Attend

Registration

Early Bird Registration expires at 11:59pm on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. Registration must be completed and payment received prior to 11:59pm on Thursday, April 8, 2026 to receive the Early Bird discount. 

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Why Attend

The CSTE 2026 Annual Conference is a valuable opportunity for public health professionals to enhance their expertise, access critical training, and engage in meaningful discussions that impact their daily work.

Daily Agenda

All sessions will be held in-person in Boston, Massachusetts. Schedule times are Eastern Time (ET).

Abstracts

Submission Guidelines

Breakout

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Discussion

Poster Guidelines

EpiVision Guidelines

Moderator Guidelines

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Abstract FAQ's

Sponsors

Sponsors & Exhibitors

CSTE sincerely thanks our sponsors and exhibitors for supporting the conference. CSTE is committed to public-private partnerships that improve public health

Quick Links

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CSTE.ORG

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General FAQ's

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Travel

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CSTE Merchandise

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Networking Events

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Accessibility

Workshops

Give Back

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Continuing Education

(Coming Soon)

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Key Speakers

Boston

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Poster Guidelines

Poster Guidelines

KEY POINTS

  • Posters will be displayed for the duration of the conference, starting on Sunday and ending on Wednesday.

  • There will be a poster showcase on Tuesday, June 2nd from 7:30 – 8:15 AM and all authors are encouraged to be present at their posters.

  • Posters should not exceed 4 ft tall by 8 ft wide.

  • Speakers must accept the invitation to present by Wednesday, April 1, 2026. Presenters that do not respond by the deadline will be automatically accepted and expected to present.

A poster presentation is a visual illustration on a poster board that summarizes findings by way of limited text, graphics, and photographs. Presenting authors hold discussions with attendees who circulate among the poster boards. Sessions do not have audio-visual equipment, telephone/video conferencing equipment, telephones, or internet lines available. All posters will be displayed in person at the meeting facility in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Important Dates   

4/1 Invitation Response Due   

5/7 Handout Upload (Optional)    

  

Responding to the Poster Invitation   

Formal letters of invitation will be sent by e-mail from the CSTE national office by Friday, March 6, 2026. Presenting authors should respond to the invitation online no later than 11:59 PM EDT on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. 

Submission of an abstract implies that presenting authors are committed to making the presentation in-person at the conference. Should circumstances change and a presenting author is unable to attend, then the author is responsible for finding a substitute presenting author. Presenting authors that fail to respond by the deadline will be considered accepted and expected to present. Acceptance or withdrawal of an accepted abstract must be made no later than 11:59PM EDT on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.  Withdrawals made after this date or failure to present an accepted abstract could result in disqualification from presenting an abstract at future conferences.   

All presenting authors and moderators must register for the conference and pay related fees. CSTE does not provide a travel allowance, honorarium, or reimbursement for presenting authors attending the conference. Presenting authors are encouraged to become CSTE members, but it is not a requirement to present at the conference. CSTE membership is required to attend position statement sessions and the Business Meeting.    

  

Putting up your Poster 

All posters should be set up on Sunday, May 31st between 12:00PM-4:00PM and will remain displayed until 11:00AM on Wednesday, June 3rd. Each on-site poster board is assigned a number that will correspond with the poster presentation assigned to that spot. Poster board number assignments will be printed on your name badge and available in your OpenWater Account Portal. A direct link to your OpenWater Account Portal can be found in your invitation e-mail. A name plate on the poster board will also showcase your name, email address, and poster number, and pushpins will be provided on the board. Poster tube storage will not be available, so poster presenting authors should plan accordingly to store poster tubes or any other packing material. 

  

Presentation Time  

There will be a poster showcase on Tuesday, June 2nd from 7:30 AM-8:15 AM. All presenting authors are expected to be present at their poster during this time to engage with attendees, answer questions, and discuss their work. This dedicated showcase time is an important opportunity for networking and knowledge sharing.  

  

Taking down your Poster 

All posters must be taken down by 12:00 PM on Wednesday, June 3rd. Posters remaining after 12:00 PM will be removed and discarded. CSTE and associated vendors are not responsible for posters that are not removed by the deadline. We strongly encourage presenters to plan accordingly to ensure timely removal of their materials.  

Poster Presentation  

  • Poster presentation materials must fit within the poster board display area of 4ft tall x 8ft wide. The board is oriented in the landscape position (long dimension is horizontal).  
  • Place the title of your poster presentation at the top center of the poster.    
  • Recommended fonts are san serif font, such as Arial, because san serif fonts are easier to read than serif fonts, such as Times New Roman. Posters should be designed using appropriate font sizes so they can be easily viewed from 3 ft away.  
  • Posters are generally read from left to right and top to bottom. Use arrows, numbers, or letters to indicate preferred viewing sequence to attendees.   
  • Keep your text to a minimum. Your emphasis should be on graphics, charts, graph, and photos.    
  • Include your name and email address or distribute business cards in case an attendee wants additional information.  
  • Use a mailing tube or portfolio case for transporting your poster to the conference. Most presenters carry their posters with them, but if you want to ship your materials ahead, you must ship them to yourself in care of the hotel at which you will be staying. Poster tube storage will not be available, so poster presenting authors should plan accordingly to store poster tubes or any other packing material. 
  • Pushpins will be provided for you to attach your materials to the poster board. The use of glue, tape, or staples is not allowed.  
  • Be prepared to answer questions or discuss topics with attendees.  

  

Handouts  

Handouts are not a requirement; however, if you want to distribute handouts during the session, we recommend you bring plenty of copies with you. Handouts may also be uploaded through your OpenWater Account Portal. CSTE strongly recommends poster presenting authors to upload a PDF version of their poster for attendee viewing during and after the conference. All uploads must be in PDF format and have a file size maximum of 50MB. A direct link to your OpenWater Account Portal  can be found in your invitation email. Handouts may be uploaded online by 11:59 PM EDT on Thursday, May 7, 2026 or after the conference.  

  

Outstanding Poster Presentation Awards  

Award finalists must display their poster during the entire conference from Sunday, May 31st 12:00 PM through Wednesday, June 3rd at 12:00 PM. The Review Committee will score award finalists onsite, so presenting authors should not remove their poster after presentation unless they must leave the conference early. CSTE will recognize the work of poster presenters by offering up to eight awards in the following areas: Chronic Disease/Maternal and Child Health, Environmental Health/Occupational Health, Infectious Disease, Workforce Development, Substance Use/Mental Health/Injury, Surveillance/Informatics, Health Equity and Tribal Epidemiology and Health Security, Policy and Law. CSTE will award an individual certificate in each category. Award recipients will be announced at the conference and posted on social media and the CSTE webpage. 

  

SPEAKER DISCLOSURE – Presenting authors must disclose to participants prior to speaking any significant financial interest or other relationships with the manufacturer(s) of any commercial product(s) or provider(s) of any commercial services discussed in a session presentation and with any commercial supports of the activity. This pertains to relationships with pharmaceutical companies, biomedical device manufacturers, or other corporations whose products or services are related to the subject matter of the presentation topic. Having an interest or affiliation with a corporate organization does not prevent a speaker from making a presentation, but the relationship must be made known in advance to the audience. Questions regarding CSTE presenter disclosure should be directed to the CSTE National Office.    

PHOTOGRAPHY DISCLOSURE – By participating in the annual conference, whether in-person or virtually, uploading photographs to social media with the hashtag #CSTE2026, or uploading photographs to the CSTE conference app and/or platform, you grant CSTE the right to take and distribute photographs, video, audio and/or electronic reproductions of events and activities for use in CSTE print and digital materials. By agreeing to present, you agree to allow CSTE to make video recordings of your presentation and archive this public available media on the CSTE website.    

CSTE may select presentations or sessions for promotion to media outlets during the CSTE Annual Conference. Therefore, media personnel may attend conference sessions and can be identified by their conference name badges.   

Questions – Contact the CSTE national office at (770) 458-3811 or [email protected] if you have any questions that are not addressed in the guidelines or on the CSTE website.  

 

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