Conference poster presentation guidelines for organisers

Decide what a poster slot is

Before you accept posters, decide how long the session lasts, whether presenters must stand by their poster and whether there is a short talk or a “flash” slot. Authors will plan travel around these decisions.

Guidelines to send with the acceptance

Put the following in a single page and link to it from the acceptance email.

• Size and orientation: [A0 portrait / 90 × 120 cm], with the maximum allowed.
• Mounting: how posters are attached and who provides materials.
• Content: title, authors and affiliations, a short summary, results and a contact or QR link.
• Language and readability: minimum text size and use of colour contrast.
• Session time: when to hang the poster, when to be present, when to take it down.
• Abstract number: which number belongs on the poster board.
• Digital posters: format, size and deadline, if you accept them.

Plan the room

Count boards against accepted posters plus a small reserve. Number boards to match abstract numbers and list them in the programme so attendees can find a poster without asking. Place popular topics where there is room to stand.

If you judge posters

State the criteria in advance, for example clarity, scientific quality and presentation, and the number of judges per poster. Tell judges how long they should spend at each board and where to record scores. Announce the result in the programme, not just in the room.

A one-page instruction sheet

Poster presenters read one page. Write it so that a presenter can print it and follow it. Replace the values with your own, and keep it on the event website so that any update is visible.

POSTER INSTRUCTIONS · [Conference name] Size: A0 portrait (841 × 1189 mm). Posters larger than this cannot be displayed. Mounting: pins or tape provided at the board. Please do not use adhesive that damages boards. Board number: printed in your acceptance email. Your abstract number is [ ]. Hang: Monday 08:00–10:00. Present: Tuesday 15:30–17:00. Remove: Wednesday by 13:00. Content: title, authors and affiliations, a short summary, main results, a contact or QR link. Text size: title at least 72 pt, headings 36 pt, body 24 pt. Digital copy: please upload a PDF by [date] for the online programme. Questions: [address]

Poster session formats

The way the session is run changes how useful it is to authors and visitors. Choose a format on purpose rather than by default.

• Open session: all posters are up for the whole time and presenters stand by them. Simple, but visitors may not reach every poster.
• Split session: odd-numbered posters are presented in the first half and even-numbered in the second. Presenters can also visit others.
• Flash talks plus posters: each presenter has two to three minutes at a microphone, then a poster session follows. Raises visibility, but needs strict timekeeping.
• Guided tours: a chair leads a group around a theme’s posters. Works well for small, focused sessions.

Digital posters

Some meetings accept posters that are shown on screens or online. If you allow them, state the format, orientation, file size and deadline, and check that the screens can display them. Decide whether a digital poster is an alternative to a printed one or an addition to it. Ask for a PDF so that the file will look the same on any device, and keep an online gallery so that visitors and people who could not attend can read them later. Test the setup at the venue the day before, including how a presenter changes their slide.

A simple poster judging form

If you give a prize, use a short form and the same criteria for every judge. Tell presenters in advance what they will be assessed on.

Poster number: [ ] Judge: [ ] Scientific quality (1–5): [ ] Clarity of the poster (1–5): [ ] Visual design and readability (1–5): [ ] Ability to explain the work to a visitor (1–5): [ ] Total: [ ] / 20 Comment (optional): [ ]

Boards, numbering and the room

Count the boards against the number of accepted posters and add a small reserve of about five per cent. Number each board to match the abstract number in the programme, and print the numbers at a size that can be read from a distance. Put a map of the board layout on the website and at the entrance. Leave aisles wide enough for two people to pass, and set aside space for a wheelchair user to approach every board. Test one board in advance with a real poster of the maximum size to check that it fits and that pins hold.

Make posters accessible

A poster that cannot be read from a metre away is not doing its job. Give presenters a minimum text size, ask for high contrast between text and background and avoid red and green together. Encourage a QR code or short link to the full abstract or a plain-text version, which helps visitors with low vision and lets people take the content away. Ask presenters to describe their figures in the text, so that the poster does not depend on colour alone.

No-shows, removals and after the meeting

Decide what happens if a presenter does not appear. A common rule is to mark the poster as “not presented” in the programme and keep it in the book of abstracts, but to remove it from the board after the first session. Tell presenters that posters not removed by the stated time will be discarded, and provide a place to leave posters they want to keep. After the meeting, ask for the PDFs and publish them with permission, so that the work has a life beyond the room.

Advice to include for first-time presenters

Many poster presenters are students who have never made one. A short paragraph of advice raises the quality of the whole session. Suggest that they lead with the question and the main result, use figures rather than paragraphs, leave white space, and print a test copy to check that text is readable from about a metre away. Remind them to bring a few business cards or a QR code and to prepare a two-minute explanation for visitors who stop at the poster. These small pieces of guidance cost nothing, and they are the difference between a poster that is looked at and one that is walked past.

Remind presenters

Send a reminder a week before the meeting with the session time, board number and hanging window. Include a name and phone number for problems on arrival.