Chairpersons and Discussants Guidelines

Chairpersons' Guidelines

Chairpersons will ensure the smooth progress of the session, and time management as well as encourage discussions and interactions between faculty and the audience by allowing sufficient time for questions from the audience.

Chairpersons:

• Must be available for the entire duration of the session,
• Introduce the session and Faculty involved in the session,
• Moderate the session and animate the Q&A, if no discussant is involved,
• Enforce timekeeping,
• Deliver concluding remarks,
• Presentations can be viewed or reviewed in the lecture room on the Chairperson Interface before the session starts,
• Complete the evaluation at the end of the session on the Chairperson Interface.

Discussants will initiate, lead and animate the dedicated discussion time of the session involving all Faculty on stage and by taking incoming questions from the audience.

Speakers will be asked to send their slides in advance to allow the Discussants to prepare for the session. Session preparation emails will be sent in May 2025 by the ESC Team.

Discussants:

• Must be available for the entire duration of the session,
• Sit on stage with all Faculty,
• No slides are required from the discussant - this is meant to be a lively interaction,
• Raise key points related to the topic covered, address controversies and highlight gaps, if any.

Chairperson Interface - A dedicated computer is installed in the lecture room at the Chairperson table and aims to enhance visibility on the ongoing session and assist in the management of the session as well as collect evaluation and comments at the end of the session.

Test this service on the Practice Stage in the Speaker Service Center.

The hostess in the lecture room will be available to assist you in using the Chairperson Interface.

Stage set up - All Faculty involved in the session will sit ON STAGE for the entire duration of the session. This is to facilitate discussions and encourage interaction.

A faculty lounge will allow you to relax, meet with colleagues and discuss your presentations.

Desk & plugs are also available in the lounge if you need to work on your session.

• Friday 16 May - 15:00 - 18:00
• Saturday 17 May - 07:30 - 17:00
• Sunday 18 May - 08:00 - 16:30
• Monday 19 May - 08:00 - 16:30
• Tuesday 20 May - 08:00 - 12:00

The practice stage

We have recreated a lecture room stage for you to test out the functionalities available and the Presentation Management System at the lectern and to test out the Chairperson Interface service.
If you want to practice before showtime - ask our hostess onsite.

Photo Booth

A photographer is available to take your professional portrait which you can then transfer to your Speaker Profile or for your personal use.

To give you more visibility, we strongly encourage you to review, complete or update your My ESC Profile, as this information will be featured on the Heart Failure Congress online platform and ESC 365 (including your biography and your contributions to ESC-related activities).

Spread the word about #HeartFailure2025

A promotional toolkit with graphical elements is available to help with the promotion of Heart Failure 2025 scientific programme to your network.

Be active on Social Media

Share the science and add your voice to the biggest CV conversation on X!

• Use Congress hashtag #HeartFailure2025
• For posts you deem pertinent for ESC to share, please tag @escardio
• Post about the major breakthroughs/conclusions/highlights, and with the most relevant images from the speaker
• Avoid promotional posts ie 'session xyz starting now’ or content that does not give any scientific value ie 'Great talk from @abc…’ without adding her/his key messages, points etc
• Quote the speaker, or tag their profile using their handle
• Double-check spelling and grammar
• If you have a concern/complaint don’t use social media to raise it. Talk to a member of staff. We are always at your service
• Won’t have time to post? You can still share it (repost), comment and like.
• Apply the same ethics & etiquette you would in any other context

Video / Audio / Photos

The recording of video or audio during any session of Heart Failure 2025 is strictly prohibited. 

It is the responsibility of each presenter or speaker to notify the audience of any restrictions on the photography of the content they are presenting.  
Such an announcement must be made at the beginning of the presentation.