Birds of a Feather Gatherings: Birds of a Feather sessions are relatively small and informal gatherings designed to build networks and explore ideas. Rather than give a formal presentation, facilitators will prepare questions or ideas around a particular topic for you to discuss.

Demonstrations: Demonstrations are formal 60-minute presentations that show how to use or apply an evaluation concept or tool. These sessions differ from Skill-Building Workshops which provide a hands-on experience.

Expert Lecture: Expert Lectures are formal 60-minute presentations by a SINGLE expert in the field who will share conceptual or methodological innovations through a lecture followed by a response to audience questions.

Ignite Presentations: This presentation is just five minutes long, consisting of 20 slides that automatically advance every 15 seconds. These presentations are given in rapid succession, one following another - and can be extremely fun! During an hour-long session, you can see up to 10 presentations on a variety of topics.

Panel: This formal, thematic, 60-minute presentation focuses on an issue facing the field of evaluation. The overall abstract is to provide a coordinated presentation by two or three panelists, and possibly a discussant, on the general topic of the panel.

Paper: AEA will be dedicating time for a limited number of paper presentations at Evaluation 2023. We encourage students, those early in their careers, and those who haven’t presented at a regional or national/international meeting in the past to submit their papers for consideration. TIGs will review paper submissions with this lens to give opportunities to those who are often not included in the program.

​Professional Development Workshops: Professional Development (PD) Workshops are great learning opportunities that provide attendees with in-depth lessons, group activities, and real-world case studies.

Multi-paper Sessions: Multi-paper sessions include three or more paper presentations on a common theme.  Each paper presenter will have approximately 15 minutes to present and discuss the key points of his or her work. Submit for these session types only if you are a group submitting a minimum of three papers you would like to present as part of one complete multi-paper session. Individual papers must be submitted using the “paper” session type.

Roundtables: Roundtables are 60-minute oral presentations, which typically include 30 minutes of presentation, followed by 30 minutes of discussion and feedback. Roundtable presenters should bring targeted questions to pose to others, in order to learn from and with those attending. Roundtables are an ideal format for an in-depth discussion on a particular topic. 

Skill-Building Workshop: As part of a 60-minute session taking place during the conference, workshops teach a specific skill needed by many evaluators and include one or more exercises that let attendees practice using this skill. These sessions differ from Demonstrations in that attendees will have a hands-on opportunity to practice the skill. These sessions differ from Professional Development Workshops in that they take place during the conference, are significantly shorter in length, and thus do not allow for as much breadth or depth in exploring the topic, and may be presented by someone with less facilitation experience than expected for the pre- and post-conference workshops. 

Think Tank: A Think Tank is a 60-minute session focusing on a single issue or question. Initially, a chairperson orients attendees to the issue or question and relevant context. Then, attendees break into small groups to explore the issue or question and finally reconvene to share their enhanced understanding through a discussion facilitated by the chairperson. The abstract should succinctly identify the question or issue to be addressed, the relevant contextual factors, and the roles of the individual breakout groups.