2023 IASP Poster Presentation Information
As part of the 2023 IASP conference, individuals are invited to submit a proposal for a poster presentation that connects with the overall conference theme: Strategy Through a Creative and Inclusive Lens.
What is a poster session?
Poster sessions are a common feature of professional conferences, especially in fields where innovation and research play a major part. Posters enable IASP to showcase the variety of research and other projects that IASP members have in-progress or have recently conducted. In general, poster presentations are less structured than a paper presentation, but they allow for greater and more detailed exchange of information and personal contact between the presenters and their audience. Poster sessions can sometimes reach a broader cross-section of the membership than multi-speaker panels or individual papers.
Why would I present a poster?
You can use a poster to quickly and effectively report findings from a recent study or project, discuss program outcomes and give updates on work in progress, or even announce the launch of a new initiative. Well-designed posters convey important points and ideas quickly, and poster sessions are meant to stimulate substantive interactions with your audience. If you’ve never presented at a conference, or if you’ve ever wished there was more time for Q&A during a panel, or wished you could just let your data speak for itself, a poster session is ideal. Individuals selected to present a poster will get a free conference registration for the day of the poster session.
Proposal Submission Requirements
Any poster presentation that is of interest to strategy professionals is appropriate for the IASP Program Committee to Review.
Those interested in presenting must submit a title and abstract of their presentation via this form.
You will also include the primary presenter’s name, address, phone number, e-mail, place of employment or study, and name of additional presenters (if any), all suitable for printing in the conference program.
The deadline to submit a proposal is Feb. 28, 2023 via this form. Applicants will be notified the week of March 15 as to the status of their application. Successful applicants will be expected to register for the conference by no later than March 31, 2023.
- If your submission is selected
Poster Preparation
A poster is a graphic display of your work. The best posters make one and only one point. What do you want viewers to learn? They should be able to identify immediately what that is. Think of your poster as a conversation starter–something that draws interest and makes the audience want to learn more. A poster is not a comprehensive report of your innovative practice, case-study, research, etc.
Posters should be readable by viewers five feet away. The message should be clear and understandable without oral explanation. The following guidelines have been prepared to help improve the effectiveness of poster communications.
Resist the temptation to overload the poster. More material may mean less communication. Keep accessibility in-mind when designing your poster. Checkout our guidelines for accessible presentations.
Create a high-resolution printed poster that does not exceed 36” x 48”
Tips for creating an impactful poster:
- The title is short and draws interest
- The word doesn’t exceed 500 words
- The text is brief and to the point
- Use a bullets, numbering, and headlines make it easy to read
- Make effective use of graphics, color and fonts
- Ensure that the content can be presented in 5 - 10 minutes at a comfortable, conversational pace
Design Best Practices
- Use a simple, light, neutral-colored background that provides enough contrast with the text. Avoid busy and distracting backgrounds.
- Choose one bold accent color, and use it sparingly to help your poster stand out without being distracting.
- Stick to simple and easy-to-read fonts (e.g. Arial, Helvetica).
- Distinguish headings and subheadings from the rest of the text with different fonts or font sizes.
- Use large font sizes that can be read from a distance of five feet. Try to stay between 18 pt (for figure legends) and 85 pt (for the main title).
- For the body text, set the line spacing to a minimum of 1.25 and don’t make the text box too wide.
- Leave some clear space in the borders, between sections, and between lines
- Use gridlines to help you align your sections, columns, text, and figures so they look neat and evenly distributed.
- Use your layout to create a flow that helps the audience move logically from one section to the next.
Poster Session Logistics
- Each poster presenter is responsible for printing their poster and bringing it to the meeting.
- Each poster must have a presenter who is required to stand by the poster during the scheduled duration of the poster session to answer questions from attendees.
- Bring your high-resolution printed poster with you to the meeting (size must not exceed 36” x 48”)
- The Poster Session will take place from 11:00 - 11:40 am on Tues. May 23. During this time, you will remain by your poster board and share your program, emerging practice, case-study or research with other attendees.
- Your poster is part of a session consisting of up to 10 posters and will be held in the exhibit hall.
- Posters may be set up between 8:00 and 9:45 am on May 23.
- Presentations must be taken down between 4:15 and 6:00 pm on May 23rd. Display materials not removed following the conclusion of the session will be discarded.
- No audiovisual equipment is permitted for poster presentations.
Giving the Presentation
The best poster presenters are those who are able to engage their audience by having a clear presentation, a positive body language, and a genuine conversation. Follow these tips to effectively present your poster:
- Stand on one side of the poster and avoid blocking the audience from viewing your poster or the poster next to yours.
- Smile and make eye contact with the audience. Introduce yourself.
- Ask your audience if they would like you to present your poster to them. Some people prefer to just scan posters on their own.
- As you’re presenting, use your hands to point to the relevant parts of your poster. Look at your audience instead of staring at your own poster the entire time. It helps to position your feet towards the audience instead of towards your poster.
- Be yourself and let your genuine personality show through your presentation and interaction with the audience.
- If you see others waiting for you while you’re still talking to others, acknowledge them with a smile or nod so they know you see them.
- Ask if your audience has any questions. Answer their questions to the best of your ability, and don’t be afraid to admit if you don’t know the answer.
- If you don’t see others waiting for your poster, take the opportunity to network with your current audience or other poster presenters around you. Ask them about themselves and what they’re working on. This is also a great time to ask for feedback on your work.
- Look for opportunities to exchange contact information or arrange to connect another time for further discussions or to explore potential collaborations.
Additional Tips
- Offer attendees a way to follow up with you or to learn more after the conference is over. You could provide business cards or create and share a QR code. You can set up the code so it can open a text document, website, video, e-mail address, phone number, or map.
- Consider providing a handout that summarizes or expands upon the poster content.