Today we’ll be bringing closure to our series on making your display at a scientific conference a success. In the previous entries, we discussed the logistical aspects of attending a scientific conference and maximizing your results: how to make your poster and press release, how to get a good location, how to arrange your display and so on. Today gets a little bit more interesting and personal, in that we’ll diverge from plastic products and delve into the importance of being earnest.

We’re going to try understand what separates those parasitic presenters (you know those people: they capture your already-heading-for-the-bathroom-attention with a lasso made of guilt and far too much musk) from those really solid presenters who you leave feeling enlightened, comfortable, and like you got something for free when you shouldn’t have.

But first, why exactly are there good and bad speakers? In my opinion, it is purely because many people just have a bad grasp on the purpose of public speaking. There are various aspects of public speaking that must be taken into account for a speaker to be effective. Nad speakers may only consider a few of these aspects, and when I say consider, I really mean “butcher.”

Public speaking is considered by many one of the most terrifying experiences known to the natural world. Yes, in place of public speaking, many would rather watch “Rosanne,” or get stuck in that one dream where you can’t run away from the seven-headed spider spitting venom on the back of your heels. Fortunately for the masses, we’re excited to inform you that public speaking becomes far less excruciating as you know more about your topic, setting, constituents, and overarching goal. Let’s dissect these avenues with relation to scientific conferences below.

Your Topic

It is absolutely necessary for you to know everything there is to know about your topic. This not only includes your work, but also the work of other teams and/or competitors on the same topic, or within the same realm. As you present your case, you’ll only be deemed more reputable if you can place your work in a larger and more historical context. Therefore, you must know the background of your specific field of study, as well as the story of its growth and acceptance (or resistance) over time. Paying heed to these recommendations is dire, as one of the most notable characteristics of a poor presenter is tap-dancing around a sticky topic, due to being misinformed, and being unable to answer questions properly.

Your Setting

It is essential you are comfortable in your surroundings when giving a presentation. You must extend your personal bubble to include the entire venue of people, popcorn, and plastic products, and you can do this by gathering as much information about the event prior to its actual occurrence. Find out how it is being funded, who is running it, how long it has been running, and what significant events are connected to it, or have come to fruition as a result. If you’re traveling to the event, plan to arrive a day or two early, and take the time to get a feel for the layout of displays. Take what you’ve learned in the days prior to the event, and supplement it by actually doing your own “rounds” about the venue. By knowing the content of the other displays, you now have more content to contextualize your own work to your constituents. Finally, while you’re there doing your homework, meet and greet as many people as you can. It will help you later.

Your Constituents

Obviously, addressing your constituents is the most daunting of the three initiatives discussed in this blog. Understanding the goals and motivations of your audience may seem difficult at first. In this case, you must start from the top, and use your knowledge concerning the purpose of the event to create a blanket generalization of the people who are attending. From this point, you should be able to discover the philosophy prevalent among conference attendees.

For example, if the event is titled “Sustainability and Higher Education,” the majority of those attending will likely be members of the academic community, people who are looking to evaluate the scientific novelty of other institutions. Try and gear yourself up to accommodate the majority philosophy, but anticipate the presence of a minority group, as well. Continuing with our example, you may come across members of the National Science Foundation looking to preview new scientific trains ofthought. Moreover, you may run into members of very large businesses looking to capture the latest in sustainable business practices. Either way, be prepared to converse with anyone, from any background, with any philosophy. You must be able to frame your work such that it is pleasing to a multitude of different eyes and ears.

Your Overarching Goal

Know what you want to accomplish, and never give up. Whether you are attending an an event to bring recognition to a name, turn conversations into consultations, share useful information, gain prestige, or compete, let that goal influence your methodology. Nothing is more discomforting than an unguided presentation, one that meanders with no sense of direction, leaving the audience, and, sadly, sometimes the speaker, wondering if there is a point. Oops. Your constituents should know your purpose, right off the bat. Subsequently, your success depends on how well you understand their purpose for attending, your topic, and your topic in a broader context.

We hope this has been an interesting, informative, and fun series. If you happen to have any questions, please feel free to comment. Also, if you happen to have just gotten back from a scientific convention or conference, please let us know how it went!

Today we’ll be continuing our series on perfecting your display at a scientific conference. As you may have learned in our previous entry, integral to success at these conferences are three equally commendable aspects: your poster, press release, body language, and attitude. In this entry, we’ll be considering where one should place his or her poster, how one should arrange their various informative mediums, and most importantly how you want your poster to stand: on an easel, tacked to a wall, or hanging from an acrylic poster holder.

Once you’ve done your research, and finished designing your poster and press release, it’s now time to find out where you’re going to actually be presenting it.

Since rooms and venues vary drastically, your fantastically pleasing display may end up being placed in a rather uncomfortable position. Your first task is to contact the venue or coordinator of the event to find out A) what the organization is going to be like (if it’s going to be in rows, or along the walls of small rooms, and so on), and B) how the selection process works in terms of who gets placed where. Once you have this information, you can begin to prepare presentation techniques conducive to the flow of the room traffic. If you inquire early, you may even be able to request a spot very close to the entrance, which is usually the best place to be. Human attention span is relatively short, no matter how smart someone is, or how interested they are in a topic. You want to get them while their minds are fresh by making an early impression.

Many venues are very large rectangular open spaces; therefore they don’t have much wall space to accommodate those without methods by which to hold their poster. If you have no means to hold your poster, you have to either tape it or tack it to a wall. This is by far the most basic and predictable way to hold your poster. What you should try to do is be less basic and predictable. Stand out. The best way of presenting your poster is either on an easel or a hanging acrylic poster holder. An easel is always a safe bet because it takes the poster off the walls, and gives it depth. As you may or may not have read here before, when it comes to advertising to humans, the more dimensions you have, the better. Another notable strength of an easel is its ability to change slope. If you are in a place with bad lighting, you can move it up or down accordingly.

Surprisingly cost effective, one of the most productive presentation methods is the tandem use of wire framing and acrylic. The most notable poster displays are those enclosed in smudge and scratch proof acrylic, and held up by a customizable collection of wire framing. When you show your audience you care about the pleasure and accessibility of their viewing experience, there is naturally more motivation on their part to reciprocate by paying more attention to your display. Depending on the venue and placement availability, try getting a spot right at the front of an isle – then, use your acrylic poster holder to hold your poster facing one way, and the same poster facing the other way. Two displays facing in opposite directions will likely help attract more people to your cause!

Be sure to come back soon, because in our next entry, we’ll be talking about the importance of press releases in scientific conferences.

See you then.