Put down your tablet and phone

I was listening to a webinar on poster presentations, when the host mentioned how it was a big turn off when a poster presenter was “playing Angry Birds when someone is walking by.”Part of the secret to getting people to stop by your poster is to look willing to engage with people. You can’t do that if:

• You’re looking at your phone or tablet for more than a few moments.

• You’re sitting on the floor reading or eating.

• You’re talking to someone else about something completely unrelated to your poster.

Now, there is a happy medium. You don’t want to appear disengaged, but desperation is not appealing, either. You don’t want to:

• Stare at people as they walk bye with pleading puppy dog eyes.

• Haul people off the conference floor.

• Launch into detailed explanations of your poster when nobody asked for it.

External linksPoster presentations that rockPicture by ftrc on Flickr; used under a Creative Commons license.