Poster Presentation Guidelines
Please read all information carefully before arriving at the meeting. These guidelines will help ensure that your presentation goes smoothly.
Authors given poster presentations will have the opportunity to display their research using text and figures (tables, photos, graphics, etc.) displayed on poster boards and engage with attendees interested in their work. The Exhibit & Poster Hall will contain thousands of posters organized by topic, and each presenter will be assigned a specific time to present at their poster.
All presenters are required to register as scientific attendees. Poster presenters are not eligible to register as one-day attendees, a guest, or with an exhibitor staff registration.
If you have any programmatic questions or accessibility requirements (such as needing a chair/stool at your poster), please contact meetings@ashg.org by October 5 so we can make arrangements.
We encourage you to download and share the graphic below on your social media or professional webpage to let others know you’re presenting at ASHG 2023.
Poster Size and Layout
Each author will share one side of a poster board, and each author will have a usable area measuring 2’10” (86.36 cm) wide x 3’8″ (111.76 cm) high. This is a portrait/vertical format. Poster materials may not extend outside the assigned half-board.
Poster Printing
- Authors should bring their posters with them to ASHG 2023 or use onsite poster printing services. There will be no virtual poster presentations.
- Prepare your poster on laminated poster paper, fabric, or cardboard, allowing for space to mount it on the poster board with push pins.
- Bring a smaller version of your poster on 8½” x 11″ size paper as well as a copy of the poster on a USB thumb drive to be printed onsite in case your poster does not arrive with your checked luggage. Many airlines require that poster tubes be checked rather than brought as carry-on luggage. Please check with your airline prior to traveling.
- Poster Printing via FedEx:
- Submitting files onsite should only be done in the case of emergencies (lost or damaged) since a quick turnaround time will not be guaranteed.
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center – Coming soon.
- Located in the Grand Lobby, to the right, when entering from the Mount Vernon Place entrance.
- Marriott Marquis Washington, DC Hotel – Click here to place your order.
- Deadline to submit to guarantee a 48- to 72-hour turnaround time: October 13.
- Located on the Mezzanine Level.
Mounting, Presentation, and Removal
- Authors must place posters on the assigned poster board on Thursday, November 2, when the Poster Hall opens at 9:30 am.
- Poster boards will be pre-numbered, and floor plans will be available onsite to help you find your poster board. The number (found in your confirmation email sent in mid-August) indicates the board you are to use for displaying your poster.
- Authors must be present at their boards for the duration of their scheduled presentation time.
- Please find your scheduled poster time in your abstract confirmation email sent in mid-August or in the online planner.
- Posters should remain on the assigned poster board for all three days, and authors must remove posters between 4:15 and 4:30 pm on Saturday, November 4.
- Remember to bring your own pushpins (in your checked luggage). A very limited number of pushpins will be available at the meeting.
Poster Schedule
Thursday
9:30 am: All authors place posters on the assigned poster board. Access to the Exhibit & Poster Hall will not be allowed prior to this.
9:30 am-5:00 pm: Posters available for general viewing.
3:00-5:00 pm: Poster Session I (authors present at posters)*
Friday
10:00 am-5:00 pm: Posters available for general viewing
3:00-5:00 pm: Poster Session II (authors present at posters)*
Saturday
10:00 am-4:30 pm: Posters available for general viewing
2:15-4:15 pm: Poster Session III (authors present at posters)*
4:15-4:30 pm: All authors remove posters from boards. Posters not removed will be discarded.
4:30 pm: Exhibit & Poster Hall closed. For safety reasons, you will not have access to the poster area when it is closed.
Poster Content and Design Tips
Content Requirements
- ASHG requires disclosure of gene names and sharing of research data so that findings can be replicated and other investigators with similar data can test findings against their own. Authors who do not provide gene names will be subject to sanctions as determined by the Program Committee.
- When presenting data and health information (including photos), all presenters must have informed consent compliant with human subjects and applicable HIPAA regulation.
- If the abstract has been previously published, authors must indicate on their poster the date and publication.
Designing Effective & Accessible Posters
- We do not have a required poster presentation template; however, one recommended format is the APA modern format.
- Identify 2-3 principal messages you must convey. Choose a title that captures your main point.
- Prepare a heading at the top of your poster indicating the abstract title, authors, and affiliations.
- Lettering should be at least 1″ (2.54 cm) high and readable from distances of at least 3′ (90 cm). Sans-serif fonts are recommended.
- Select a high-contrast color scheme. Simple use of color can add emphasis, but authors should ensure everything can be understood without color in cases of color-blindness.
- Summarize current research in graphic form whenever possible; use charts, tables, graphs, pictures, etc., and minimize the amount of text.
- Provide information in smaller type below the heading. Details of methodology should be brief and should be placed at the end of the legend. Keep visuals simple and clear.
- Provide a QR code or a short url that links to your full paper. Be sure to provide alt text for any images.
- Arrange materials in columns and use ‘white space’ to help direct readers logically through your poster.
- Be wary of overcrowding the poster.
- Posters should be self-explanatory but not comprehensive. You will supplement and elaborate during your conversations with other attendees.
Questions & Accessibility Requests
If you have programmatic questions or require accommodations (such as needing a tall chair/stool), please contact meetings@ashg.org so we can make arrangements.
Photo Policy
Attendees may take photos of posters if the poster author agrees. Authors who do not want their posters to be photographed will have to indicate as such on their posters, using the image supplied by ASHG. This image should be placed at the top right corner of the poster at a minimum size of 3” (7.62 cm) x 3” (7.62 cm). Please refer to all meeting policies.