After a grueling year of details, planning, programming, logistics, travel, and last-minute changes, your conference date is finally here, and attendees are arriving with high expectations for an informative and entertaining event. You’ve finalized sessions and presenters based on topical relevance and professional expertise. But, are your speakers as prepared as you are? How can you be sure your presenters/speakers will entertain, engage, educate and delight your audience?
One way to ensure your conference is a success is to engage a presentation specialist – an individual or team who will work with your speakers individually, to ensure they deliver an engaging presentation with strength and confidence.
Optimally, a professional presentation specialist should begin working with your speaker’s months in advance. Initially, virtual training can be conducted via webinar or video conference call tools and can provide guidelines on slide development, presentation flow, effective use of imagery, and overall delivery. As the conference date gets closer, training continues with a combination of in-person meetings, video conference calls, editing, and rehearsals, yes – we said rehearsals, to provide each speaker with individualized feedback to maximize the experience the audience will have. As the conference date arrives, final onsite presentation preparation begins with a review of final slides and a complete dress rehearsal to ensure that the speaker is prepared, and the final presentation remains on message.
Providing professional speaker preparation is a conference differentiator. It can mean the difference between presentations that fall flat, and an event which excites, entertains, and engages your attendees.
Our presentation specialist works with our clients to insure that their sessions are exception, but what we hear time after time is that the training he provides carries over into so many other areas of their careers that it truly is an invaluable experience!
Learn more about preparing your speakers to speak by checking out TED’s recommendations in their “Prepare your speakers + performers” article. Here’s a preview:
Your speaker’s outline and script will be a multiple draft process, so be prepared to guide them through it.
Slides are a significant part of a speaker’s talk, so you want to make sure they create the most impressive slides possible.
Your speakers should be taking weeks or months to rehearse and memorize their talk. Learn more about speaker coaching, and how to spot warning signs that a speaker isn’t prepared.
TEDx speakers have just as much pressure as you do on the day of your TEDx event, so it’s critical to make them feel nurtured and excited.