You’ve done some awe-inspiring research. You’ve made some eye-wateringly beautiful graphs and plots. And you have designed the most eye-catching scientific poster imaginable. You’re ready for that big conference. Or are you? As the date approaches you get nervous when you realise you’re presenting a poster. And you’re… gulp an introvert!
You start to think that this was a terrible idea. You think back to the last conference where all those people walked past staring at you and your poster judgingly. You remember the agonising hours of standing by yourself wondering why no one was asking about your poster, or (worse yet) worrying what you’re going to say if someone does ask you about your poster. Everyone else around you seemed to be happily chatting and laughing as they clinked their glasses of complementary sparkling wine and you wondered, what am I doing wrong? Why can’t I swan around the room networking, shoulder-rubbing, and being the cool calm professional that I am supposed to be.
Fear not dear reader, we are here to help with this quick and easy guide to not only surviving your next poster session but actually enjoying yourself! Here are 5 things to try out at your next poster session.
1 - Don’t underestimate the power of a poster
Posters are often seen as the consolation prize of conference presentations. They are unfairly perceived as the option for early-career researchers, those who only have preliminary data, or whose research simply isn’t interesting enough to be worthy of a fancy-schmancy talk in front of a projector screen.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. A poster session is the best opportunity you will have to network with people in your field, showcase your skills as a researcher, and have meaningful conversations about your work.
Your poster could be seen by hundreds of conference attendees. Unless you are presenting an hour-long plenary in a grand theatre, the most you can expect to reach in a conference talk is a few dozen; many of whom will be hiding up the back fitting in a quick nap, or daydreaming as they leaf through the conference booklet calculating how long it is until the next lunch break. While you’re away the poster does the presenting for you throughout the entire duration of the conference. During the poster session you can have interactive one-on-one conversations with people who are actively engaged with your work. Plus, they can ask you as many questions as they like without being interrupted by finnicky session chairs.
If you want to make a big impact at a conference, posters are where it’s at!
And to start making the most of this opportunity, all you need to do is take one step…
2 - Don’t stand next to your poster
It sounds counterintuitive but do this instead: take a big step forward, turn around, and face your own poster.
The most cringeworthy part of a poster session is that moment when an eager presenter stands silently next to their poster waiting to be asked a question while another awkward person walks past silently trying desperately to avoid eye contact because they can’t think of anything to ask.
By standing away from your poster you achieve several things. Instead of being intensely face-to-face with people you are now side-by-side, looking at your poster. This makes you more approachable to others, as you are no longer presenting a poster, but discussing your work.
Once you are standing alongside your peers in the aisles you are in a perfect position to use tip #3.
3 - Point at your eye-catching scientific poster
Posters are not supposed to be condensed research manuscripts for reading quietly. They are visual aids to prompt conversations about your work. To do this you will need a stand-out, eye-catching visual to kick start conversations.
This can help avoid any awkwardness around how you start a conversation about your work in the first place. Picture this. You are standing a step away and looking towards your poster. Another person wanders past and casts their gaze towards your poster. Their interest has been peaked by some visual delights: maybe you have a captivating image of your study species, a bold and original colour scheme, or a brilliantly designed graph of some stellar experimental results. The person stops. They may not even realise that you are the poster presenter since you are not awkwardly standing next to it. Noticing that they are captivated by your poster, you can casually lean in and say something like, “Oh, this thing here? That’s a lesser-spotted-blue-tailed-false-barn-swallow. They’re fascinating because blah, blah, blah…” Bam! Just like that, you’ve got them listening.
Again, this takes the focus away from you, the speaker, to the wonderful research that you do, and helps kickstart conversations seamlessly.
For help designing a stand-out poster you can see some great examples here or try our online course on how to make award-winning conference posters.
Or, if you’re short on time and need a top-notch poster in a hurry, we’ve got you covered with some ready-made, designer-approved poster templates.
*Or whatever your eye-catching image is. Also, there’s no such thing as a lesser-spotted-blue-tailed-false-barn-swallow
4 - Don’t fuel up on liquid courage
Poster sessions are a social event, and many conferences will hand out vouchers for one or two complementary drinks during the poster session. It’s a nice way to encourage people to come along and enjoy themselves, but for some people it can ruin their night (and the next morning). By all means, have a glass of bubbly to hold while you casually chat to people. Better yet, save your drinks vouchers for later in the night when things start to go quiet and you’re no longer buzzing with nervous energy. Whatever you do, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that downing a glass or six will give you the courage you need to be a fantastic public speaker. Before you know it, you will be laughing a little too loudly at your own jokes or marching off to find that guy who you are pretty sure was ‘reviewer 2’ on your last paper to give him a piece of your mind and tell him where he can shove his ‘confounding variables’.
5 - Do unto others as you would unto yourself
When it’s your turn to wander through the aisles of research posters, return the favour and be an engaged listener for other presenters. Here’s what I like to do. When I see a poster that catches my eye, I don’t bother reading anything. Sometimes not even the title. I’ll walk straight up to the presenter and say, “Hello, tell me about your research”. Or maybe something more casual like, “Hey, this looks really interesting, what’s it about?” What happens next is a conversation. Not presentation. Not a tense standoff where you awkwardly stare at each other in silence, trying to think of something insightful to ask. By asking a simple open-ended question you transport yourself into a genuine conversation.
In any other social situation, walking up to a stranger and asking them a question would be agonisingly awkward. But a conference poster session makes this a natural opportunity. The person standing next to their poster would much rather you talk to them than walk by in silence. And you, I imagine would much rather have someone talking to you about their work, than having to stand there in a panic, trying to think of a clever question to ask. Then, when they see you standing next to your poster, they will be more comfortable approaching you to ask meaningful questions about your research.
And, finally, don’t worry if people don’t seem interested in chatting. They might be even more terrified of social exchanges than you are. Once I became comfortable talking to strangers at poster sessions, I had some people ask me to stop trying to talk to them so that they can quietly read my poster without interruption. It makes for a very awkward silence, especially when they finish reading and quickly walk away without saying anything. If that’s their style, let them do their thing and don’t worry about it. You, on the other hand, have now mastered the elusive art of poster session chit-chat. Now that you’ve handed out all your business cards, geeked out with likeminded people about your research, and made friends with reviewer 2 (who, it turns out, is rather nice in person), you will be brimming with eagerness to roll up your poster and run to the next big conference.
Let us know how you go, and if these 5 tips work for you.
Until next time!
