FAQs

This page provides answers to common questions about participating in the Popular Culture Association (PCA) annual conference. It is intended to support first-time attendees, presenters, and returning members seeking clarification about conference processes and expectations.

The FAQ consolidates information that appears across multiple areas of the PCA website and supplements it with guidance developed in consultation with student members and experienced conference participants.

Topics are organized chronologically:

• Before the Conference

• During the Conference

• After the Conference

For questions related to specific panels, scheduling, or submissions, participants should contact their area chair, who serves as the primary liaison for conference matters. For many questions, your primary point of contact should always be the area chair. 

Submitting an Abstract

• How can I present? 

  • Creative Work: Creative work can be poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, etc.

  • Paper: A paper is usually a talk about an individual topic.

  • Poster: A poster presentation is a visual display of research or ideas, combining concise text and graphics to communicate key findings and engage viewers in discussion, generally short presentations presented multiple times to different audiences. 

• Additional Rules & Exceptions for Presenting:

  • Due to limited space and time, presenters may only give either one Paper or one Poster at the conference. We welcome fresh approaches to subjects that maintain our commitment to scholarship and to a professional presentation. Presenters may submit only one proposal to one area at a time and you may not submit the same proposal to multiple areas. (However, if one area does not accept a proposal, that proposal may be submitted to another area.)

  • A person who qualifies to present is also allowed to serve as a panel moderator in addition to their presentations. You may be asked, or may offer, to moderate for additional panels.

  • You may present a second time only if you meet one of these specific criteria:

• Creative Work: You are presenting your own original creative work (e.g. poetry, non-fiction writing, or fiction writing).

• Roundtable: Panel discussion of a specific topic. These are often scheduled, in advance, by area chairs, or by those seeking to discuss the topic. If you have an idea for a roundtable, please reach out to the area chair for the area in which you would like to present that round table.

• Invited Status: You were formally invited to speak, write, or perform (e.g., as a keynote speaker).

• Special Talk: You are a representative giving a special talk for a company, public service, or educational organization. 

• What is expected of an abstract?

  • The abstract can be up to 500 characters in length. The abstract should highlight the main points of your argument and suggest your methodology and research.

• What are the dates/timelines?

  • Dates and times change according to the year. However, abstract submissions are generally due late in the fall, and the application deadline for travel grants is a bit after the abstract submissions are due. Please see the website for this year’s particular dates.

• What are the expectations for the presentation?  

  • Panels run 90 minutes with four presenters, which means you will have 12-15 minutes total for presentation and either five minutes for individual Q&As or a half-hour at the end of the session for group Q & A. Please time your presentation accordingly and be sure that you do not run over your allotted presentation time. 

  • At a speaking speed of ~200 words per minute, that’s about 2,400 words, or 8 double-spaced pages. (Though it is not expected that you will read from a paper directly.)

  • The moderator of a panel can and will cut speakers off if they are over their allotted time, even if they are not finished presenting.

• How do I choose a subject area? 

  • The subject area should be one that aligns with the topic of your talk. Sometimes, multiple areas might align with your topic, so you can choose what will be the best fit for you and your particular topic.

  • If your area is full, or if your presentation is not a good fit for the area, sometimes a chair will help guide your abstract/proposal to another area.

• How can I add special requests for dates/times of presentations or add ADA accommodations? 

  • Requests for specific times are not guaranteed but are more likely to happen if you submit a special time request when you submit your abstract, at the latest by the close of submissions. 

• What are the payment expectations?

  • You will need to pay for a membership to submit an abstract and then once accepted you will need to register for the conference and then any travel related expenses. 

    • Membership: In order to submit an abstract you will need to be a member of PCA. Regional PCA organizations are independent of the larger PCA organization. 

    • You will also need to pay to register for the conference.

    • You will also need to pay for travel expenses and hotel expenses.

Submitting a Travel Grant 

• Travel grants are available for students:

  • You must have an account on the PCA site and be an active, paid member for the academic year at the time you submit your application. There are no exceptions.

• Required materials and evaluation criteria for all grant applications:

  • An abstract of the presentation (which has been submitted to the area chair for approval).

  • A statement about the thesis and scope of the presentation (250 words).

  • A brief discussion about the extent to which the presentation contributes to the study of Popular Culture or American Culture.

  • A statement about how this presentation will contribute to the applicant’s professional goals.

  • An abbreviated CV.

• The applications will ask for you to input text about your education, experience, employment, and accomplishments. It may be helpful for you to have your CV on hand as you fill out these applications. Please note you can only apply for ONE travel grant. If you apply for more than one grant, you will be disqualified from each grant. 

Join Discord Server

• Join to connect before the conference 

  • You can join the PCA SEC Server now!

    • LINK TO JOIN

• Place to find roommates for conference (on your own)

  • Fellow students who would be looking for roommates

  • Could also coordinate travel to/from airports/train stations/etc.

• Good for questions, last minute concerns, etc. 

  • It will likely be particularly active during the conference, with questions and updates, as well as social activity options!

Download Conference App

• CORE Events - Core Apps Events (available on Google Play and the App Store)

• This will include up-to-the-minute changes to the schedule, location changes, updated events 

• It will help you build a conference schedule so that you don’t miss your favorite presentations

After Submitting an Abstract: 

• How do I know I was accepted? 

  • You should hear back about your proposal within two to three weeks. If, after this point, you still have not heard, first contact the area chair, and then, if you receive no response, contact Nicole Freim, the PCA/ACA Vice President of Programming and Area Chairs (VPAreaChairs@pcaaca.org), who may be able to expedite a definitive response.

  • You can also check on the PCA Conference Submission Dashboard to see if your presentation has been accepted - if it has, it will say “Completed,” and you will be able to view details about your presentation, including scheduling as that becomes available.

If your area chair decides your abstract would fit better in another area, you will be notified.

• Once I’m accepted, what are the next steps?

  • Registration: 

    • Once your proposal is accepted, you will be able to register for the conference at the presenter rate. In order to present, you must also be a current, paid PCA member for the upcoming conference year and fully registered for the conference. All presenters listed on the proposal must be registered to present at the conference. If you wish to remove a presenter from your paper, please email contact@pcaaca.org as soon as possible. 

    • Non-presenters registration - there are two types of non-presenter registration, both of which can be purchased online or at the conference itself:

      • Guest/Non-Presenter Daily Registration - good for one day

      • Guest/Non-Presenter Full Conference Registration - good for the entire length of the conference

• Apply for Awards

  • There are awards available to those presenting at the conference - you may be eligible to win one!

  • Please visit the awards web page for more information. 

• Receiving a schedule: 

  • The preliminary program is placed on our website, usually by early February. Please check the program at that time for possible errors in your listing and report any concerns to your area chair. 

  • For an additional cost, print copies of the conference program are available. You should see an option to request this at the time of registration. Program guides can also be purchased at the conference (based on availability). 

  • The conference app (CORE Events) will have the most updated version of the schedule, as things may change during the conference.

• Special Requests and Accommodations: 

  • Requests for specific times are not guaranteed but are more likely to happen if you submit a special time request when you submit your abstract, at the latest by the close of submissions. 

  • Accommodations can be requested with your proposal, specifically for any accommodations needed to be able to present adequately. 

  • At the time of registration, you will also be able to provide any information about further accommodations, including allergies or special meal considerations.  

• If an emergency arises and you cannot attend the conference, please notify your area chair and the Vice President of Programming and Area Chairs, Nicole Freim, immediately. Her email is VPAreaChairs@pcaaca.org.

How to Present

• Is there a template?

  • There is no official PCA template. 

  • It is recommended that you create a PowerPoint or Slidedeck style presentation, with images, to go along with your presentation.

    • ADA information

• What should I bring (laptop, USB drive, etc.)? 

  • Bring your laptop, with the presentation on it. It is a good idea to bring your charger, and potentially a backup of your presentation on a USB. You may also be asked to email the presentation to the panel moderator.

  • If you have a MAC, you will also need to bring an HDMI adapter to be able to connect to the projector. Some may be available to share, but it is not guaranteed. 

• Tips on presenting. 

  • Make sure to include your contact information on a slide in your presentation (email address, blogs, etc). Some members create a QR code with this information.

  • Utilize a PPT style presentation that helps to guide you and your audience. If there are videos, we encourage closed captioning. 

  • Utilize illustrations, colorful graphics, etc., but don’t rely solely on them. 

  • Get to your panel room early and double check your technology. 

  • Check in with the moderator in advance of the conference to clarify any panel specific details (presentation order, if they want all the presentations on their single computer, etc.).

  • Provide a way for the audience members to continue collaborating with you after your presentation, or if you’re comfortable with it, share your slidedeck, sources, or presentables. 

  • Practice your presentation with a timer and pay attention to your time. 

• What to Wear to Present 

• “Nerdy Business Casual” 

  • You will see some presenters in t-shirts and jeans or slacks, in blazers with t-shirts, etc. - You could probably wear this, and it would probably be fine. PCA is a very welcoming conference.

  • Some people will wear more “themed” attire - that is also fine.

  • You can wear anything you would feel comfortable wearing to a job interview and you would not look out of place. This is what most people will be wearing. 

• Other things to consider for presentation:

• AV EQUIPMENT 

  • Audio-Visual equipment available in every conference room at the conference site is as follows: 

    • Large projection screen.

    • Data projector, with connection cables for devices you supply.

    • Wireless WIFI access in all conference rooms.

    • A microphone. PCA asks that all presenters use the microphone, even if the room is small, and even if you think you would not need it. 

    • Bring your own laptop loaded with the software you need. You may also find it useful to get in touch with the other presenters in your session and use one person’s laptop at the session, and simply swap flash drives containing presentation materials. This saves time during the session.

    • MAC users will need to bring their laptops and a special adapter. 

    • At your own expense, you may arrange with the hotel for any special audio-visual equipment that the PCA/ACA does not supply (but be advised that equipment rental is costly). 

• Can [So-and-So] come watch me present?

  • Yes! Anyone who would like to can come watch your presentation, with a non-presenter guest registration. This can be purchased day-of, at the conference registation desk. It can also be purchased online. 

What to do at PCA?

• Here are some pointers for first or second timer attendees, especially:

• Check out the registration desk for PCA swag such as pins, bags, badge ribbons, and more.

• Make it a point to introduce yourself to your area chairs, or other experts in your area(s) of interest.

• Network broadly - Speak to the presenters after the session to share information and opportunities for further connections and collaborations. 

• Make a new friend - Don’t hesitate to talk to the person next to you in a presentation.

• Attend more sessions than just the one in which you present.

  • Attend some of the ones within your area of interest but also attend outside of your area of interest.

  • If your area of interest has a business meeting - attend it. You’ll get a lot of good information from these meetings.

  • Don’t neglect the professional development sessions, as they are full of excellent information and networking opportunities. 

• Attend at least one mixer/social event/town hall or “big” presentation. 

  • The Student Engagement Committee will hold its annual Business Meeting/Mixer, and we would love to meet you. You are WELCOME!

  • The Town Hall is an excellent way to learn a bit more about how the organization works and provide your feedback. 

  • There will be film presentations, Saturday morning cartoons, board game nights, special interest round tables, presentations, and outings based on location or current pop culture events, etc. These events are usually fun and a great way to get to know other folks in various areas. They are also a really nice way to de-stress from the conference while still being at the conference.

• If possible attend one session that is outside of your “area”.

  • Don’t be afraid to ask “silly” questions. One of the gifts of PCA is the camaraderie that scholars have for each other, so ask away.

  • Consider making simple business cards to share with those you meet.

• The Book Room 

  • The book room is a room where publishers will have books for sale - you can peruse the merchandise, speak to publishers, and find out what is currently being published. 

    • These books are sold at a substantial discount during the conference which often drops as the conference goes along.

  • This room will also have seating space, and generally has coffee and tea available for PCA attendees.

  • This is also usually where Calls for Papers (CFPs) will be, on a table somewhere in the room.

• Sometimes, there will be social activities - tours, outings, etc. - to more “touristy” areas in the locale. Check these out if you’re interested.

• Digital Conference Supports

• Download Conference App

• CORE Events - Core Apps Events

• This will include up-to-the-minute changes to the schedule, location changes, updated events.

• You can also schedule your conference on the app, selecting different presentations/events to attend, etc. 

• Utilize the SEC Discord server

  • There will be a specific section for the 2026 Conference on the discord.

  • Ask questions, meet new people, make lunch plans, etc.