Got an important presentation?
Please make sure you get there early!
Or visit the room in advance.
Last year I was working with a client for a major conference.
We had seen plenty of pictures (and a video) of the room so we had a reasonable idea of the layout.
We arrived early and started the rehearsal.
As soon as the PowerPoint slides hit the screen, something problematic became obvious.
You could not see the slides if you were sitting in the front row.
Or the second row!
The height of the long desk that ran across the stage blocked the view.
And it turned out the desk was fixed to the floor, so could not be moved.
There were 120 seats in that room – 20 of them were defunct as a result.
Not only that, but the 20 seats in question were the seats closest to the speaker.
We had a few hours until the event started, so we were able to make adjustments.
We blocked off the front two rows.
We added 20 seats at the back.
We got my client to start the presentation from in front of the desk, in order help them connect with the audience.
And we also ensured my client tried other engagement strategies from the stage, to compensate for the empty rows at the front.
The end result…
A very successful presentation and a happy client.
It would have been far tougher to make those adjustments at short notice.
Remember, everything might not go to plan or work as you may wish it to on the day.
So, get there early.
Or visit the room in advance.
Or both!
Looking for more tips and guidance for future presentations – check out the following article on…
