All your hard work is about to pay off! Here are a few tips for presentation day:
Installing Your Poster
- Find out how your poster will be displayed ahead of time. What will your poster be mounted on (e.g. corkboard, an easel, the wall)? Will thumbtacks or a certain kind of tape be provided, or should you bring your own? Are there any restrictions about the kind of adhesive that can be used?
- Make sure your poster is straight, and ask for help from your neighbor if needed. A crooked poster is distracting.
- Electronic posters: If you will be presenting your work through a computer monitor or some kind of electronic format, obviously you are not going to be mounting it on a wall! But you should submit your electronic file before the deadline to the event organizers AND bring a flash drive of your poster file as a backup.
Discussion
- Before you present your poster, anticipate the kinds of questions your audience may have and identify 2 or 3 points of special interest to focus the discussion.
- Try to find out a bit about your visitor(s) and what attracted them to your poster so that you can tailor your conversation. Your visitor could be a world-class expert, a mid-career professional from another field, or an event sponsor – it always helps to know your audience.
- Love your content! If you are enthusiastic about your project, others will be too.
- Keep track of the questions your visitors ask. These can be helpful as you talk with more people, especially if there are a few common questions; the documentation can also be helpful for follow-up.
- Be prepared to receive feedback.
- Don’t monopolize! Recognize that your visitor will want to move on to other posters. Feel free to exchange business cards to continue your conversation in the future.
Handouts
- Have a handout ready for people who don’t have time to stay and talk, or who want to have the details to take home with them. A letter-sized color printout of your poster can work well as a handout.
- Make sure your contact information is on the handout, or bring business cards.
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