Thanks Iolanda -- I think this is a great idea. We could have a standing poster exhibit hall and, perhaps, a dedicated "poster session" like academic conferences -- usually an hour or two where people with posters stand next to them and answer questions, there is nothing else scheduled, and there are refreshments. Plus, the posters could stay up throughout the conference, which means people could use spare time throughout the weekend to look at them and make connections. 

I think this would really help ease the number of presentations, would help people who are nervous giving a presentation or think they don't have enough to present, and would help share many more ideas. We could come up with suggested guidelines, too: a set size, have a small envelope of business cards or handouts for people who want to know more to take, etc.

I think we talked about having poster sessions at past wikimanias but it never really came together -- we've had a few, but never a good poster space. This year though, I think the sheer number of projects that are going on, plus the big exhibition space we have, could come together to really equal a great poster session!

Phoebe

On Fri, Jan 10, 2014 at 9:59 AM, Raul Veede <raul.veede@gmail.com> wrote:

Posters are also manageable for smaller groups/projects/organizations who cannot man a booth. After all, even if you get someone to Wikimania, there are up to eight parallel sessions and people to meet. At a booth or table, you should rotate people, while your poster will happily stand on its own, day and night, like a brave little tin soldier. 

Still, it would help usability if there was a given format for the posters (size and structure).

Raul

Wikimedia Eesti

On Fri, Jan 10, 2014 at 7:52 PM, Luis Villa <lvilla@wikimedia.org> wrote:

Personally, speaking as someone who would love to know more about what the various movement organizations are doing, and who felt a little overwhelmed at the # of booths in Hong Kong, I think this is a great idea...

Luis (completely personal, no official WMF endorsement :)

On Thu, Jan 9, 2014 at 11:34 PM, Iolanda Pensa <iolanda@pensa.it> wrote:

dear all,
Wikimedia initiatives/activities/experiences/tools/organizations are now incredibly numerous, and panels at Wikimania are reaching an almost unmanageable number (for attendees). why not creating posters?

posters are a simple presentation tool largely used in academia. it is literally a poster (A3 or larger), which presents an overview of a project/activity/experience/thing in a short and comprehensive way. basically they include an abstract, an image (photo, visual representation, graph...), links to further documentation (it can also be a QRcode which links to a video), credits, timeframe and contacts.
The can be made available online (also with an editable format which allows translations), they can be used as slides, and they can be printed and used for all sorts of exhibitions (in a school, during an event...).

The possibility of submitting posters at Wikimania was already possible in previous Wikimania editions, but it didn't generate an habit and probably it didn't work very well (maybe it was not the right time). now there are structured chapters and affiliates, people working consistently in education, GLAMs and outreach, programs at WMF, and a desire to let other people know what is going on.
we are thinking of include an exhibition of posters within our Wikimania bid[1] (it allows to reduce the number of panels, to allow people to share their experience even if they don't attend and to cross rapidly things you don't know jet). I'm also working with Wikimedia CH and Wikimedia Italia to prepare an event and exhibition in Lugano in Spring 2014[2] which includes an expo of posters of successful experiences in GLAM partnerships; this event could be a pilot to test the creation and use of posters.

To collect the information we can make a form with limited number of words and centralize the editing; or we can make a graphic template available; or we can create a team of people who summarize already available information from online documentation. i think visual consistency can be an asset.

what do you think? do you think it is a relevant format? anyone willing to help? anyone has an idea on who can set a graphic template for the posters? on meta you find a draft page about posters[3]

thank you
iolanda/iopensa

[1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2015_bids/Esino_Lario
[2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/GLAM_exhibition_and_event_in_Lugano_2014
[3] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Poster_design



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