Oral presentation guidelines
These guidelines are designed to help presenters prepare for the forum, providing important information on presentation requirements including useful tips and tricks.
Presenters will receive an email with information regarding their presentation format, length, day and time. If you have any questions regarding your presentation, please email eitforum@au.wearemci.com.
There are different guidelines depending on your format of presentation, therefore please read the below information carefully and download the guidelines that are relevant to your presentation type.
A PowerPoint template has been developed for all presentations at the forum.
File type: .zip | File size: 12MB
Please ensure that your presentation is tailored to be delivered effectively within your specified time period. The allocated time for your presentation will be strictly enforced to ensure the program is kept to schedule.
Due dates for presentations
For TMR staff
If you are Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) employee your presentation must comply with TMR approval processes. The Forum organisers will send you a separate email advising the due date for your presentation to allow for appropriate approvals. If you have any questions about your presentation please contact engineeringinnovationtechnologyforum@tmr.qld.gov.au.
For those external to TMR
To allow for PowerPoint presentations to be coordinated and loaded at the venue, all presentations must be received by Monday 10 August 2026.
Please ensure that you submit your presentations by the due date.
A link will be shared to successful abstracts with a location to upload presentations.
Important: Save your presentation file with the following name: last name_paper number_presentation type. For example: BEE_313_POSTER OR BEE_313_ORAL
(Your paper number is located on the confirmation email sent with these guidelines)
Continuous professional development hours
The Engineering, Innovation, and Technology Forum provides an excellent opportunity to earn Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours for the Registered Engineer if Queensland (RPEQ) and Chartered Professional Engineer (CPENg) qualifications.
Your attendance at the forum will extend and update your knowledge, skill and judgement in your area of practice, and enable you to maintain technical competence, retain and enhance effectiveness in the workplace, and successfully deal with changes in your career.
For more information on types of CPD and their hour limitations, visit the Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland (BPEQ) or your preferred assessment body.
Further information
If you have any questions relating to your presentation at the 2026 Engineering, Innovation, and Technology Forum please feel free to contact MCI Australia.
Email: eitforum@au.wearemci.com
Telephone: 07 3858 5400
Download your PowerPoint presentation template here
Poster presentation guidelines
IMPORTANT: In 2026, all posters will be displayed as digital poster and NO traditional printed poster format.
Your poster display information will be confirmed closer to the forum date.
The below information is for all poster presentations.
It is important that you read and understand these guidelines while preparing your presentation.
Poster format
The official digital poster size is portrait 1080×1920 (maximum dimensions). These dimensions are consistent with the provided template, so your poster will meet the size requirements if you use the template. Posters that do not adhere to these specifications will not be accepted.
Additionally, posters must be submitted before the conference to ensure they are displayed. Late submissions will not be accommodated. Please save your poster in PDF format before uploading.
Each poster submission may include up to two slides; however, a single slide is also acceptable if preferred. Please ensure your poster is prepared in the correct size. It is not suitable to combine multiple smaller-sized documents into one submission.
Poster template
All poster presenters MUST use the official presentation template when preparing their poster. This template is set to the size specifications and portrait style. No amendments should be made to the poster template including size as the poster.
File type: .zip | File size: 12MB
Poster information
All presenters are responsible for preparing their posters prior to their arrival at the forum.
Posters will be displayed on free standing digital screens within the forum exhibition hall.
Your poster digital space allocation is portrait 1080x1920mm- maximum size . Please note, there will be several posters displayed on the same screen so clear identification is absolutely essential.
Poster display number
Your assigned poster number will be communicated to you closer to the forum date.
There is no need to include your poster number on your poster display.
Poster presentation
Further information on presentation times will be confirmed closer to the Forum dates
Poster submission
A link for poster submission will be provided in your acceptance email, along with the submission deadline.
Download your Poster presentation template here
Tips for great presentations
Presenting complex information clearly is a challenging task for any presenter – the ability to do so, however, is what distinguishes a good presentation from a great one. When writing and practicing your presentation, try to keep the following points in mind.
What do I want my audience to remember?
Often audiences will retain just one or two key points from a presentation. If you can establish early and simply what it is you want your audience to remember, and relate back to these points throughout the presentation, you’ll be well on the way to making a lasting impact.
Is my presentation clearly structured?
Studies have shown that audiences retain structured presentations 40 per cent easier than unstructured presentations. Here is a useful blueprint to keep in mind when developing your presentation:
- What? Present facts (background, problem, audience’s role)
- So what? Present opinions and perspectives (implications, conclusions, critical questions)
- Now what? Present go-forward actions (learnings, recommendations, future applications).
The structure above has a clear beginning, middle and end, and at no stage is the audience left in doubt as to what the presentation is about.
Why is the information I’m presenting critical at this time?
Timeliness is an important part of drawing and maintaining people’s attention. By relating your content to something that is happening right now, you can spark the interest of the audience and hold it more effectively.
How does my presentation align with the theme of the forum?
All EIT Forum presentations should align in some way with the forum’s theme, Delivering value—where risk and opportunity converge. Wherever possible, presenters should look to relate their content back to this theme.
Am I using images effectively?
Where you have a text-heavy slide, ask if there is an image that could replace some, or all the text.
Often it can be far more engaging to present a salient image and ‘talk to it’ rather than load the audience with a lot of text to read.
Relax
The adrenaline that comes before a presentation may help you perform better, but it can also cause uncomfortable nerves. Try counteracting this with the following:
- Pause, smile and make eye contact before you speak. This gives you time to adjust and will help you feel in more control.
- Speak slower than you would in conversation and leave longer pauses between sentences. The slower pace will calm you down.
- Drink water. Have a glass of water handy and take sips occasionally.
- Move around during your presentation. This will help expend some of the nervous energy.
- Practice. There’s no substitute—rehearsing will make you more familiar and ultimately more comfortable with your presentation.
PowerPoint Presentations
Please ensure that your presentation is tailored to be delivered effectively within your specified time period. The allocated time for your presentation will be strictly enforced to ensure the program is kept to schedule.
The template
The EIT Forum template comes preloaded with fonts, colours and guide boxes. Please stick to using these preloaded characteristics, including the correct typeface (Arial), font sizes and bullet points.
Avoid overloading slides
Text-heavy slides are not engaging for the audience and should be avoided — look to use images as visual aids, accompanied by minimal text. The content on the slide should not be a copy of what you are saying to the audience, but rather an addition or complement to your words.
If a slide is too text heavy, consider breaking it up over two or more slides.
Type ‘(cont.)’ in 20pt after the heading on the second slide to indicate a continuation.
Spell out acronyms
All acronyms should be spelled out in full the first time, followed by the acronym in parentheses. For all subsequent occurrences, the acronym can be used.
Interviews
Interviews, or ‘fireside chats’, are a great way to dig deeper and get the audience engaged with your topic in a more relaxed setting.
Who is going to interview you?
We will work with you to determine an appropriate interviewer—preferably someone you feel comfortable talking to, who knows the subject matter well, and is adept at keeping a conversation moving.
How will you open the interview?
You may choose to jump right into talking, or you may choose to introduce the subject with a short video or presentation designed to prompt discussion.
What topics will be covered?
While flexibility is key to the interview format, it is important to start with a basic outline of the ground you want to cover–or a list of questions. You may choose to deviate from this on the day, but you will always have these questions to fall back on.
Rehearse
There is no substitute for practice. Spontaneity is good in the interview setting, however, it’s a good idea to rehearse your opening/introductions, your first couple of questions, and the close of the interview.
Further information
If you have any questions relating to your presentation at the 2026 Engineering, Innovation, and Technology Forum please feel free to contact MCI Australia.
Email: eitforum@au.wearemci.com
Telephone: 07 3858 5400
Panel Sessions
Panel sessions are great for tackling a shared problem from a variety of perspectives, providing the audience with a more rounded view of your subject.
What is the objective of the session?
Establish a clear objective for your session and state it at the outset. You might focus on possible solutions to a problem, or the impacts of a new method or technology. Whatever your purpose, state it clearly, simply and early.
Who will be a part of your panel?
A good panel should include a variety of perspectives on the same issue–there is no point in having people who sees things the same way. Consider who you can invite to get the most diverse mix of opinions possible. Three or four people is best.
Who will moderate the session?
We will work with you to decide on an appropriate moderator for your session. This person will be key to the success of the panel—they’ll need to ask probing questions, keep contributors on task, and ensure they don’t run over time.
Will you provide questions beforehand?
Consider whether you will provide questions to panelists beforehand. It’s important to maintain some element of spontaneity, however, if a question requires a particularly deep or considered response, it may be best to provide it ahead of time.
Further information
If you have any questions relating to your presentation at the 2026 Engineering, Innovation, and Technology Forum please feel free to contact MCI Australia.
Email: eitforum@au.wearemci.com
Telephone: 07 3858 5400
