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Posters and Poster Presentations

Support for creating and presenting scholarly posters

Before the presentation day

  • Know when and wposter presentationhere you need to arrive and install the poster
  • Know what materials are being provided and what you have to bring
  • Consider bringing some backup pins, tape, etc. in case of emergency
  • Prepare any handouts and/or create a QR code so your viewers can take away copies of your poster and related information 
  • Arrange for business cards if you plan to distribute them to viewers
  • Prepare an envelope to collect business cards left by viewers
  • Practice your presentation
  • Take a copy of your poster on a flash drive as a back-up in case of an emergency
  • Know when the poster must be taken down

On the presentation day

  • Arrive and install your poster on time
  • Have paper and pen/pencil ready to make notes, get contact information, etc.
  • Dress appropriately. Generally, it's better to err on the side of looking more professional than less.
  • Take a photo of you with your poster
  • Remove your poster on time

Presenting

Although many poster sessions only involve informal oral presentation and conversation with your viewers, some sessions may involve a more formal presentation to an audience. Be sure you know which you need to prepare, although some tips for preparing a regular talk will also be useful for an informal presentation.

Preparing for an informal poster presentation:

  • Allow plenty of preparation and rehearsal time
  • Identify the main points you want your viewers to take away
  • Prepare a brief (1-2 min.) standard talk that explains your poster and the take-away message
  • Anticipate questions and prepare answers
  • Understand the background behind your work, the methodology, how calculations were made, etc.
  • Rrehearse your presentation

During the poster session:

  • Stand by your poster, but avoid blocking a view of it
  • Be ready to engage with interested viewers; don't get lost in other activities
  • Speak to passers-by, but don't corral them into spending time
  • Ask an introductory question to gauge how much interest or background the viewer has in your subject
  • Don't monopolize viewers' time going into details when they really want the big picture
  • Don't allow one viewer to monopolize your time and exclude other interested viewers