• A Hybrid Conference – In-Person and Virtual Presentations
  • Technical Conference:  24 – 28 March 2024
  • Exhibition: 26 – 28 March 2024
  • San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California, USA

Frequently Asked Questions

Posters l Remote Speakers l Registration|Short Courses l Publishing and Copyrights l Withdrawals

 

Will there be Q&A for remote presenters? If yes, how is it handled? 

Every oral contributed and invited presentation as well as tutorial presentations will include a Q&A segment regardless of whether they are presenting on site or remotely, provided the speaker is participating live. The virtual audience will have the ability to enter questions into the “Q&A” box and also vote on submitted questions to assist the presider in selecting questions to ask. On-site attendees are able to ask questions through the mobile app or directly in the meeting room. The presider will read the questions from the “Q&A” box to the speaker (whether in person or remote), who will then respond live.

 

How will I be able to watch other presentations?

Technical sessions will be presented live in Pacific Standard Time (PDT, UTC-07:00) with a recorded archive available later for on-demand viewing. To access the presentations, you must first register for the meeting. All registrants will receive instructions on how to participate in the meeting on the Friday before its start date.

 

As sessions are presented concurrently, am I able to move from one session to another?

The hybrid conference is no different than if you were attending in person. As those in person, remote attendees have the ability to move from one virtual room to another during sessions. However, you will need to leave a meeting room first before entering another. The Zoom web conference platform does not allow users to participate in two virtual sessions simultaneously.

 

What if my company or institution does not allow me to use the Zoom web conference platform?

As a remote participant, when you first connect to a Zoom room to participate in a session, you will be presented with the option to download and use the Zoom client. OFC Management recommends using this full client version for the best viewing experience. However, we recognize that some organizations may prevent staff members from downloading and using it.

As an alternative, remote participants can opt to join via a web browser only. If choosing this option, you should use the latest versions of Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge or Safari. Internet Explorer is not supported.

Presenters, please note that the web browser option is only if you are presenting your talk live. If you are using Zoom to record your content in advance, you must use the Zoom client or choose another recording method.

 

Posters

How are posters being presented?

This conference will be held in a hybrid in-person/virtual format.  On-site presenters are expected to print and post their own posters.  They are also encouraged to upload the PDF of their poster and submit a short video to extend visibility to the remote audience. 

All posters are displayed in gallery view with search features by keyword, speaker, and final ID. Each poster has a dedicated page that includes the poster PDF and/or a 3-minute poster preview.

For more information regarding poster presentations, visit the Poster Presentation Guidelines section.

 

Do you have a template for making a Poster PDF?

There is no official poster template for OFC. However, there are a number of companies that offer free templates to assist you in creating your poster PDF. The A0 poster size formatted vertically is the most popular based on the physical dimensions of boards provided on site. 

How do I provide the poster PDF for my presentation?

Upload the poster PDF file directly into the conference paper submission system by 15 MarchWhile instructions will be provided by email in February, you may also access the system directly using the same link you used to submit your paper: Select the "Alert" pop-up box that will appear in your account.  Contact cstech@optica.org if you are unable to locate the email or find the invitation alert in the submission system.  

 

Will posters be published if we just provide a Poster PDF?

Yes, providing the poster PDF will be equivalent to presenting remotely in a hybrid meeting. Your submitted paper will be published on both the IEEE Xplore Digital Library and on the Optica Publishing Group platform (where your poster PDF will also be published as supplemental material).

Presenters MUST either present on-site or provide either a poster PDF or a 3-minute poster preview video in order to be published.

 

How will people be able to see my poster if I provide a poster PDF?

All posters are displayed in gallery view with search features by keyword, speaker, and final ID. Each poster has a dedicated page that includes the poster PDF and/or a 3-minute poster preview. 

In addition, all registrants will be able to access both your paper and your poster PDF from your presentation listing on the mobile app.

 

Remote Speakers

How do I record my presentation? 
Refer to the virtual presenter resources  for step-by-step instructions using Zoom Technology. 

 

How can I present effectively if I don’t have a stable internet connection?
We recommend you prerecord your presentation. You can record your presentation using the Zoom platform locally. During your scheduled presentation, we will play your recorded presentation, and you can respond by phone to any questions.  Click here for more information about recording with Zoom.

 

OFC Virtual Background

We encourage all speakers to use a OFC Conference virtual background when presenting remotely—either live or in a prerecorded video. The Zoom web conference platform allows you to customize your virtual background in Settings/Virtual Background.

  1. Download the OFC virtual background image or save the image displayed above (PC users: right click on image, then select "Save as"; Mac users: drag and drop image or CNTRL-click, then "Save Image As").
  2. Select the "+" button to add the OFC wallpaper to your Zoom client.
  3. Select "Mirror my Video".

Note that virtual backgrounds work best when you present in front of a bare wall with no bright light behind you.

 

How do I upload my presentation?
Refer to the virtual presenter resources for instructions. The presenting author will receive an email with specific instructions. Do not wait to record your presentation until you receive this email. If you have not received this email two weeks prior to the conference, please contact cstech@optica.org and provide/confirm which email address should be used to send these instructions.

 

Will my paper still be published if I present live without a video recording, but my internet connection drops?

In order for your paper to be published, you are required to present. As such, it is preferable for you to also prerecord your presentation, which could be used as a real-time back-up.

 

I can’t present live. Will there be a way for participants to ask questions?

To promote the interactivity and immersive experience so desired by meeting attendees and speakers, we encourage you to participate live if possible. If factors prohibit your live participation, please be sure to place your email address prominently on your final slides, and encourage viewers to reach out directly with questions.

 

Registration

What is the registration fee for contributing authors?

Registration fees are listed on the registration page. 

 

Short Courses

How do I attend a short course and/or access the notes?

Short courses will be presented onsite only. 

 

How do I receive the Certificate of Attendance for the short course I registered for?

Those who have attended a short course will receive a survey the day after the course was taken. Please complete the OFC Short Course survey to receive a certificate of attendance. If you are unable to locate the short course survey, please contact ofc@csreg.zohodesk.com, with your registration information. 

 

Will the short course be available later for on-demand viewing?

No, short courses are only available for the duration of the course. Please ensure that you select courses that you are able to attend live. 

 

Will there be Q&A? If yes, how is it handled? 

Short course participants are encouraged to ask questions throughout the course. 

 

Publishing & Copyrights

When will the papers be published?

The technical papers are made available one week out from the conference to all registered OFC technical attendees. They can be accessed from the conference schedule on the website or the mobile app. In addition, the Technical Digest .zip files can be accessed from the link provided on the OFC website. Individual files will not be published in the IEEE Xplore Digital Library and the Optica Publishing Group platform until roughly three months after the conference.

 

How do I cite the proceedings for a virtual conference?

It is cited the same as a normal proceedings.  To cite use the following guidance: [Author Names], "[Presentation Title]," in The Optical Fiber Communication Conference (OFC), Optica Technical Digest (Optica Publishing Group, 2024), paper [final ID].

 

I am presenting published material. How do you maintain copyright from publishers?

Per the agreement signed during submission, you warrant that you properly cited the source of all supporting material included in the presentation. Furthermore, your use of supporting material from other sources is within the bounds of the generally accepted practice of the scientific and/or professional community of which you are a member.

 

I would like to retain the copyright of my material and not transfer it to OFC Management. What happens to the copyright of my presentation?

During the submission process, you were asked if you would grant Optica permission to record your presentation.  If provided, this granted Optica permission to record your presentation, and to use, distribute, archive, copy and edit the recording and all supporting material accompanying the presentation, in whole or in part.

Furthermore, the Author(s) granted Optica and the other OFC sponsors a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, transferable license to use, distribute, display, make derivative works from, archive, copy and edit, in whole or in part, the Work, including all datasets and media objects included in the Work. The term “media objects” includes, but is not limited to: video files, image files, sounds files, and their constituent computer code. 

Unless you indicated differently during the submission process, the Author(s) are the sole author(s) and sole holders of all rights in and to the Work.

 

Who will have access to view my presentation?

All participants must register for OFC to gain access to the presentations. Only individuals with confirmed registrations will be able to view presentations—either live or on demand as recorded, archived sessions.

After the conference has concluded, OFC Management will edit the complete recorded technical sessions into individual talks. Only talks where the presenter gave permission within the submission system will be posted to the conference archive behind a secure log in. Only OFC technical registrants, current Optica Members or subscribers will be able to view these presentations.

 

How long will my presentation be available online?

Archived sessions will remain on the OFC website until the edited, individual talks are made available. Provided the presenter gave consent, these talks will remain on the website until the next conference. These files are accessible to 2024 OFC technical registrants only, by logging in with the same account information used when registering. 

 

Will individuals be able to download my recorded presentation?

No, the recordings can only be streamed.

 

How long will the presentation be archived?

The entire technical session will be recorded and made accessible through the OFC website and conference app. Edited versions of individual talks where permission was granted will be available until the next conference from the conference website. Individual talks will also be posted to the Optical Publishing Group platform in perpetuity as supplemental material for conference papers.

 

Can I refuse permission to have my presentation archived?

During the submission process, you were asked if you would grant Optica permission to record and broadcast your presentation. While OFC Management encourages the widest possible access in order to provide the content to registrants unable to travel, the selected response will be honored.

 

Withdrawals

If I withdraw my presentation, can I just present at OFC 2025?

We encourage your participation in the OFC 2024 hybrid conference. If you are not in a position to participate and would like to withdraw, you may submit to present at a future meeting. Please note, though, that your submission will be reviewed by the respective committee for decision.

 

If I withdraw my presentation, will I still have access to watch other presentations?

You may register for the OFC conference regardless of your participation as a speaker. However, we encourage you to present and share your current research with the broader community.