Presentation Guidelines

In order to adhere to our presentation schedule, we are asking all presenters to upload their presentations prior to the symposium; this will allow us to transition between presentations efficiently and effectively. It should be noted that we do not intend to post these presentations until after the symposium and with the presenter's consent. Please follow these instructions for uploading your presentations:

1. Save your presentation in the following format firstinitallastname_sessiontitle.ppt
example: jdoe_temperateFAVandcancerprevention.ppt

2. Open up 'My Computer' and type ftp.tamu.edu/uploads in the address bar

3. Next, simply drag your presentation file into the white-space within the browser window.

4. Your file name will appear in the window, however you will be unable to open/delete/edit the file (this is to prevent others from seeing or tampering with your work prior to the presentation)

5. Shortly after you upload, the file will be securely moved so that we may download it. Therefore do not be alarmed if your file is no longer visible on the ftp page once refreshed.

Note: If you for some reason must edit or revise your work, re-upload it and notify favhealth2007@ag.tamu.edu of the change.

Guidelines for Effective Poster Presentations

• Poster setup will begin October 9th at 3:00 PM and last until 6:00 PM
• Posters can be removed on October 12th

Posters should be readable by viewers from 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 communication.

1. Initial Sketch. Plan your poster early. Focus your attention on a few key points. Try various styles of data presentation to achieve clarity and simplicity. Does the use of color help? What needs to be expressed?

2. Rough Layout. Enlarge your best initial sketch, keeping the dimensions in proportion to the final poster. Ideally, the rough layout should be full size. A blackboard is a convenient place to work. Print the title and headlines. Indicate text by horizontal lines. Draw rough graphs and tables. This will give you a good idea of proportions and balance. Ask associates for comments. This is still an experimental stage.

3. Page Setup. Page/poster is to be setup as a horizontal display whose size cannot exceed 36" height and 42" length. Margins must be set at 1 inch on all sides to allow for the printer's actual printing capability. If you use a background image or color, be sure it is behind all text boxes and graphics.

4. Final Layout. Figures and graphs are complete. The text and tables are typed but not necessarily enlarged to full size. Now ask, is the message clear? Do the important points stand out? Is there balance between words and illustrations? Is there spatial balance? Is the pathway thru the poster clear? The posterboard surface is 36" tall by 42" wide. Prepare a high headline stripe that runs the full width of the poster. Include the title, authors and affiliations on the stripe in letters not less than 1" high. Post a large typed copy of your abstract in the upper left-hand corner.

5. Balance. The figures and tables should cover slightly more than 50% of the poster area. If you have only a few illustrations, make them large. Keep text brief. The poster should be understandable without oral explanation.

6. Topography. Avoid abbreviations, acronyms, and jargon. Use a consistent font througout. An 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper with 12-point font enlarged 50% makes the text readable from five feet away.

7. Eye Movement. The movement (pathway) of the eye over the poster should be natural-down the columns or along the rows. Size attracts attention. Arrows, pointing hand, numbers, and letters help clarify the sequence.

8. Simplicity. Resist the temptation to overload the poster. More material may mean less communication.