Funny visual but very important captioning.
Professor of Natural Products Chemistry, Food Chemistry, Phytotherapy and Pharmacognosy, Pharmacognosy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain-Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
This video highlights a major flaw in the way poster presentations are organized at conferences. Too often, conferences accept as many posters as they have space for, without putting thought into how to truly engage the audience. Scholars are simply asked to hang their posters and stand by them for 2-4 hours, waiting—hoping—someone will come by. Afterward, they take their posters down and go home. But imagine this: a scholar has worked tirelessly for 2-3 years on a project. They’ve poured their passion, sweat, and countless hours into their research. Finally, they have the opportunity to share it with their peers, eager to spark conversations and dive deep into the details. Yet, there they stand, full of hope, and no one shows any interest. It’s not just disappointing—it’s heartbreaking. Conferences need to do better. They should actively encourage attendees to visit the posters, perhaps by offering incentives or organizing competitions where participants engage with the details of the posters. This would foster discussions, recognition, and appreciation for the scholars' hard work. These researchers invest years of their lives and significant financial resources to attend these conferences. The least they deserve is the attention and recognition their efforts warrant. The current conference model is failing them, and it’s time for a dramatic change.