Virtual Poster Sessions Dos and Don’ts for Event Organizers

Have you ever watched a virtual poster session open and immediately felt unsure whether anyone would actually explore it? More often than not, that moment is about how the session was set up rather than the interest in the content of your session. Virtual poster sessions are designed to facilitate dialogue, discovery, and connections; however, for many of us, they feel like a waste of time and easily skipped. 

In this blog, we walk through the dos and don’ts you can refer to before organizing virtual poster sessions for your next event.

Dos of Organizing Virtual Poster Sessions

1. Define the Purpose and Who It Is For

If you want your virtual poster sessions to run smoothly, start with clear poster submission guidelines. Digital posters are visually appealing when created specifically for screen viewing. However, they become disorganized when everyone uses their own random format. 

Set simple design rules for readability, and provide a few “best practices” so presenters have a clue about what looks good. If you want an easy resource to hand out, you can point them to a scientific poster guide that covers layout, fonts, and visual hierarchy.

• • File types: Choose whether you would like your poster submissions in PDF, PPT, or an interactive format, and then require that for all submissions.
  • File naming format: Ask for a consistent naming style like “LastName_Title_Track” so you can sort files alphabetically without losing your mind.
  • Submission deadline and revision window: Provide a single, clear submission deadline and a limited revision window (not too long). 
  • Accessibility basics: Suggest using high contrast color schemes, readable fonts, and Alt Text for all visual elements.
  • Tech check option: Offer a quick test upload or a preview step to identify broken links or image/file issues before the actual presentation date.
  • Presenter instructions: Tell presenters what they need to do during the session, such as whether they should be live, recorded, or available for Q&A.

2. Spell Out Poster Guidelines Upfront

What is your purpose for hosting virtual poster sessions? Is the goal to highlight new research, encourage real discussion, or give presenters useful feedback they can take away? Based on what you want to achieve, you have to set up your virtual session differently. 

At this point, you can begin to create a mental picture of your audience. Are they:

• • Working professionals looking for practical examples and techniques related to their work?
  • Academic professionals aiming to gain a deeper understanding of a specific topic?
  • Students looking to explore, learn, and grow?

Once this is clear, making decisions about the length of each session, question time, structure, and the format’s flexibility becomes much easier.

3. Use Tech to Boost Poster Engagement

Tech will either make virtual poster sessions user-friendly and interactive, or create a confusing, frustrating experience where people get lost in a sea of hyperlinks. The difference usually comes down to one thing. How easy you make it for attendees to move around and talk to presenters without getting annoyed.

Pick the right platform: Select an option that allows attendees to transition smoothly between poster rooms and jump into conversations without confusion, whether that’s Zoom breakout rooms or a dedicated event platform designed specifically for virtual poster sessions.

Enable multimedia: Let presenters add a short video or a quick audio intro, particularly for people browsing quickly and deciding where to spend their time. Also, include external links ( papers, datasets, lab webpages) to provide additional information beyond what is included in the slides.

Incorporate asynchronous interaction: Add ways for people to interact outside the live slot. Comment sections, chat threads, or specific tools let attendees view posters and leave feedback before or after the live session.

Gamify the experience: If you want people to explore your poster rooms more enthusiastically, add a bit of gamification. Everyone loves to have a reason to click and find out what is beyond the first two posters they landed on.

You can incorporate:

Poster walk challenges
An interactive leaderboard
A scavenger hunt where people are rewarded for viewing multiple posters.

4. Keep Engagement Going Before, During, and After the Event

Engaging your audience isn’t something you can do 5 minutes before the poster session. It needs to be ongoing. As such, you need to create an atmosphere that encourages engagement through teasers on your social media channels and through targeted email campaigns prior to the event. Registration will likely seem worthwhile if something is being offered in advance.

For example, teaser content may include a link to a quick preview of the posters or a short introduction from the presenter. Some platforms also let you publish posters online before the event.

Before and during the session:

• • Turn on real-time chat to allow viewers post questions as they view the posters.
  • Give people a simple way to react or vote, such as highlighting favorite research or key findings through polls.
  • Share easy access to extra resources, including pre-recorded videos or short presenter explainers, so attendees can catch up where they left off.

After the session:

• • Upload your recordings and any poster video content so that attendees who missed the live presentation can view the material at their own pace.
  • After the live session, keep the discussion going with a Slack style community space where attendees can keep in touch and exchange feedback after the event. Many times, the post session forum is where the best conversations and collaborations happen. 

5. Help Presenters Get Ready Before the Event

A little organization before an event goes a long way toward reducing stress once it begins. It serves best when you have multiple presenters across time zones and networks.

• • Host a short practice run where presenters can test screen sharing, audio, and camera setup in the same environment they will use on event day.
    
  • Share a one page document that outlines the most commonly used technical features, including how to enter a room, how to display a poster, how to switch to various view options, and how to use chat.
    
  • Have a clearly defined backup plan in place for when connection issues occur.
    -Provide re-join instructions
    -Have a secondary host/co-host who can take over
    -Provide a shared link where the poster remains visible even if the original user -loses connectivity temporarily

Don’ts of Organizing Virtual Poster Sessions

1. Do Not Assume Everyone Knows the Platform

• • Provide a basic “how it works” instruction sheet as soon as possible, so presenters don’t have to learn how your system works.
  • Create a short walkthrough video or a one-page guide to help attendees quickly scan and move on.
  • Use clear labels such as “Enter Poster Room” and “Ask Question” to prevent users from having to search for buttons.
  • Place clear instructions on the event site or in the mobile app, rather than burying them in a lengthy email thread.
  • Send one reminder close to the session with the direct links people will need, and nothing extra.
  • Provide a visible help option for attendees during the poster session, such as a support chat or a dedicated help room.
  • Write instructions in plain language.

2. Do Not Overload Poster Rooms

• • Don’t overstuff poster rooms with too many posters at once.
  • Do not group unrelated topics in hopes that attendees will be able to determine their interest on the spot.
  • Allow time for Q&A, as crowds typically disrupt the space needed for attendees to ask real questions.
  • For very popular topics, consider dividing them across separate meeting rooms; this will help keep discussions focused on the specific topic and give each presenter an opportunity to receive attention.
  • Organize posters within each room based on topic or tracks, making it easier to identify and follow a particular theme.

3. Do Not Force Overly Rigid Templates

• • Don’t force a single rigid template that makes every poster look the same and drains the work of its personality.
  • Do not demand an exact layout for all posters, considering the varied nature of many research fields and styles.
  • Share your design guidelines with your presenters to help keep their presentations legible without constraining them.
  • Let presenters choose how to tell their story as long as the content is easy to follow on screen.
  • Remember that creativity helps posters stand out and sparks better conversations.

4. Do Not Ignore Social Media and Privacy Rules

• • Don’t ignore the social media and privacy guidelines, as poster sharing is almost automatic at events these days.
  • Do not leave it unclear whether posters can be shared publicly, because attendees will assume yes unless you say otherwise.
  • Put a clear policy in the presenter’s instructions, and repeat it on the poster page where people actually see it.
  • Provide an “opt-out” option for presenters who have unpublished, sensitive, or under review work so they feel their work is being adequately protected.
  • Make the policy viewable at the poster level and not embedded within a lengthy PDF or a single email.

5. Do Not Let Posters Become Mini Lectures

• • Do not let posters turn into lectures where someone talks nonstop, and everyone else just listens.
  • Inform presenters not to read the poster line by line like a script.
  • Keep the primary focus of your session on conversation, and use explanations to support it, but do not substitute one for the other.
  • Remind your speakers that the best poster sessions feel like conversations.

Create Poster Sessions That Get Real Traffic

When virtual poster sessions offer an easy entry point, a clear, intuitive navigation system, and a compelling reason for users to spend time there, it creates a productive and enjoyable experience for all participants. The option to easily find what they are looking for and move from one poster to another reduces much of the frustration attendees may experience.

Presenters benefit just as much. When expectations are clear and the tools behave predictably, they can focus on discussing their work. This opens up time for genuine conversations.

If you want to organize engaging virtual poster sessions, book a free demo with Dryfta and talk to the team for practical, professional help tailored to your event setup.