizational Details
Coaching Sessions
Recommendations for organizing a coaching session:
- Keep it to a maximum of 2 hours.
- Each presenter will have a 12-minute mock presentation practice.
- Each coaching session will have roughly 2–3 presenters.
- Each presenter is expected to provide feedback to the other presenters.
- Optional: at the discretion of the coach in discussion with the presenting group, additional time can be added for Q&A practice.
Timeline
- Till end of July: volunteering coaches can sign up.
- End of July: oral presentations announced, and deadline for signing up to be a coach.
- August 19: coach selection notification.
- August 20–September 4: coaches provide available slots for a coaching session.
- September 14–September 21: presenter sign-up period.
- September 22 to the end of October: coaching sessions.