Even as in-person opportunities make their way back into our lives, virtual events are still commonplace and likely will be for a long time. Here are four steps that agencies, corporate communication teams, and nonprofits can use to help deliver great online presentations …
Step 1 – Be Prepared
Speaking points and support material should be mostly complete several days prior to the scheduled presentation. This will allow you to dedicate time for rehearsing instead of last-minute content changes (which ALWAYS cause problems for presenters and their technical team).
Pro Tip: Ask your technical team if they have any recommendations or documented best-practices to ensure your presentation materials compliment the platform design.
Step 2 – Plan for Rehearsal
Your technical team should require a rehearsal. It’s an opportunity to test connectivity, make sure everyone is comfortable with the technology, and align with the folks supporting your presenter.
Pro Tip: If there’s no scheduled rehearsal, make sure to be ontime (often 15-45 minutes prior to going live). Late arrivals lead to poor presentations.
Step 3 – Expect to Remodel Your Home or Office … just a little
Presenters want to look and sound great. It’s likely they’ll be asked to reposition the camera, adjust lighting, unplug troublesome devices, etc. These are just a few of the most common situations we help correct:
- Positioning the camera to be near eye level, correctly framed, and void of distractions (Fun Fact: kitchen stools and shoe boxes are the most common elevation devices we’ve seen used)
- Adjust lighting so you are the center of attention … not the sunny window or shiny forehead (Pro Tip: it’s common to steal a lamp from another room to create a studio-like appearance)
- Find an out-of-the-way place and turn off unnecessary devices such as phones and notifications (Pro Tip: be sure to have your charger plugged in BEFORE starting your presentation)
Step 4 – Get to Know Your Technical Production Partner
Developing a relationship with the folks supporting you leads to better presentations. In a lot of cases, they want to understand you, the culture of your organization, and your expected outcomes for the presentation in order to deliver an extraordinary result.
Pro Tip: Partnering with a technical team that shares your culture and attention to detail is critically important to your mutual success. If your current partner doesn’t feel like a perfect fit, there’s no harm in researching others.
The difference between average and great is dependent on a few simple steps. Online presentation workflow will be with us for the foreseeable future so embrace it and make every presentation great!
At Encompass, we have unique backgrounds that situate us perfectly to produce high end and complex offerings. We’ve worked in broadcast television, touring entertainment, live sporting events, and countless convention facilities across the country.
We have technical design experience and a disciplined process in place that allows us to easily scale events and shift from in-person to virtual without angst. There isn’t much that’s beyond our scope and we love the intensity of putting on events!
If you’re a planner working to create an event, seeking help with virtual event technology, or simply want to learn more … we can help! Sign up below to receive our updates (we promise to keep your contact information secure and won’t “overshare”).