POSTER PRESENTER’S GUIDE

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Congratulations on being chosen as a poster presenter for the Healthcare Systems Process Improvement (HSPI) Conference 2025! 

The HSPI Conference Committee's mission is to provide our participants with the highest quality presentations, information sharing, and networking opportunities. By being chosen, you have a unique opportunity to share experiences from your university or workplace, which can benefit your peers.  As you prepare to present, we ask you to keep the following guidelines in mind. 

Important Due Dates

Important Websites

Open Water Conference Management Website

• This is a new site for the conference planning committee this year
  • You have already used this site to submit your abstract. You will upload your digital poster draft and final poster versions to this site
• You will receive an email with your personal link to the Speaker Center where you can update your biography and photograph 

Conference Website: https://www.iise.org/hspi/ 

• Information about the conference can be found here including the hotel, program, preconference workshops, student information, and exhibitors.

Conference Registration

Presenters are not registered automatically. As a poster presenter, please use this link to register (https://link.iise.org/hspi25-discount-register) and enter the code of HSPI25Poster for a rate of $719 until December 18th. If you are not registered for the conference by December 18, 2024, you will be at risk of having your presentation removed from the program.

If you have concerns about meeting this registration deadline, please contact Carol Johnson at cjohnson@iise.org 

Please note: The poster presenter rate can apply to up to two presenters per poster.

Hotel Registration

Hotel reservations are the responsibility of each individual. A number of hotel rooms are available at the Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia with the conference rate. Reservations can be made by visiting the conference hotel/travel page at the conference website. The discounted rate is valid until January 22, 2025, or until the block is sold out. 

Please note: Conference speakers are not paid or reimbursed for travel expenses.

Social Media

We highly recommend that you join the Society for Health Systems social media pages. These sites are a great way to stay up to date with conference planning and promotion. We also encourage you to use your own social media pages to spread the word about your session. The hashtag #HSPI2025 will be used this year for all social media activity. Please use this hashtag in your own social media posts. 

• HSPI/SHS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/societyforhealthsystems
• HSPI/SHS Twitter: https://twitter.com/SHSinfo
• HSPI/SHS LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/society-for-health-systems
• HSPI/SHS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/society_for_health_systems 

On each of these platforms where you are active, we ask that you promote the conference and your presentation. Keep checking your email for more information on how to do that. 

Displaying Your Poster

A display panel will be available for you to utilize during the conference. Pins will be provided to hang your poster. 

Posters will be on display throughout the conference, which begins at 8am on Wednesday, February 19^th, and ends at 3pm on Friday, February 21^st. 

During the dedicated poster exhibit time, you and/or your co-presenter are expected to be present at your poster to engage with attendees. The dedicated poster times will be:

• Wednesday, February 18^th from 3:45pm – 5:15pm
• Thursday, February 19^th from 2:45pm – 3:30pm – this will be the dedicated time for the poster competition judges to rate the competitors

Poster Guidelines

• Recommended Poster size is 48” width and 36” height. 
• Most posters are presented horizontally, but vertical with 36” width and 48” height is also acceptable

As you are designing your poster, it's important to think about the different types of people that you will interact with so that everyone can learn something about your topic.  A typical viewer tends to stop or slow down only at the poster that catches the eye.  You only have a few seconds to attract someone's attention.  To have a successful poster you need to know not only how to catch the viewer’s attention but also how to clearly and accurately present the purpose and results of your project. Many poster presenters make the mistake of putting too much emphasis on their name and logo and not enough on their message.  An effective exhibit design presents your message in a precise, interesting, and unique way.  The goal should be to make them want to ask for more information.

Poster Design

• Minimize the use of words, maximize bullet points and visuals 
• Use graphs, charts, tables, process maps, etc. as tools for communicating ideas
• Tips on colors appropriate for everyone can be found here
• Be sure you can read the poster from a few feet away 
• Be sure the contents have a logical flow 
• Layout and headings should be visually stimulating 
• Be organized: the design of the poster and the delivery style must be organized to be effective.

Place the Elements of the Poster in Position

• The title will appear across the top
• A brief introduction will appear at the upper left
• The conclusions will appear at the lower right
• Methods and results will fill the remaining space

The Title

• This part of the poster includes the title of the work, the author’s names, & the institutional affiliations. Think BIG
• The title should be readable from 15 - 20 feet away
• Minimize abbreviations where possible

Sequencing Contents

• A poster should use photos, figures, and tables to tell the story of the study. For clarity, present the information in a sequence that is easy to follow
• Determine a logical sequence for the material you will be presenting
• Organize that material into sections, e.g., Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions, &, if necessary, Literature Cited. (Avoid using too many citations. If only a few are used, a literature cited section is unnecessary. Instead, cite as follows in the text:  Clinton, B. 1993. Auk 107:234-246.). 
• You may wish to use numbers to help sequence sections of the poster. 
• Arrange the material into 2-3 columns 
• The poster should not rely upon your verbal explanation to link together the various portions. 
• Posters primarily are visual presentations; the text should support the graphics.
• Because a poster is a visual presentation, try to find ways to show what was done - use schematic diagrams, arrows, and other strategies to direct the visual attention of the viewer, rather than explaining it all using text alone. 
• Design the poster to address one central question. State the question clearly in the introduction section 
• Summarize implications and conclusions briefly, and in user-friendly language. 
• Give credit where it is due. Have an acknowledgments section, in smaller font size (maybe 14 - 18 point), where you acknowledge contributors and/or funding organizations. 

Presentation

Simple, clear language and a good poster design are key to a successful poster presentation.  It is helpful to prepare a brief 3-5 minute verbal script to share with people to summarize your project and get people interested in learning more about your work. 

Poster Presentation Tips

• Do not wander too far away from your poster during the designated session; be available for discussion!
• Know the audience
• Be focused and know the point you want to get across
• Provide a brief, clearly stated background and walk the audience through the content of the poster by interpreting all results
• Practice presenting your poster and prepare a brief script
• Provide an explicit take-home message. 

Poster Completion

All posters will be entered into the HSPIC 2025 Poster Competition, sponsored by the University of Central Florida. During the dedicated poster sessions, judges will be moving around to review and rate the top posters. In addition to the judging, all conference attendees will have the opportunity to submit their choice for the top poster at the conference. Judging criteria is based on overall look and design, organization of thoughts and ideas, as well as how well you present the poster. Please reach out to lcooper@wakehealth.edu with any questions.