Exhibitor Resources

This page provides information to help Poster Exhibitors prepare for Showcase. You can also use this page as a resource for creating a poster for any event or project. We hope you find it useful and please contact us if you have any questions.

How do you become a Poster Exhibitor at Showcase?

What resources are available to help you?

What are the criteria for a good poster exhibit?

Each Showcase features a variety of planning and process improvement projects in both academic departments and administrative units. Posters serve to demonstrate the significant impact on the unit and/or across campus and show how the approach can be applied in other units. In addition, the poster highlights how the project or process achieved one or more of the following:

  • Engaged students, faculty, staff, and/or other constituents
  • Advanced the campus strategic priorities
  • Saved time and/or resources
  • Improved climate
  • Developed new programs
  • Increased effectiveness

Who is my audience?

  • Campus Leaders and Administrators
  • Academic Staff
  • Classified Staff
  • Faculty
  • Students
  • Campus Community 

What does a typical display look like?

Poster exhibitors will have four to six feet of table space to display information. Easels will be available upon request. Tri-fold foam-core poster boards (average size 36" X 48") are usually used to mount your materials and may be designed as a table top or easel display. Computer displays may also be used.

Check out the following examples of poster presentations from Showcase 2012:

What are the key components of a poster board display?

  • Visual display of the project/process (flowchart/s depicting current or revised process)
  • Documentation of the impact this project had on your unit and/or the campus
  • Keep things simple. Use fonts that are easy to read.
  • Don't be afraid to experiment with shapes and colors.

The above components may not all be necessary when building your display - consider what will best illustrate your project.

How do I purchase a department print card?

  • To purchase a print card for College Library's New Media Center, please fill out an authorization form (Excel file).
  • Fax the form to 265-2754, or drop off the form in room 360, Memorial Library. You will be contacted when your card is ready.
  • To transfer additional funds to your already existing print card (if you need more money on your card) complete the "re-encode" form (Excel File).

How should my poster title and tagline be written?

Choose a title for your poster that is short, attention-grabbing, and appealing.  The tagline for your poster should be no longer than 25 words, and it should highlight the innovation and/or lesson learned.  Click here to view the Showcase 2012 Program (pdf) to view the most recent titles and taglines used at Showcase.

Here are some examples of good titles and taglines:

  • Title: "Embracing Customer Feedback to Improve Snow Clearing"
    Tagline: "Facing a blizzard of criticism, FP&M embraced the feedback as a catalyst to connect with customers, review processes and improve results."
  • Title:  "Twitter:  140 Characters of Engagement" 
    Tagline: "Using Twitter to engage followers, drive traffic to online resources and collaborate with other campus partners."
  • Title: "Dial-up Art"
    Tagline: "A student-driven program that utilizes the ubiquitous cell phone to provide anytime self-guided audio  tours of the Union’s art galleries."

Do I need to provide handout materials?

Bring handout materials if you believe it will be useful information for Showcase participants. Approximately 50-75 copies should be enough and you should bring a blank request sheet for attendees, in case you run out of materials. If your material is available on the web, a one-page overview that includes a URL will work well.

When can I drop off/set up my exhibit?

You have the option of dropping off your exhibit the day before Showcase -OR- you may bring and set up your exhibit/demo on the morning of Showcase.  

When should I take down my exhibit?

All exhibits/demos should be taken down and removed following Showcase

Can I bring my laptop for presenting in addition to my poster exhibit?

Yes. If you would like to showcase a process on a laptop, in addition to your poster exhibit please email showcase@oqi.wisc.edu. You must supply your own laptop.

If you wish to use a display unit larger than your laptop, such as an LCD projector or a larger computer monitor, please email showcase@oqi.wisc.edu so we can arrange for any extra space that you may require.

In order to connect your laptop to Memorial Union's wireless internet, you must have an internal or external wireless card. You will also need to use your netID and password to login to the system.

Contact:

If you have questions about the design or construction of your exhibit, please contact Bruce Harville, 608-262-9261, beharville@wisc.edu.