Poster Sessions

CEF2005 is pleased to do its part to facilitate the growing popularity of poster sessions.

Posters will be situated in the same area as conference registration, coffee breaks and commercial exhibits. Three poster sessions will last one hour each, and each poster will be scheduled for presentation during one session. High visibility is assured by the fact that no other sessions or events are scheduled at the same time. During scheduled session times, the presenter must remain at the display board to answer questions and discuss his/her work with visitors. The mounting of the display must be accomplished prior to the start of the session – poster presenters will be notified of their session assignment and installation time in May. All materials to be displayed must be prepared prior to arrival at the conference. Authors will be responsible for mounting, dismounting and transporting their display materials to and from the conference site. Posters cannot be shipped in advance to the conference site.

The poster board surface area is approximately 120 cm (4 feet) wide by 240 cm (8 feet) tall. The maximum poster size should be slightly smaller to allow for edging on the board. Pushpins will be provided to mount posters to the boards. The poster display should include a statement of the problem, objectives of the research or project, the methodology used to solve the problem or implement the program, the major findings or outcomes and their significance, and conclusions. There should be a logical sequence--introduction, development, and conclusion--to your display. You may prepare one large poster or a series of smaller pages to be mounted on the board. A heading should include the title of the poster and all authors’ names and institutional affiliations and be large enough to be read from several feet away (lettering at least 2 inches high). All lettering on the poster should be simple and bold. Poster paper should be sturdy enough to withstand the wear and tear of travel, but lightweight enough to be supported by standard pushpins. Some authors prefer to laminate their posters but this is not a requirement.

Visuals may enhance the effectiveness of your presentation. Think in terms of graphic impact. Simplicity and legibility are more important than artistic embellishments, however. For example, some color combinations, although very attractive, are difficult to read, especially if the light is not optimal. Charts, drawings and other illustrations are encouraged.

You may wish to prepare handouts to distribute to interested people. You may also want to provide a sign-up sheet to record the contact information of attendees who might wish more information. Or bring business cards to give to participants who would like to contact you after the conference.

Advantages of a Poster Session

• There is more opportunity for discussion with interested viewers.
• More people can view a poster than could ever attend a parallel session.
• A parallel session can only be heard once; a poster session can be discussed several times with many participants over the course of an hour.
• The informal opportunity for networking and exchanging innovative ideas, and for useful feedback and discussion, can be greater with a poster presentation than with a formal parallel session.

Many websites offering advice and templates for creating effective posters can be found through Google searches. Just search for “scientific poster” or “scientific poster template”.

All presenters of posters--like those in regular sessions--must register by April 1 to be assured of inclusion in the conference program.

Please check back often for updated information, or direct your questions to us at sce2005@msn.com.