For Presenters and Moderators – Scientific Sessions 2024

Please use the #AHA24 Presenter PowerPoint Slide Template (PPTX) for your presentation.

Choose from the following PDFs or click a category to see more:

• 2024 Participant Guidelines and Information (PDF)
• 2024 Abstract Presenter Guidelines (PDF)
• 2024 Poster Board Presenter Guidelines (PDF)

• 2024 Speaker Presentation Creation and Upload Instructions (PDF)
• 2024 Moderator Instructions (PDF)

Accepting an invitation to speak or moderate does not automatically register you for Scientific Sessions. As an invited speaker, moderator or poster professor, you must register online after completing a series of steps in the online notification system, accessible through the link emailed to you.

See registration information on the Scientific Sessions Registration page or click the link below to begin.

Oral Abstract Presenters

Presenters must upload a PowerPoint presentation. To prepare, please review the Program Participant Guidelines and Information on this page.

Printed Poster Presenters

Presenters are required to have a printed poster to hang on their assigned board and be present at the board for the assigned time. Poster presenters are also required to upload an ePoster for online viewing. Instructions for uploading your ePoster and other media will be emailed to you from [email protected].

Moderated Digital Poster Presenters

Moderated Digital Posters are ePoster only, not print. The format can either be a maximum of 8 slides, including Title and Disclosures slides (first two slides) or a single page like you would use if printing. Audio in ePosters is in addition to your live presentation. It is available for those viewing your poster online and after the meeting. The audio recording is not used for your in-person presentation/discussion. Your presentation is live in person with a moderator to lead Q&A.

Presenters are required to upload an ePoster. Audio narration can be recorded through the online tool as you review your ePoster and automatically synchronize page-turning with your slides. Instructions for preparing your moderated digital poster presentation will come from [email protected] (Digital Acumen). Check your spam folder if you don't get it.

General ePoster Information

• All abstract presentations are in-person at Scientific Sessions 2024. Registration and travel to Chicago, IL is required. Recording audio for ePoster presentations does not replace your presence.
• All abstracts accepted for poster presentation must upload an ePoster through AHA’s ePoster partner, Digital Acumen’s APPRISOR.
• ePosters can be viewed from smartphones, laptops, tablets, or computer monitors. The online viewer allows participants to examine every detail of your poster while protecting content from download or re-use.
• Presenting authors will have access to the secure ePoster submission site at https://submit.scientificposters.com/aha.
• Presenting authors will receive an email with further instructions and login credentials from APPRISOR via [email protected] in early October 2024. Please add this email to your contacts list to ensure receipt. If you do not see the email in your inbox by October 15, 2024, please check your junk or spam folder.
• This email cannot be sent to multiple recipients. If you are assisting a presenting author with his/her ePoster, s/he must forward the email to you.
• When you log in, you will have access to the Poster Printing Service (if designated a print poster), templates, FAQs, instructions for recording audio and/or slide advancement, and technical support, all found on the Support page.
• Deadline: ePosters must be uploaded by November 8, 2024.

ePoster Preparation

• ePosters must be uploaded as either PDF or PowerPoint.
• 16:9 is the preferred aspect ratio, but the system will also support 4:3.
• ePosters can be a single page (like a traditional print poster you would bring to the in-person meeting) OR a multi-slide presentation (no more than 8 total slides, excluding the first two slides for Title and Disclosures).
• Only one file can be uploaded per ePoster.
• If you choose to prepare a multi-slide presentation, note that some PowerPoint-specific features such as animations, page transitions, hyperlinks, or “embedded” video or audio are not supported. However, after uploading your PowerPoint or PDF file, you can record audio narration, advance slides, and/or add a content video* within the submission site.
  
  * A video that expands upon the research demonstrated in the poster that clearly supports the content is allowed. A video that serves as a presentation of the ePoster is not allowed and will be disabled.
   
• Use audio (5 minutes maximum) to enhance the presentation. The online recording tool, or uploaded audio file, will allow you to add narration to your poster and advance your slides.
• Your ePoster should be self-explanatory so that you are free to supplement the information and discuss particular points if you choose to add audio narration.

ePoster Viewing and Discussion

• ePosters will be available to view on-demand at https://aha.apprisor.org beginning on November 16, when the meeting opens. Registration is required to view ePosters.
• Participants will be able to contact presenting authors with questions and comments via the Forum - Ask the Author feature which will send an email to the author.
• Access to ePosters will remain available until December 18, 2024.
• After December 18, the AHA 2024 ePoster site will be archived to this address: https://aha.scientificposters.com, and be available for viewing.

If you have technical questions regarding your ePoster, please contact Digital Acumen at [email protected]. For all other ePoster or abstract presentation questions, please contact [email protected].

If you have questions, contact AHA staff at [email protected].

• As a presenter of any session type, if you have questions or need clarification about the session format or flow, contact the moderators of your session.
• Always check the Online Program Planner for changes that may have occurred closer to the meeting. Your speaking time could be affected by a canceled talk in the session.

All PowerPoint slides need to be uploaded 24 hours before the start of your session.
Session types: Main Event, Late-Breaking Science, Featured Science, Cardiovascular Seminar, Early Career, Joint Session, Hall and Abstract Oral Session.

• All oral presentations must be in electric slide form. We encourage the use of the AHA24 Presenter Slide Deck (PPTX) template to develop presentations.
  
  
• Invited presenters and oral abstract presenters: You'll receive an email directing you to go to the presentation management website, Orchestrate, so you can upload your presentation in advance.
  
  • Panel Participants will not create a slide presentation, as the role of the panel participants is to further discussion and conversation regarding the topics being discussed
    
    
• While there is no limit to the number of slides for each presentation, we encourage you to plan one slide per minute.

All ePosters must be uploaded by November 8, 2024.
Session Types: Abstract Poster Sessions and Moderated Digital Poster.

• Printed Poster presenters are required to have a printed poster to hang on their assigned board, and to be present at the board for the assigned time. Presenters are also required to upload an ePoster for online viewing. Instructions for uploading your ePoster and other media will be emailed to you in early October from Digital Acumen at [email protected].
  
  
• Moderated digital poster presenters are required to upload an ePoster and to add audio narration. Audio narration can be recorded through the online tool as you review your ePoster and automatically synchronize page-turning with your slides. Instructions for preparing your moderated digital poster presentation will come from Digital Acumen at [email protected]. Check your spam folder if you don't receive it by October 15, 2024.

Poster Board Presenter Guidelines

Poster Boards Location: Science and Technology Hall, South Building, Level 3.

Exhibit and Poster Hall Hours: (Presenters cannot access the poster area prior to the dates/times shown below.)

• Saturday, Nov. 16 (9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. CT)
• Sunday, Nov. 17 (9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. CT)
• Monday, Nov. 18 (9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. CT)

Poster Setup/Teardown

• Posters must be set up on the morning of the scheduled presentation day, immediately upon the opening of the Exhibit and Poster area in the Science and Technology Hall. Mount your poster only on the day it is scheduled to be presented. (Refer to your acceptance notification for presentation details.)
• Posters must remain on display all day of your scheduled presentation day. (Refer to the Exhibit and Poster Hall hours above.)
• The poster board number will correspond with the pre-assigned Presentation Number, which can be found in your acceptance notification or on the AHA Mobile Meeting Guide App with utilization of the global search option. (App can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play)
• All posters must be taken down at least 15 minutes prior to the closing of the Exhibit and Poster Hall area on the day it was presented. If a poster is not removed as instructed, it may be discarded.

Presentation Period

• During the assigned poster session time, you must attend your poster for the entire time. This is mandatory. (Please refer to your acceptance notification for your assigned poster session date/time.)
• You must be prepared to answer questions from attendees in a one-on-one format. (You will not need to give a formal presentation.)
• If you have more than one poster to present at the same presentation time, then you must identify a co-author to be the presenting author of the additional poster. If this applies to you, you must send an email to [email protected] and copy the new presenting author to notify the AHA.
• Your poster must be displayed for the duration of your assigned day. (Failure to present deprives the audience and leaves a space in the program that might have been filled by another presenter. Due to the competitive nature of the program, any unexplained absences may result in the denial to consider your future abstract submissions at any future AHA meeting.)

Publication

• If you selected "Yes" on the Abstract Copyright Transfer Agreement, your abstract may be published in the online Circulation supplement, online Program Planner, Mobile Meeting Guide and ePosters. If you selected "No," your abstract will be excluded from these publications. (You submitted the Abstract Copyright Transfer Agreement at the time of your abstract submission.)
• Per your acceptance notification, requests for withdrawal of an abstract must have been received in writing, via email, to [email protected] by Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, to avoid journal publication.

Poster Preparation Guidelines

ePosters and Poster Printing Service
All poster presenters are required to upload an ePoster. Information for ePosters submission and poster printing will be sent to you via email from [email protected] in late September. To ensure you received this important information, please add [email protected] to your safe-senders list.

Preparing Printed Poster
All authors’ disclosure information must be included in your poster. Please ensure that this information is clear and visible to attendees viewing the poster. Your presentation should contain succinct headings that organize and logically display the information. Graphics should be explicit and brief. Elaboration is best done verbally. (Think about how you’d present this information in an oral presentation using slides.) You must include a short, legible introduction and a summary of the conclusion.

The poster display may have the following identifiable sections, but they are not mandatory:

• Hypothesis or objective
• Methods
• Results or outcomes

Our poster boards including the A-frame legs measure 84 inches high by 77 13/16 inches wide (213.36 centimeters high by 197.64 centimeters wide). The actual poster space on the board is ½ in thick gray fabric foam measuring 48 inches high by 77 3/16 inches wide (121.92 centimeters high by 196.06 centimeters wide).

Note: A 4.25-by-11-inch card containing your poster’s QR Code will be placed on the left side (mid-level) of the board. Please do not cover this card. The QR Code allows attendees to view poster information with their smartphones and listen to the author’s discussion of the study through a prerecorded audio narration or view supporting video(s) via the required ePoster that the presenting author has uploaded.

All illustrations (figures, tables, diagrams, equations, etc.) should be final before arriving at the Science and Technology Hall. Keep in mind:

• Keep text and figure legends explicit and brief.
• Create illustrations that can be read from distances of approximately 4 feet (1.2 meters) to 6 feet (1.8 meters).
• Create charts, drawings and illustrations similar to those you would use for slides.
• Do not mount your materials on thick poster board because it may be too heavy for pushpins, which will be provided for you to mount your poster materials.

Storage
An unattended poster storage area will be provided in the Science and Technology Hall. You may store your materials in this area before and after your presentation. However, please note that AHA staff will not be responsible for stored material. Do not leave valuables, especially laptops, in this storage area.

Design, Materials and Production
A poster is an artistic expression of scientific data. Posters usually have eye-catching but simple drawings, diagrams, graphs and/or photographs with clean and attractive layouts.

Sources for Design and Production

• Art department at your institution
• Commercial art schools
• Commercial artists
• Graphic designers
• Advertising agencies

Background Materials

• Color sheets and film overlays
• Matte and glossy surfaces, most self-sticking brands, such as Pantone color paper, Pantone color/tint overlays, Chartpak
• Hot press illustration board (very smooth and has less absorbent surface than regular grade)

Printing and Drawing

• Color keys
• Computer systems that can generate large, readable type
• Professionally set type
• Press type (rub on)
• Geotype, Letraset, Chartpak, Format
• Border tape (rub on) (see brand names above)

Readability of Posters
Keep in mind that large audiences view the poster sessions. To accommodate a group at a single poster presentation, the size of the lettering (type) must be large enough to be legible from approximately 6 feet (1.8 meters) away.

The key to good readability is to choose contrasting colors and shades. Simple use of color can add emphasis effectively. The six best color combinations are:

• Black on white
• Red on white
• Green on white
• Blue on white
• White on blue (no diazo)
• White on black

Choose a typeface that is simple and clear. The weight of the type chosen (the thickness of each letter) should be medium or bold. The actual size of the type is measured in points. Below are examples of recommended point sizes for legible viewing from various distances.

To be legible at a distance of eight feet, the minimum type size used should be 30 points. Below are suggestions of type for viewing at various distances.