Forum speakers

A call for proposals is published about six months before the Forum. Applications are reviewed by the programme committee against four criteria: relevance of the subject, quality of expertise, practical value and diversity of viewpoints. About a third of the talks come from this call.

The others are requested directly by the committee, to cover the chosen themes. No fee is paid; travel costs are covered for some speakers from middle-income countries.

They include platform directors, specialised prosecutors, art history researchers, IT security specialists, curators and accredited experts. Some speak on behalf of an institution, others in a personal capacity.

Each speaker provides a short biography, a photograph and the list of their declared interests, published with the programme.

Speakers undertake to respect a charter: no commercial promotion, disclosure of interests, respect for confidentiality rules. Presentations are reviewed by the Secretariat to check that they contain no advertising.

A financial partner of the Forum does not choose the speakers. Companies that support the event are mentioned, but play no part in the selection.

Speakers receive a guide, a preparation timetable and a briefing interview with the moderator. A technical test is held the day before. Presentations are submitted one week before the Forum, for translation and accessibility adaptation.

Moderators are trained in managing speaking time and in running audience questions, including remotely.

The talks give rise to a short summary published with the replay. Speakers may submit a text for the OIMAP Review, subject to the opinion of the reading committee. A satisfaction survey is sent to them to improve later editions.

The best feedback from participants is passed on to speakers, who can thus enrich their next presentations.