Guidelines and Resources: Interactive Poster Sessions
Conference Environment
The number one thing to keep in mind is that Lilly is a very friendly conference. It is a supportive community of teacher-scholars who share your passion for teaching and learning. Lilly participants look forward to hearing what you have to say and to participating actively in your session. They will be willing to provide constructive feedback that you can use in your teaching and scholarship. So have fun with your session.
Preparing Your Session
Although this format is typically referred to as a poster session, you are not required to prepare a poster. You may use a poster and/or any other typical medium to communicate your information and involve participants. Keep in mind, though, that you will be in a large room and you will want something to draw people’s attention to your topic, so you should at least have a sign with the title of your presentation that is large enough to read from several feet away. In addition, it is appropriate to prepare a handout for attendees to take away for further reading, and you may wish to have copies of your complete paper as well.
If you do prepare a poster, here are some tips to help you:
- Keep your design or pages simple and clean. Typically, it is best to use a light background with dark text. Avoid colors or designs that detract from the content.
- Use graphs, tables, and pictures to illustrate your points. They are an effective tool for posters if they are in a simple design with limited text.
- Minimize text. Use as few words as possible. Use a font that can be easily read from 4-6 feet away. Letters in titles should be approximately 1 inch (approximately 72 pt.), and explanatory text should be approximately 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch (approximately 18-24 pt.). This will look large to you, but keep in mind that the goal is to draw people to your poster and that not everyone has perfect vision.
Presenting Your Session
Be ready to go at 5:15 pm, with your materials set up and handouts laid out. When participants express interest in your topic, present the main points of your paper. Practice a short (2-3 minute) presentation that highlights these points. If you give the 3-minute presentation and viewers desire more detail, they can ask at that point. If you run out of handouts, be sure to have a tablet and pen for attendees to write down their names and e-mail addresses so that you can send them a copy after the conference. It is also a good idea to bring some business cards with you so that attendees may contact you.
Technology
In addition to a table, you will be provided the A/V equipment you requested when you submitted your proposal (including LCD [data] projector, screen, easel, flip chart, VCR/DVD player, or overhead projector). Presenters must supply their own laptops and any special connectors. If you are unsure of what equipment you have requested or need to make changes, notify the Conference A/V facilitator as soon as possible at wentzegw@muohio.edu.
Attendance
Because it is an entire-Conference event, we expect about 300 attendees for this session. Plan to bring at least 50 copies of handouts. Take leftover handouts to the registration desk, where we will have a place for individuals who missed your session to pick them up.
After the Conference
Please send copies of your handout to anyone who requests it within 7 days of the conference. Once a week has passed, the likelihood of the request getting lost increases significantly. Send a quick note to anyone who expressed a good deal of interest in your poster to thank him or her for taking time to chat with you. It is a kind gesture that may lead to a good professional relationship. You never know when you might need a professional favor, for example, someone to give a paper you have ready for publication submission a quick read for feedback.
If you have any questions regarding this session format, please let us know as soon as possible (wentzegw@muohio.edu).