PRESENTER INFORMATION


What is the difference between poster and oral presentation?
The main difference between a poster presentation and an oral presentation lies in how the information is communicated and how you interact with the audience.  

Is one better over another?
Neither is inherently better as they serve different purposes. For example, if your goal is to share a practical case study and engage in informal discussion, a poster is often ideal. If you want to present a comprehensive argument or theory, an oral presentation might be more effective. 

At the NZGS Symposium 2025, both poster and oral presentations are equally important. Each will be given the same level of recognition and visibility within the programme, and both will contribute meaningfully to the exchange of knowledge and ideas. 

ORAL PRESENTATION

The oral presentations have been allocated a 10-minute presentation slot in the programme + 2 minutes for questions.  Please ensure that you stop when advised to by the chair to ensure that all presenters get the same amount of time to present and that the programme runs to time.

Please ensure you use a PowerPoint in format 16x9 (widescreen).  Each room at the venue will have a data projector, laptop, screen, sound system along with internet access. Please plan to present using this equipment.

The PowerPoint presentations will need to be uploaded no later than 15 October 2025 (an upload link will be provided via email at a later date). Please save your file using the session presentation reference on the programme and the presenting author name i.e. S1A_John Smith, the programme/session time will be provided at end of July. For backup please also bring your presentation on a USB stick. 

Minimum recommendations for PowerPoint presentations:

If the person in the last seat can't read your slide, your font is too small.

Element TypeAbsolute MinimumDescription
Slide Title44 ptThe title should be instantly readable and grab attention.
Body Text28 pt
Supporting Text20 pt(e.g., image captions, source citations)

1. Readable font: 

  •  Fonts like Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, Calibri, Lato, or Verdana are much easier to read on a screen from a distance than serif fonts (like Times New Roman). They are clean and crisp. 

2. High contrast is essential: 

  • Use dark text on a light background (e.g., black on white/beige). 
  • Or, use light text on a dark background (e.g., white/yellow on navy blue/black). 
  •  Avoid using busy or patterned backgrounds like the carpet in the photo—they make text very difficult to read. 

3. Less is more (The 6x6 Rule is a START): 

  •  Don't put a wall of text on your slide (like the example in your photo). 
  •  A good guideline is no more than 6 lines of text, with 6 words per line. 
  •  Even better: use one big idea per slide. A single powerful image and a few words in a large font are far more effective than a crowded slide. 

4. The "Stand Back Test":

  •  Once you've designed your slide, stand back about 6-8 feet (2-2.5 meters) from your computer monitor. Can you still read everything clearly and easily? If not, your font is too small. This simulates how someone in the audience will see the screen.


Example PowerPoint

POSTER PRESENTATION

We ask you to bring along a physical poster (A0 portrait orientation) on the morning of 16 October 2025. You will be allocated a poster board number and on arrival at the conference, please locate your allocated board which will be located in the Level 5 Balcony Foyer. Velcro dots will be provided and will be attached to the board for you to use. There will be 2 poster sessions taking place between 12.55 - 13.25 on Thursday 16 (odd poster numbers) and Friday 17 October (even poster numbers),  but your poster will be on display for the full duration of the conference. Please stand by your board during the session to answer any questions. 

Minimum recommendations for poster:

A person should be able to comfortably read your main text while standing about 1-1.5 meters away. The title should be legible from across the room. 

Based on an A0 Portrait poster (841 x 1189 mm or 33.1 x 46.8 inches), here are the recommended font sizes.

Poster ElementMinimum SizePurpose
Main Title88 ptTo be read from 5-6 m away. Catches attention. Bold
Author(s) & Affiliations48 ptClearly visible below the title. Author(s)' name in bold
Section Headings36 ptTo guide the reader's eye through the poster sections. Bold
Body Text24 ptMain content, paragraphs, bullet points. Must be readable from conversational distance. 
Captions & Figure Labels20 ptFor explaining images, graphs, and table text. Italic
References / Bibliography18 ptThe only place where smaller text is acceptable. 

1. Readable font: 

  • Use a Sans-Serif font for better on-poster readability. Good choices include Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, Lato, or Verdana. 
  • Avoid serif fonts (like Times New Roman) for body text, as they can be harder to read in large blocks from a distance. 

2. High contrast: 

  • Use dark text on a light background (e.g., black text on white or light grey) for maximum readability. 
  • Avoid busy or dark backgrounds, which can make text disappear. 

3. Don't create a "Wall of Text": 

  • Use bullet points instead of long paragraphs. 
  • Keep text concise. A poster is a visual summary and a conversation starter, not your full paper. Aim for around 300-800 words total. 
  • Embrace whitespace. A clean, uncluttered layout is much more inviting and easier to read. Use columns (3 on a portrait A0 is standard) to organize your content. 

4. Graphics are Key: 

  • Use high-resolution images, charts, and graphs to tell your story visually. 
  • Ensure all graphics are clear and not pixelated. As a rule of thumb, images should be at least 150 DPI at their final printed size. 

5. Available tools: 

  • Microsoft PowerPoint is a good and widely available tool to create your A0 poster. You can easily set the slide size to A0 dimensions. Note, it's still not a professional design tool. 
  • It is up to you what tool you choose to use. 

6. "Print a Slice" test 

  • Before you send your poster for its expensive A0 printing, print a small section of your poster on a standard A4 or Letter-sized paper at 100% scale. 
  • Choose a slice that includes the title, a heading, some body text, and an image caption. Hold it at arm's length. Can you read it comfortably? This simple test will save you from discovering a critical readability issue after it's too late. 

Example Poster
NZGS Symposium 2025 is managed by Conferences & Events Ltd.

Conference Manager: Amy Abel 
   +64  4 384 1511
   nzgs2025@confer.co.nz
   www.confer.co.nz


This event is organised by Conferences & Events Ltd.  We are a New Zealand business.