An open letter to meeting professionals. Courtesy of Christine Cashen.
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Yes, it is important to hire a dynamic, interesting and fun speaker who has great content. No kidding, right?!? It isn't enough. You can have the best speaker in the world, but if the audience can’t see, can’t hear and is distracted then your entire investment may end up in the tank. Help us help you get the most out of your speaker investment.
Ask For A Raise
- A raised platform is preferred if you have more than 50 people. This will give audience members a clear, unobstructed view of the speaker. Don't make your audience bob and weave; although it is a good ab workout.
- Let the speaker know the drape color. A black suit against a black background makes someone look like a dancing head on an IMAG projection screen.
Stellar Set-Up
- Set chairs to face the longest wall (i.e., set the room wide, not narrow like a bowling alley).
- Do not use a center aisle (prime viewing space). Instead, use two smaller aisles on either side of the center and chevron the seats. Google it.
- Seat the audience as close to each other and as close to the speaker (six feet is ideal) as possible with each chair facing center stage. I once had a dance floor in front of the stage. It was hard to get energy over the "grand canyon."
- Match the number of chairs to the number of people. Keep extra chairs stacked-up at the back of the room to avoid empty seats. Energy is higher when everyone is packed in the room - as long as no fire codes are broken.
Agenda Awareness
- If you have agenda items lasting more than 30 minutes prior to your speaker’s presentation, consider giving the audience a brief stretch break before the introduction.
- Please do not announce any bad news before your speaker. "Sorry to tell you that our beloved Hal passed away yesterday. And now, please welcome our hilarious speaker... Christine Cashen!"
- Get the speaker to give you an introduction in advance, and please read it without saying things like, "The speaker gave me this to read to you," or adding your own commentary. I once had a client read my intro and add, "she is also easy on the eyes." Ugh!
Can You Hear Me Now?
- Make sure the speaker has a scheduled AV check. Nothing is worse than having people get up to tap the microphone or for the audience to get slammed with ear-splitting feedback . Well, there are worse things, but this is not a good first impression.
- Misplaced lavaliere microphones and old batteries in the pack can kill sound quality.
- Have the AV people stick around to make microphone level adjustments, if needed.
Get Lit
- Make sure the entire room is well lit and that the audience is NOT. What I mean is that open bars and excessive drinking before a program can be problematic. Save the spirits for after the show. Please. Also, if spotlights are available, consider firing them up! When the presenter is illuminated more than the audience, listeners can hear better and are less distracted.
These are just a few tips to make your meeting the best it can be. Of course, you still need to pick the right speaker. :)
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