Nature Chemistry's Neil Withers can't imagine attending meetings without poster sessions. "This is surely testament to the power of the humble poster: They are the places to see the newest science and talk to the people who actually do the work in the lab," he says at The Skeptical Chymist.
To have an effective poster, Withers says that "clarity on content are key." He recommends thoroughly considering the audience before putting the poster together. "When presenting your poster to other delegates, finding out what level of background knowledge they have will mean you pitch it at the right level and gives you the chance to create a dialogue" — which, Withers adds, is the point of the poster session. "One of the key attractions of most poster sessions is the opportunity to talk to the people. ... As networking events, poster sessions are unequalled at most scientific meetings: relaxed and full of opportunities to bump into people who might make the ideal advisor for that post-doctoral position you were looking for — and vice versa," he says.