Instructions for Poster Presentations

• Poster Presenters Instructions - PDF (136K)

Display Size

Posters are limited to 4 feet high x 6 feet wide. Poster boards will be placed on tripod easels. The boards are contiguous, and presenters may not use their own self-contained displays. Posters must be presented using the poster boards provided by the conference. Due to space constrictions, no tables will be provided The boards are white foam core board. Posters will be affixed using push pins that will be provided. Tape is not allowed on the poster boards. Allow a 4-inch x 4-inch space for a poster number in the upper left-hand corner of your poster.

Set-Up Times

Poster Session I: Set-up time for presenters is Monday, May 17, 2004 - 3:00pm-5:00 pm. Posters must be set up by 5:00pm.

Poster Session II: Set-up time for presenters is Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 3:00pm-5:00pm. Posters must be set up by 6:00pm.

Formal Poster Sessions

Poster Session I - Monday, May 17, 5:00pm-7:00pm: Poster presenters are requested to be stationed at their posters from 6:00pm-7:00pm for participant discussion.

Poster Session II - Tuesday, May 18, 6:00pm-8:00pm: Poster presenters are requested to be stationed at their posters from 7:00pm-8:00pm for participant discussion.

Removal Times

Poster Session I: Removal time of displays will be Monday, May 17, 7:00pm-9:00pm. Posters must be removed by 9:00 pm.

Poster Session II: Removal time of displays will be Tuesday, May 18, 8:00pm-10:00pm. Posters must be removed by 10:00pm.

The conference is not responsible for the loss of or damage to poster displays not taken down by 10:00pm as the boards will be dismantled and removed by the vendor.

Guidelines for Poster Presentations

The poster sessions will be terrific opportunities to find others who are involved in projects like yours and projects that you may want to start in your state or county.

As with oral presentations, attention to some details will make poster presentations a success. A general concept is that posters should stimulate discussion, not give a long presentation. Because space is limited, keep your text to a minimum, emphasize graphics, and make sure every item in your poster is necessary. You can always come to the session armed with handouts that provide more details than your poster. Also, have business cards available so that interested people can contact you later.

A poster is essentially a visual presentation, so try to find ways to show what you did.

Preparation and Layout

• Draw a rough sketch of your poster on graph paper to develop a clear idea of which components will go where.
• Remember that the size of the poster board will be 4 feet tall by 6 feet wide. Boards are approximately 30 inches off the floor.
• Be sure to leave space for a 4-inch x 4-inch space for a poster number in the upper left-hand corner when drawing your sketch.
• Include the title and authors of your poster as listed in your abstract.
• Information on your poster should read like a book - flowing from left to right and from top to bottom. It may be helpful to use arrows or identifiers (sequential letters or numbers) to guide your reader through the poster. You can also arrange it in two or three vertical columns, but not horizontal strips. The introduction or rationale should be placed at the upper left and the outcome/impact or concluding comments should appear at the lower right. Objectives, educational activities, and other information will fill the remaining space.
• Keep it simple - too much information leads to messy or "busy" posters.
• Avoid overwhelming your audience with too many numbers, words, and/or complicated graphs.
• Stick to two or three main points. Too many can confuse the viewer.
• Get feedback from others before you finalize it.

Text

• Double-space all text, using left justification.
• Use short sentences, simple words, and bullets to illustrate discrete points.
• Written material should be concise.
• Avoid using jargon, acronyms, or unusual abbreviations.
• Your printed outcomes/impacts should permit observers to focus on a concise statement of your central findings that lends itself to informal discussion.

Fonts

• All information should be large enough to read easily from at least 4 feet away.
• The text should be no smaller than 24 points.
• Author(s) and affiliation(s) should be at least 42 pt.
• Subheadings should be at least 60 points.
• The Title should be printed across the top of the poster in characters of 80-150 points. (Again, allow for the 4"x4" poster number in the top left-hand corner.)
• San serif fonts. (The small finishing strokes that stem from the upper and lower ends of a character) are easiest to read. Suggested options include: Arial, Century Gothic, Franklin Gothic Medium, Lucida Sans.
• Choose one font and then use it throughout the poster.
• Add emphasis by using boldface, underlining, or color, italics are sometimes difficult to distinguish from regular.
• Do not use all caps unless it is for one or two word headings. ALL CAPS TEXT IS NOT THE EASIEST TO READ.

Illustrations (Graph, Charts, photos, etc.)

• The success of a poster directly relates to the clarity of the illustrations and tables.
• Self-explanatory graphics should dominate the poster (at least 50% of your poster space).
• Keep captions brief.
• A minimal amount of text should supplement the graphic materials.
• Graphic materials should be visible from a distance of four (4) feet.
• Only include essential information in graphs and tables
• Label data lines in graphs directly, using large fonts and color. The use of legends and keys will take the viewer more time to interpret your message.
• Lines in graphs should be thicker than normally provided in printed letter-sized paper reports or manuscripts.
• Use colors to distinguish different data groups in graphs. Avoid using patterns or open bars in histograms.
• Colored transparency overlays are useful in comparing/contrasting graphic results before finalizing your poster materials.
• The use of school mascots or logos on your poster will add useless visual distractions.

Use of Color

• Overuse of color can be distracting - restrained use of 2 to 3 colors for emphasis is valuable.
• Two to three related background colors will unify the poster.
• Use a light background with darker photos; a dark background with lighter photos.
• Use a neutral background (gray) to emphasize color in photos, a white background to reduce the impact of colored photos.

For Questions:

Conference Coordinator
Dave Waterman, Continuing and Professional Education
Virginia Tech
Phone: 540-231-5486 FAX: 540-231-9886
E-mail: dmwater@vt.edu