Speaker Guidelines
SPEAKER GUIDELINES
The Rotary Club of Albuquerque 2023 - 2024
Information about our weekly program and speaker guidelines for confirmed speakers.
ABOUT THE CLUB
The Rotary Club of Albuquerque is the second oldest club in this region, established in 1916 (the oldest is in El Paso, 1914). The club currently has about 140 members and ~ 75 attend our weekly (Monday) meetings.
The membership of our club includes many who are Albuquerque leaders in business and professional activities. While the average age of the audience is relatively high (over 50), we have a number of younger members as well. About 40% of our members are women.
ABOUT THE WEEKLY MEETINGS
Weekly meetings are held each Monday (except for some holidays) and generally take place at the Sheraton Uptown Hotel (2600 Louisiana NE at Menaul Blvd). The buffet lunch (no charge for you and a guest or two) is served @11:45 a.m. and the program starts promptly at 12 noon, ending around 1 p.m. An example of a typical meeting sequence is as follows:
- 12 noon, President’s welcome, Greet your neighbor, song, the Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation
- Lunch
- Introduction of guests and visiting Rotarians and other business
- SPEAKER’S PROGRAM will start around 12:30 p.m.
- Speaker is introduced by Your Sponsor (2 minutes or less.)
- To the sponsor: this is about the background of the speaker, not about your connection with the speaker, etc.
- Speaker: ~20 minutes plus Q&A from the audience
- President’s concluding remarks
- Thought for the Day (usually connected to the Speaker’s topic)
- Adjournment
If you are invited to be our program speaker, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO BE AT OUR MEETING ROOM in the Sheraton Uptown Hotel NO LATER THAN 11:40 a.m.! We usually meet in the Regal ballroom at the west entrance of the hotel.
ABOUT THE TALK ITSELF
The Speakers Committee encourages speakers to tailor their presentations with minimal emphasis on PowerPoint. A computer, projector and screen are available in our hotel meeting room. However, because of the large size of the room and the layout of tables, presentations that are wrapped around a dense PowerPoint, with numerous text slides, are difficult to follow and are commonly unsuccessful. Those who are seated furthest from the screen often complain that very little if any of the text on slides could be seen. Graphics and photographs (if they are large in format) do fine, but complex text slides, with moving bullet points (etc.) don’t work. If there are graphics and tables that are central to the presentation, speakers often produce a handout (~80+ copies) to be distributed among the lunch tables. NOTE: if you use a MAC, you will need to convert your document for PCs.
Videos that may relate to the presentation (such as DVDs that were designed originally for marketing purposes) should not be used. ALERT Ann, as soon as possible, if you will require sound or internet.
The person (sponsor) who recommended that you be the speaker is usually the person who will be your main point of contact for all the details of your presentation. That person will meet you, introduce you and ensure you have all your questions answered.
SPEAKER GUIDELINES FOR ACCEPTED PROGRAMS
Once approved/invited to make a presentation, we will need some materials from you to announce your subject and professional background to our membership prior to your program. The following should be e-mailed to Ann Singer as soon as possible:
- The title of your presentation.
- A color, or black and white photograph of you, in electronic format.
- A biographical sketch, around 150 to 200 words, in a narrative format (please, not just a listing of dates, appointments, or job titles)
- a short paragraph that expands on the title of your presentation
- The best way to reach you – phone, e-mail and mailing address. This information should reach the Rotary Club office (Ann Singer, asinger@rotaryabq.org) no later than two weeks before your scheduled presentation. Please e-mail a copy to your Sponsor as well.
Regarding the actual presentation, the time allotted is 20 minutes. Please refrain from promoting any specific product or program, and refrain from anything that might suggest fund raising, excellent though the cause may be. The Rotary Club has its own processes for annual fund raising and allocation of such funds.
If you are planning to provide any leaflets or other promotional items, provide samples for review ahead of time. Usually such are available at the registration desk. Handouts that illustrate aspects of the talk are set out on the lunch tables. Please contact Ann, asinger@rotaryabq.org or (505) 242-2651 or your sponsor with any questions.
The Club has a publicity committee that regularly notifies the media about our programs. The media may, at times, be in attendance during a presentation. If you need to know whether this might occur, please call the office.
We are most grateful to you for agreeing to make a presentation at our weekly meeting.
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