Proposing a Poster
On the third and final morning of the three main conference days, we celebrate projects large and small through our **Poster Session** where dozens of projects get to interact one-on-one with conference attendees.
To learn the mechanics of submitting a proposal, visit the [main Speaking page](https://us.pycon.org/2016/speaking/).
A “poster” at PyCon is a 4′×8′ graphical summary of the key points about your project, made of one visual or many. It forms the starting point for a brief and interactive presentation to interested viewers. The presentation space is one side of a standalone poster board that you can tack posters or individual pages onto. Poster sessions are particularly suited for topics of interest to a subset of the community, and we anticipate these sessions will provide an "incubator" for further discussions.
# Important Dates
- September 28, 2015: Call for poster proposals.
- October 14, 2015: Registration opens.
- October 17, 2015: Financial aid application opens.
- January 3, 2016: Poster proposals due.
- February 22, 2016: Posters announced.
- March 1, 2016: Financial aid applications close.
- March 14, 2016: Financial aid grants awarded.
- June 1, 2016: Poster sessions.
# Proposing a Poster
You will be able to propose poster sessions beginning on **September 28, 2015!**
You will have to create a speaker profile on the website (and be logged in) in order to submit a poster proposal.
Be sure to include a one paragraph biography, written in the third person ("Presenter Name is..."); include where you live, your job, your projects, books you've written, volunteer activities, etc. We use this for the conference guide, and other promotional materials.
The primary author should submit the proposal, after which additional authors can be added (they must have accounts too).
For general advice on developing and submitting a proposal see :
- [So You Want To Present a Talk/Tutorial/Poster At PyCon](https://us.pycon.org/2016/speaking/)
Also, take a look at past poster sessions to get a sense of the breadth of topics.
- PyCon 2015 Posters
- PyCon 2014 Posters
- PyCon 2013 Posters
- PyCon 2012 Posters
If your questions still aren't answered feel free to email [the Posters team](mailto:pycon-posters@python.org).
# Frequently Asked Questions
**Q:** *What is a poster session?*
**A:** A poster session is a plenary session where each speaker is given space to display their work as a poster. During the session, speakers stand with their posters, and the audience circulate freely, seeking out the particular presentations they are interested in and talking directly to the presenter in small groups. For PyCon 2011, we will have a designated plenary poster session and will be providing space for posters 4x4 feet in size. [This video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dyzaZjwdfE "poster video") will give you an idea of what poster sessions are.
**Q:** *What makes a good poster presentation?*
**A:** First, a good proposal. Poster sessions are intended to give you the chance to present interesting ideas and start conversations with others. Additionally, proposal titles and abstracts are one of the major tools the audience will use to identify posters of interest, so it is important to communicate clearly.
Second, the poster itself. It is important to understand that a poster is neither a paper nor a slideshow. The poster isn't there for the audience to just read, it is a visual aid for you to use in creating a quick engaging impromptu presentation, and to refer to in answering questions and fueling discussion. Use this session as a way to make connections with people that you can continue through the open spaces or informally during the conference.
**Q:** *Can I submit both a poster and a talk proposal?*
**A:** Absolutely! We encourage everyone to submit a poster proposal even if they have also submitted a talk proposal. If both are accepted, we encourage authors to adapt their presentation to make the best use of each venue. Even if a talk proposal can not be accommodated by the program committee, it may still be well suited for a poster presentation.
**Questions?** [Email us!](mailto:pycon-posters@python.org)
# Important Dates
- September 28, 2015: Call for poster proposals.
- October 14, 2015: Registration opens.
- October 17, 2015: Financial aid application opens.
- January 3, 2016: Poster proposals due.
- February 22, 2016: Posters announced.
- March 1, 2016: Financial aid applications close.
- March 14, 2016: Financial aid grants awarded.
- June 1, 2016: Poster sessions.
# Proposing a Poster
You will be able to propose poster sessions beginning on **September 28, 2015!**
You will have to create a speaker profile on the website (and be logged in) in order to submit a poster proposal.
Be sure to include a one paragraph biography, written in the third person ("Presenter Name is..."); include where you live, your job, your projects, books you've written, volunteer activities, etc. We use this for the conference guide, and other promotional materials.
The primary author should submit the proposal, after which additional authors can be added (they must have accounts too).
For general advice on developing and submitting a proposal see :
- [So You Want To Present a Talk/Tutorial/Poster At PyCon](https://us.pycon.org/2016/speaking/)
Also, take a look at past poster sessions to get a sense of the breadth of topics.
- PyCon 2015 Posters
- PyCon 2014 Posters
- PyCon 2013 Posters
- PyCon 2012 Posters
If your questions still aren't answered feel free to email [the Posters team](mailto:pycon-posters@python.org).
# Frequently Asked Questions
**Q:** *What is a poster session?*
**A:** A poster session is a plenary session where each speaker is given space to display their work as a poster. During the session, speakers stand with their posters, and the audience circulate freely, seeking out the particular presentations they are interested in and talking directly to the presenter in small groups. For PyCon 2011, we will have a designated plenary poster session and will be providing space for posters 4x4 feet in size. [This video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dyzaZjwdfE "poster video") will give you an idea of what poster sessions are.
**Q:** *What makes a good poster presentation?*
**A:** First, a good proposal. Poster sessions are intended to give you the chance to present interesting ideas and start conversations with others. Additionally, proposal titles and abstracts are one of the major tools the audience will use to identify posters of interest, so it is important to communicate clearly.
Second, the poster itself. It is important to understand that a poster is neither a paper nor a slideshow. The poster isn't there for the audience to just read, it is a visual aid for you to use in creating a quick engaging impromptu presentation, and to refer to in answering questions and fueling discussion. Use this session as a way to make connections with people that you can continue through the open spaces or informally during the conference.
**Q:** *Can I submit both a poster and a talk proposal?*
**A:** Absolutely! We encourage everyone to submit a poster proposal even if they have also submitted a talk proposal. If both are accepted, we encourage authors to adapt their presentation to make the best use of each venue. Even if a talk proposal can not be accommodated by the program committee, it may still be well suited for a poster presentation.
**Questions?** [Email us!](mailto:pycon-posters@python.org)
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