11. Great Presentations - secrets - great lighting

Secrets of successful corporate presentations. Great lighting and careful staging really matters for larger events. Keep powerpoint slides simple. How to use powerpoint. Secret of great keynote conference speeches. How to give great lectures. Powerful presentation tools and tips. How to use Powerpoint. How to reach an audience. Connect with audience emotion. Understand needs of audience. Watch audience responses. Keep close to event organisers. Prepare very carefully. Adapt key messages. Take care over humour, jokes and culture. Guide, conference preparation tips and tools. How to win an audience over. Keep messages simple and relevant. Guide to great presentations by Patrick Dixon, Futurist and keynote conference speaker -- has spoken to audiences in 50 nations, up to 4 countries a week, 30-2000 people each time, and ranked as one of the most influential business thinkers alive today.
Presentations, lectures, conference, powerpoint, keynote, speech, event, workshop, seminar, prepare, success, tools, guide. Communicating with audiences.

8. Powerpoint Secrets of Great Presentations

Secrets of successful corporate presentations. Keep powerpoint slides simple. How to use powerpoint. Secret of great keynote conference speeches. How to give great lectures. Powerful presentation tools and tips. How to use Powerpoint. How to reach an audience. Connect with audience emotion. Understand needs of audience. Watch audience responses. Keep close to event organisers. Prepare very carefully. Adapt key messages. Take care over humour, jokes and culture. Guide, conference preparation tips and tools. How to win an audience over. Keep messages simple and relevant. Guide to great presentations by Patrick Dixon, Futurist and keynote conference speaker -- has spoken to audiences in 50 nations, up to 4 countries a week, 30-2000 people each time, and ranked as one of the most influential business thinkers alive today.
Presentations, lectures, conference, powerpoint, keynote, speech, event, workshop, seminar, prepare, success, tools, guide. Communicating with audiences.

10 Allow Questions - secrets of great presentations

How to give great presentations -- part 10. Allow questions. Secret of great keynote conference speeches. How to give great lectures. Powerful presentation tools and tips. How to use Powerpoint. How to reach an audience. Connect with audience emotion. Understand needs of audience. Watch audience responses. Keep close to event organisers. Prepare very carefully. Adapt key messages. Take care over humour, jokes and culture. Guide, conference preparation tips and tools. How to win an audience over. Keep messages simple and relevant. Guide to great presentations by Patrick Dixon, Futurist and keynote conference speaker -- has spoken to audiences in 50 nations, up to 4 countries a week, 30-2000 people each time, and ranked as one of the most influential business thinkers alive today.
Presentations, lectures, conference, powerpoint, keynote, speech, event, workshop, seminar, prepare, success, tools, guide

9. Fit into whole programme: secrets of great presentations

How to give great presentations -- part 9. Keep your key messages in context of whole event. Secret of great keynote conference speeches. How to give great lectures. Powerful presentation tools and tips. How to use Powerpoint. How to reach an audience. Connect with audience emotion. Understand needs of audience. Watch audience responses. Keep close to event organisers. Prepare very carefully. Adapt key messages. Take care over humour, jokes and culture. Guide, conference preparation tips and tools. How to win an audience over. Keep messages simple and relevant. Guide to great presentations by Patrick Dixon, Futurist and keynote conference speaker -- has spoken to audiences in 50 nations, up to 4 countries a week, 30-2000 people each time, and ranked as one of the most influential business thinkers alive today.
Presentations, lectures, conference, powerpoint, keynote, speech, event, workshop, seminar, prepare, success, tools, guide

7. Use lots of energy! Secrets of great presentations

How to give great presentations -- part 7. Use lots of energy. Secret of great keynote conference speeches. How to give great lectures. Powerful presentation tools and tips. How to use Powerpoint. How to reach an audience. Connect with audience emotion. Understand needs of audience. Watch audience responses. Keep close to event organisers. Prepare very carefully. Adapt key messages. Take care over humour, jokes and culture. Guide, conference preparation tips and tools. How to win an audience over. Keep messages simple and relevant. Guide to great presentations by Patrick Dixon, Futurist and keynote conference speaker -- has spoken to audiences in 50 nations, up to 4 countries a week, 30-2000 people each time, and ranked as one of the most influential business thinkers alive today.
Presentations, lectures, conference, powerpoint, keynote, speech, event, workshop, seminar, prepare, success, tools, guide

6 Move around -- secrets of great presentations

How to give great presentations -- part 6. Movement is a really powerful way to keep audience focussed. Secret of great keynote conference speeches. How to give great lectures. Powerful presentation tools and tips. How to use Powerpoint. How to reach an audience. Connect with audience emotion. Understand needs of audience. Watch audience responses. Keep close to event organisers. Prepare very carefully. Adapt key messages. Take care over humour, jokes and culture. Guide, conference preparation tips and tools. How to win an audience over. Keep messages simple and relevant. Guide to great presentations by Patrick Dixon, Futurist and keynote conference speaker -- has spoken to audiences in 50 nations, up to 4 countries a week, 30-2000 people each time, and ranked as one of the most influential business thinkers alive today.
Presentations, lectures, conference, powerpoint, keynote, speech, event, workshop, seminar, prepare, success, tools, guide

4 Watch your audience -- secrets of great presentations

How to give great presentations -- part 4. Watch your audience. Secret of great keynote conference speeches. How to give great lectures. Powerful presentation tools and tips. How to use Powerpoint. How to reach an audience. Connect with audience emotion. Understand needs of audience. Watch audience responses. Keep close to event organisers. Prepare very carefully. Adapt key messages. Take care over humour, jokes and culture. Guide, conference preparation tips and tools. How to win an audience over. Keep messages simple and relevant. Guide to great presentations by Patrick Dixon, Futurist and keynote conference speaker -- has spoken to audiences in 50 nations, up to 4 countries a week, 30-2000 people each time, and ranked as one of the most influential business thinkers alive today.
Presentations, lectures, conference, powerpoint, keynote, speech, event, workshop, seminar, prepare, success, tools, guide

4 Watch your audience -- secrets of great presentations

How to give great presentations -- part 4. Watch your audience. Secret of great keynote conference speeches. How to give great lectures. Powerful presentation tools and tips. How to use Powerpoint. How to reach an audience. Connect with audience emotion. Understand needs of audience. Watch audience responses. Keep close to event organisers. Prepare very carefully. Adapt key messages. Take care over humour, jokes and culture. Guide, conference preparation tips and tools. How to win an audience over. Keep messages simple and relevant. Guide to great presentations by Patrick Dixon, Futurist and keynote conference speaker -- has spoken to audiences in 50 nations, up to 4 countries a week, 30-2000 people each time, and ranked as one of the most influential business thinkers alive today.
Presentations, lectures, conference, powerpoint, keynote, speech, event, workshop, seminar, prepare, success, tools, guide

2 Know Your Audience -- secrets of great presentations

How to give great presentations -- part 2. Know Your Audience. Secret of great keynote conference speeches. How to give great lectures. Powerful presentation tools and tips. How to use Powerpoint. How to reach an audience. Connect with audience emotion. Understand needs of audience. Watch audience responses. Keep close to event organisers. Prepare very carefully. Adapt key messages. Take care over humour, jokes and culture. Guide, conference preparation tips and tools. How to win an audience over. Keep messages simple and relevant. Guide to great presentations by Patrick Dixon, Futurist and keynote conference speaker -- has spoken to audiences in 50 nations, up to 4 countries a week, 30-2000 people each time, and ranked as one of the most influential business thinkers alive today.
Presentations, lectures, conference, powerpoint, keynote, speech, event, workshop, seminar, prepare, success, tools, guide

Tips for conference organisers

Do make sure that the conference venue is easy to get to by a variety of routes – especially if the conference is relatively short.  I went to speak at a conference in the Lake District today (Northern England) – beautiful setting by Lake Windermere but no airports anywhere near and roads in and out are slow. Fastest rail to London over three hours.

 

Delightful of course once you arrive, but limiting for an international event (the participants were almost all from the UK and many from the North.

 

 

Conference speakers need proper briefing

Many conference organisers have only an outline in their mind when they first start to look for speakers to fill their programmes. Great ideas develop best together, and the strongest corporate events often come out of early conversations with world class thinkers, about what the biggest issues will be for participants in a few months time.

All great conferences are meeting points between the organising team, their faculty of speakers and participants.

The most important thing is to know what you want out of the event, what take home messages you want people to have in their minds as the event closes, and what you want them to remember in a year or two.

The next most important thing is to line up your biggest speakers as early as possible. People who have a great reputation for delivering wonderful, provocative, thought-provoking and entertaining presentations.

One reason for early action is that diaries get booked up a long time ahead. Another reason is that they will bring with them vital insights which will help your conference develop - at least that is what you hope. The best speakers at conferences are usually team players whose greatest concern is the wider success of your event, rather than just their own time slot. They get involved, they make themselves available before and after their own sessions, and contribute in many other subtle ways to the atmosphere of the event.

Try to avoid speakers who seem to have no interest in you or your event apart from turning up (briefly) to give a their standard message and getting paid.
Audiences can tell the difference and you will too.