Platform Presentation and Poster Guidelines

Platform Guidelines

Presenters are required to use digital projection of a PowerPoint presentation. PowerPoint presentations should be prepared for use in a PC compatible format. If you have developed your presentation on a Macintosh platform, it SHOULD project properly, but we encourage you to preview it on a PC with PowerPoint  BEFORE arriving at the meeting to ensure that it will project properly.

The presentation of a slide talk or computer presentation is quite different from the presentation of the same information in a journal article. Keep in mind that in a slide presentation, you have only 20 minutes including Q&A.

1. Prepare your slide to communicate ideas, not details. If attendees want details, let them ask you in the Q&A period.
2. A table in a published article is much too detailed for a slide presentation. Take the time to think through what conclusion you want to present from the table and present the least amount of material you can to communicate that idea. A graph, schematic or photograph may better communicate your data.
3. A slide presentation should include a title slide, a slide stating the question or hypothesis to be addressed, and a slide describing the overall approach you used to address the question. A “methods” slide should be included but should never include the details of the method unless the purpose of the talk is to describe the method. The next several slides should present the results obtained, and a final slide should give the conclusions and TAKE HOME MESSAGE(S) of the study.
4. Review your presentation on a different computer from which it was originally prepared to ensure the backgrounds, transitions, video clips, graphics, and linked images appear properly.

Instructions for Giving a Platform Presentation:

1. Arrive at least 20 minutes prior to the beginning of your session and introduce yourself to the chairperson. Provide appropriate information to him/her for your introduction. Uploaded presentations will be downloaded on the computer for you before the session starts.  If your presentation differs from the version you uploaded, bring your revised presentation on a USB Memory Device for upload at this time.
2. Upload your presentation by June 5^th 2014 using the Presentation Upload form. One of the most effective contributions to a presentation is well-prepared slides.
3. Please bring a backup of your Power Point presentation to the meeting on a USB Memory Device. It is highly recommended if you are a Macintosh user to test your presentation on a PC to verify it converts to WINDOWS format accurately. There will NOT be any MAC equipment available.
4. No scheduling change can be made. You have been allotted a total of 20 minutes, including discussion for your presentation. The chairperson has been instructed to require all speakers to adhere to this limit: fifteen minutes for the presentation, five minutes for discussion.
5. Should circumstances prevent you from making your presentation, you must contact the NAC president or Secretary by June 5^th, if at all possible.

Poster Guidelines

Each poster board can accommodate a poster 4ft wide x 3ft high.

All poster material should be confined to the space provided. Suggestions for the preparation and presentation of your poster are provided below.

Presenters will be allowed to begin mounting their display on the poster board provided at 7:30 a.m. Poster viewing is from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Thursday. Posters must be removed by 8 PM that day. The poster board is foam board. Push pins can be used to mount the poster. Have pushpins on hand to affix your poster to the board, although we may have some extra on hand. A program committee member will be present in the Poster area and available to provide assistance and answer any questions.

Bear in mind that the illustrations and text must be read from a distance of at least 5 feet. All lines should be heavily drawn. Typed materials should be on the largest typeface available.

Suggestions for giving a good Poster Presentation:

1. In the planning of your poster presentation remember that the poster will be available for viewing and discussion for several hours. Posters should be readable from five feet away. The poster should be understandable without oral explanation.
2. When planning your poster presentation, aim for clarity and simplicity. Make an initial rough layout, keeping in mind the proportions of figures, tables, and text. Try to maintain a balance of utilizing approximately 50% of the poster board area.
3. A good poster should be like a good paper. However, avoid displaying a short manuscript. Be clear and concise in all statements. Include your objective, the design/methods, the results and conclusion. The objective of the work should be stated. Experimental details should be concise. Tables and conclusions should be clearly stated.
4. The temptation to overload the poster with excessive text and data should be resisted. Where possible, organize tables and figures chronologically in vertical progression.
5. Should circumstances prevent you from making your presentation, please contact the NAC President, or the Poster Chair.
6. Presenters are expected to attend their poster during all break periods and during the poster social to discuss their work with scientists visiting their poster.