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Interactive Poster Session Guidelines*

The Interactive Poster Session is designed to allow interactive presentations, allowing presenters maximum yet personal interaction with many attendees at one time.  Presenters will stand next to their visual presentation as attendees stroll around the meeting room searching for topics of interest.  In order to attract attention, presenters need to have an exciting topic and a visually stimulating presentation where organization and clarity are critical.  The presentation must catch attendees’ eyes as they walk by and then be easily conveyed in a short time.  After that, a more formal, detailed discussion can be conducted.  The main goal for presenters is to stimulate informed discussion of your topic. 

On the night of the poster session, group members should alternate between visiting other poster sessions and being present at their own poster. The presenting group should always have at least 1 group member at their own poster to introduce their topic and answer questions.

Below are some guidelines to help you stimulate interest in your topic and engage other attendees:

1. The Visual Presentation:

This is essentially your Issue Briefing in visual display on a 3’x4’ wide poster board . You want to make sure that your presentation is easily readable from a short distance (about 4 feet) and that it is eye-catching (use interesting visuals, large fonts for keywords, different colors for graphs/illustrations, etc.). 

2. Size:

The total size of your presentation must not exceed a 3’x 4’ display surface.

3. Handouts:

Be sure to bring at least 20 copies of a one-page summary of your project (these can be single-spaced and double sided) to hand out to interested attendees, including your fellow students. 

4. Presenting:

At least one group member MUST be present at your poster at all times during the poster session.  The purpose of the interactive presentation is to encourage participation and discussion among participants.  Each group member should be capable of answering any questions concerning the presentation. 

Presenting groups should prepare 10 minutes of “talking points” addressing:

· What is the business need and who are the stakeholders

· Requirements management approach and method of prioritization

· Change management and communications plan

· Reviewing all of the content of your Poster Board

This will be a “rolling presentation” in that you will make this presentation several times as people come and go from your session (you will make it at least once from start to finish, when I visit your poster!). Your job is to make your project interesting. Both team members must be prepared to give this brief talk.

5. Some more helpful hints:

· In planning your presentation, draw a rough sketch of your presentation first. Remember the size should be no larger than 3' by 4'. Graph paper and post-it notes may help you visualize where the components will go.

· Carefully edit your presentation to reduce cluttering and improve readability. Make sure every item is necessary.

· Use blank spaces to highlight or offset information. Place related materials such close together.

· Space your information proportionately. A good way is to divide your presentation either horizontally or vertically into three or four sections, and place materials within those sections.

· Usually visual presentations are put up with tape. You may decide to place Velcro tabs on the back of your presentation pieces and bring along a piece of 3' x 4' felt or other cloth to which you attach your pieces. Or, you may choose to use glue. Your choice!

* These guidelines were borrowed and adapted from Academy of Management website.