1. Plenary Session Presentation
- Stand-alone presentation: This is a presentation that is followed by audience questions answered by the presenter or other members of the audience. The presentations are typically 30 minutes in length. The RIPE Programme Committee (PC) recommends using 20-25 minutes for presenting and 5-10 minutes for questions. If the presenter feels that more or less presentation time is needed for their topic, they must make this clear in their proposal that they submit to the PC using the submission system. Presenters are naturally welcome to propose other styles of presentations to the PC if needed.
- Panel discussion: This is a presentation and discussion of a topic whereby multiple guests are invited to the stage to discuss the topic. Typically, a panel discussion includes a moderator who introduces the topic and the panelists to the audience. The moderator then leads the discussion between the panelists and the audience. Panel discussions are typically one hour in length. If the proposer of a panel discussion feels that more or less time is needed for their topic, they must make this clear in their proposal that they submit to the PC using the submission system.
2. Tutorial
Tutorials are a method of knowledge transfer on a specific topic and usually involve an expert on the subject providing intensive instruction to a group of interested people. Tutorials are set in a classroom style and can range in participant size from one to many, allowing for the presenter to provide individual attention or instruction where needed.
Tutorials at RIPE Meetings are allocated up to two hours and are usually scheduled in the morning before the start of the plenary sessions. If the proposer feels that more or less time is needed for their topic, they must make this clear in their proposal that they submit to the PC using the submission system.
3. Workshop
Workshops are run by knowledge experts and consist of groups of people who actively participate individually or in small teams, give presentations, or work on a particular project with the aim of achieving a higher level of understanding or increasing their skill set through hands-on experience.
Workshops at RIPE Meetings are allocated up to two hours and are usually scheduled before the start of the plenary sessions or in the evening following the meeting day’s events. If the proposer feels that more or less time is needed for their topic, they must make this clear in their proposal that they submit to the PC using the submission system. Equipment other than the usual projector, screen and microphone provided in the meeting room are the responsibility of the organiser. Based on logistical considerations, pre-registration to some workshops may be required.
4. BoF
A Birds-of-a-Feather (BoF) meeting is a simple gathering of any number of people who are interested in a RIPE community-related topic.
When requested, a room is provided for approximately 60 minutes for the gathering to take place.
Typically, the organiser of the BoF introduces the topic to the participants without a microphone or other technical support and the participants take part in an interactive discussion that is moderated by the organiser or appointed moderator(s).
Upon request, the following can be provided (subject to availability):
- Larger room
- Longer time slot
- Projector
- Microphone(s)
- Flip chart or whiteboard
- Other miscellaneous facilities
Note: BoF topics are expected to be non-commercial. They are also not intended for RIPE Policy discussion, as these should be held in the appropriate RIPE Working Group session.
If you are a first-time BoF organiser, the RIPE PC will be happy to help guide you through the process. Contact the PC at pc [at] ripe [dot] net.
5. Lightning Talk
Lightning talks are short (5-10 minutes) presentations covering any topic and may or may not include slides. The presenter can choose how much of this time to spend on their presentation versus Q&A.
Lightning talk proposals can be made in advance of a RIPE Meeting or during the meeting. The PC decides which lightning talks to allow on short notice – in some cases, on the same day the lightning talk is proposed.
