Video And Meeting Presentation Tips For Newbies
I'm an A-V Geek, and for thirty years, I've sweated the big and
small stuff as a producer of meetings, conferences, and sales
rallies. During that time I have developed a checklist of five
special "secrets" I use to insure that the meeting media will go
right. Go right? You see, the customer has paid big bucks for
the video or multimedia piece that will help the crowd shake off
the cobwebs (or hangovers) and get focused on the goals, spirit
and business of the meeting. I want my client to love the video,
and the only way the client will love it is if the audience
loves it.
Well, you can bring in Christopher Walken floating on air, and
if the room isn't right, the audience will be distracted and
that major piece of genius the client contracted will be snoozed
through, ignored, or poo-poo'd for reasons that have nothing to
do with the quality of the media.
It's all in the room. It's a group experience, and just like in
a movie theater, many things come together to make the
experience right.
Tip One: Let the video be seen.
You have to create a theatrical experience. Using a TV Monitor,
or even a large computer monitor for audiences over 5 or 10
people is folly.
Video projectors are cheap to rent or buy, and they help create
the movie theater experience audiences expect. Remember, some
people in the audience may have better home theaters than the
environment you create.
The hotel's a-v tech can help, or your staff a-v squad member
can lend a hand. Screens beginning at 4x6 feet work for crowds
if up to 25 people; after that, you'll be looking at 6x8, or for
much larger crowds, 12x16' or larger (much larger than that and
you're not reading this article, anyway.)
Tip Two: The sound should be as "BIG" as the video.
This is true even if your meeting is just a sales call between
you and a prospect in a closet-sized office. Sound is your
secret weapon. Words should be understood, music should be felt,
and emotions should be driven-- just like in the movies. Bring
along those portable speakers, or in a larger meeting, rent a
really good stereo sound system to make sure your audience is
enveloped in the words and music you or your producer created.
Tip Three: Control the lights.
Imagine a movie theater where they leave the lights on. Pretty
weird, right? Now think about your meeting. To maximize the
impact of your media, you need the picture to be seen, and your
audience to feel comfortable reacting to what's on the screen.
There's no room for a person to feel self-conscious about
laughing, applauding, or even crying. Only in the anonymity of
the darkened room will they truly react to your message and
internalize its meaning. Shutter the windows. Turn off
florescent lights (they're a real meeting killer). Slowly fade
the room lights as the video begins.
Tip Four: Rehearse.
Run through the technical aspects of what we've discussed. Know
when the video is supposed to roll, when the PowerPoint is
supposed to be played, and practice switching, dimming the
lights, adjusting the sound (both in volume and EQ), and
switching between the inputs if necessary. You don't want to be
stumbling instead of speaking, and if you're behind the scenes,
you don't want the speaker calling you out for being asleep at
the switch (you'd be nasty too if you were left hanging there
with nothing to say or do while the a-v guy is farting around
with the media in the back of the room.)
Tip Five: Use the Letterman effect.
In short, chill the room. David Letterman runs his studio at 60
degrees. It keeps him and his audience sharp. I'm not saying
keep it that cold, but if you have more than 50 people, you have
an audience that is a walking furnace. Body Heat is real, and
many bodies mean a warm room. While the room may seem
comfortable to you at 7:00 am, at 8:00 am attendees may be
sweltering, because you didn't anticipate how the room would
warm. A warm room means sleepy viewers. Sleepy viewers don't
applaud, will not retain your message, won't get excited or
enthused, or may not even keep their eyes open. When you walk in
the room, feel the room. Is it slightly chilly to you? Good. Is
it quite comfortable? Bad. And don't wait until it gets too hot.
When you need to lower the temperature, the hotel contact will
be no where to be found, and even when they do grace you with
their presence, it will take a good hour to "chill" the room.
The walls retain heat. So do people.
I know these tips will work, since I discovered them by real
life experience. I've seen great media play poorly because the
shades were open and the room was warm. I've been yelled at by
the presenter. I've fumbled around in the back while Mr. Rome
burned.
But once I adopted these five basics, things began going my way.
The videos were the same, but suddenly, people were applauding.
That's what I call cheap insurance.