A poster presentation is a Non-Publication Presentation poster that is posted for public view at a poster session; posters may include diagrams, graphs, charts, photos and a small amount of text to illustrate major points of paper. Requires an abstract upon submittal for consideration.
Equipment The poster area will be equipped with core board and thumb tacks. (Authors are requested to bring additional tacks in case of shortage.)
Posters should not be pre-mounted (on hard boards) because they will be difficult to mount on the core board.
Poster Preparation It is suggested that the posters be prepared in a manner that can be easily understood. Ideally, the content of each poster should be clearly divided into sections, including abstract, introduction, problem definition (or aims of the work), summary, results and conclusions. In short, posters should contain all the essential information of your paper, but should not be cluttered with unnecessary details. Figures, charts, photographs, etc. should be similar to those in the preprint of your paper for easy recognition by conference attendees. Each figure and table should have a brief title. Overall, your posters should provide an easily remembered "take home message."
Posters can be prepared on ordinary A4, A5, or 8 1/2" x 11" size paper. Larger sheets may also be used. All lettering and diagrams should be large enough to be read from a minimum of 2 meters (6 feet). Authors are urged to use colors, symbols and schemes to improve clarity. The actual size of the poster is 45" x 45".
Suggested lettering size is 3 cm (1-1/4") for the poster title and 2 cm (3/4") for names and addresses of authors and section headings, such as ABSTRACT, INTRODUCTION METHODS, RESULTS, DISCUSSION AND SUMMARY. Remember, space the typing for easier reading.
As much care should be expended on the preparation of posters as for the preparation of the original figures in the paper or for the preparation of slides for an oral paper. Many of the rules for the preparation of good slides apply to the preparation of good posters.
Do not try to provide too much information on one sheet. An overloaded poster rarely attracts attention. Our suggestion is to display only short sentences or a list of sentences (or phrases) under each heading preceded by bullets or numbers to describe the work. Remember, you will be there to provide further information to delegates.
Poster Arrangement It is very important to plan carefully and organize for the optimum use of the poster space. Subdivision into sections may be helpful. Comprehension of the poster will be greatly facilitated by mounting all sections in vertical columns. There is no obligation to fill the entire space. At the same time, do not mount a complete manuscript that may take 30 minutes to read!
All poster components must be made up before your arrival. The poster should be assembled, mounted, viewed, discussed, and possibly improved by your colleagues before setting off to the conference. Remember that the impression your posters create will greatly influence the evaluation of your paper by the technical community.
Attendance at Booths For papers with multiple authors, only one author needs to be present during the session, but co-authors can be present. If authors are unable to be present at their booth during the time assigned, they should arrange for their booth to be staffed by a person familiar with their work. If an author has more than one paper in the poster session, it is the author'/s responsibility to pre-arrange staffing of each booth. It is impossible for a single person to cover more than one booth, and no such plan will be accepted at the conference.
Mini Lectures The poster session is much more than a question-answer session. It should retain all the good points of the oral session as well as provide an opportunity for individuals to ask specific questions. In this regard, we urge you to prepare a short (3-5 minutes) oral summary (mini-lecture) of your paper and give these mini-lectures to the audience at your booth. This will enable them to understand your work, and encourage them to ask specific questions. You should not anticipate the audience knowing your research work and immediately asking questions. Please prepare mini-lectures and deliver when appropriate.
Suggestion to Authors If you can provide something for the participants to carry away, a one-page outline, bibliography, etc., your presentation will be remembered longer. This is largely a matter of taste, since a published version of your paper will be available at the conference. Whatever you furnish should be supplementary information.
You may provide a sign-up sheet at your booth to collect the names and addresses of participants who wish to obtain more information about your paper.
Mounting and Removal of Poster The authors are to arrive at least one-half hour before the poster session starts. Carefully arrange your posters beforehand; 15 minutes should be ample time to mount your signs and posters. It is imperative that you plan the layout of posters before you arrive. It is the author'/s responsibility to remove all the posters and clean the area before they leave (and within 15 minutes after the scheduled session closing time).
Concluding Remarks Well-organized and well-prepared poster sessions offer a better way than paper sessions to develop personal contacts in specialized fields as well as accommodate a large number of papers in one session. It is hoped that the general suggestions presented here will leave enough freedom to the authors for individual and imaginative layout of posters, yet provide the necessary information required for rapid and efficient transfer of information to the audience.
Publication of Papers in Poster Sessions Poster presentations may also be published in the conference proceedings provided all required materials are submitted in accordance with the conference publication schedule. Check the publication schedule for more information.