How to Present a Poster at a Conference: What to Say and Bring

Quick answer: To present a poster at a conference, prepare a 30-second pitch (the problem, what you did, your main finding and why it matters) and a longer 2 to 3 minute walk-through. Stand beside your poster, not in front of it, and talk to visitors rather than reading from the poster. Bring your poster in a rigid tube, pins or Velcro dots, A4 handouts or a QR code, and a copy of the PDF on your phone.

A poster session is less formal than a talk, but it can lead to just as many useful conversations. Visitors often stop for only a minute or two, so what you say and how you say it matters as much as the design. This guide covers what to say, what to bring, how to handle questions, and how to follow up afterwards.

Before the session: prepare two versions of your talk

• A 30-second pitch. Three or four sentences: the problem, what you did, your main finding and why it matters. This is what most visitors will hear.
• A 2 to 3 minute walk-through. For people who want more detail. Use your figures as a guide and move through the poster section by section.
• Versions for experts and non-specialists. Someone from your field will want methods and data; someone from another field will want the big picture and fewer acronyms.
• Practise out loud. Rehearse with lab mates, friends or family, and ask them what they remember afterwards.

What to say when someone stops at your poster

A simple opening is to ask what brings them to the session, or simply “Would you like a quick overview?” Then match your answer to the type of visitor:

If someone joins halfway through, nod to include them and show where you are on the poster so they can follow.

During the session: simple habits that help

• Stand to one side so the poster is not blocked, and face the aisle so people feel welcome to stop.
• Point, do not read. Glance at your figures to guide people, but keep your attention on the visitor.
• Keep answers short and avoid jargon. Ask how familiar they are with your topic if you are not sure.
• Stay with your poster for the whole session, especially at the start and end when it is busiest.
• Write down feedback and the names of people you want to contact later.

What to bring to a poster session

Handouts and QR codes

A4 handouts are useful at busy sessions, because people can take your work away and read it later. A QR code is a lighter option: on an A0 poster, make it about 8 to 10 cm wide so phones can scan it from around a metre away, add a short label such as “Scan for the full paper”, and test it on your printed A4 proof. If you plan to share unpublished results, check with your supervisor or co-authors first.

Travelling with your poster

• Use a rigid poster tube and never fold the poster. Every poster we print is sent rolled in a protective tube.
• If you are flying, check your airline’s hand-luggage rules for the tube before you travel.
• Check the board size and orientation in the conference guidelines before you print. Our UK conference poster sizes guide and A0 vs A1 comparison can help.
• Arrive early to put your poster up, find your board number and check that it hangs straight.

After the session: follow up

• Email the people you talked to within a few days, with a link to your paper or poster PDF.
• Connect with new contacts on professional or academic networks.
• Note the questions you were asked most often; they show what to explain more clearly next time.

Common poster presentation mistakes

• Reading the poster aloud instead of talking to the visitor.
• Standing in front of the poster so nobody can see it.
• Text that is too small to read from a metre or two away. See our academic poster font size guide.
• Leaving printing to the last minute. Our guide to how long poster printing takes explains the timings.
• No way to follow up, such as a QR code, handout or contact details.

Before you print, run through our academic poster checklist, and see how to make an academic poster for layout tips.

Need your poster printed?

We print conference posters from A4 to A0 on 260gsm matte or satin paper, rolled in a protective tube. A0 posters start at £34.99 and A1 at £29.99, with free UK delivery. Orders placed before 12PM (Monday to Friday) are printed the same day, and next-day delivery is available if your conference is close.