When you create a presentation, you want your content to be compelling. The PowerPoint slides should meet high standards and your preparation will be as professional as possible. For your audience, it’s the overall impression that counts. Everything should fit together to create a harmonious overall picture. However, all efforts will be undone if the location does not match the lecture externally or has serious deficiencies. Therefore, choose the lecture room carefully.
The premises should fit the presentation theme
Imagine you have to give a presentation on the latest technological developments to important decision makers. The event is to be held in the premises of the local technical college. When they arrive at the venue you learn that they have reserved an old auditorium for your presentation that has not seen a renovation in the last twenty years. The building services are outdated, the upholstery of the seating worn. In this atmosphere, you are now to swear your audience in to high-tech. Even if your presentation is good, the location will likely cause irritation and ultimately be blamed on you. Everything has to fit together in a successful presentation, and that includes the venue and its equipment.
Check in advance whether the event rooms meet the requirements
Both you and your audience have certain requirements for an event space. Professional preparation for a presentation also includes checking the venue and its infrastructure. You risk losing the overall impact of your presentation if the audience can’t follow your talk because of poor acoustics, or if they can’t find a parking space nearby. Ultimately, it scratches at your reputation if your audience is unhappy with the location. If it goes very badly, all your effort with the presentation was completely wasted, because the audience is annoyed by the external circumstances and does not listen properly at all or leaves earlier.
To make your presentation a complete success, you should pay attention to these things
Create a checklist and review the following questions before inviting people to an event.
Locality:
1. is the place easily accessible by car or public transport?
2. does the location fit the presentation topic in terms of architecture and equipment?
3. are there enough parking spaces in the immediate vicinity?
4. is the event room easy to find, or do signs need to be installed?
5. are there other events in the same building at the same time?
6. is there a janitor or building manager on site as a contact person?
7. is a key needed for the room, where is it deposited?
The lecture room:
8. is there a technician to help you set up computer, projector and sound?
9. is the lighting sufficient?
10. can the room be darkened?
11. does technical equipment have to be brought along?
12. are there enough seats for the expected spectators?
13. are there barriers such as pillars that obstruct the view?
14. are the slides easy to read even in the back row of the audience?
15. are a stage and a lectern available?
16.is a flipchart needed? Is one available? Pens?
17. can all audience members hear the speaker at normal volume or is a microphone needed?
18. is catering required? Who organizes this and where can a buffet be set up?
19. where are the toilets located?
20. is a wardrobe needed (especially important in winter)? Are coat check attendants required?
21. can the room temperature be regulated?
If content, speaker and location harmonize properly , you will reach and convince your audience with your messages.
Dipl.-Wirtsch.-Informatiker Matthias Garten as the expert for multimedia presentations and professional PowerPoint presentations knows about the art of professional slide design. He is an entrepreneur, speaker (TOP 100 Speaker), trainer (TOP 100 Excellence Trainer), multiple book author, presentation coach (presentation training), member of the GSA and Club 55, organizer of the Presentation Conference, Presentation Bootcamp and Presentation Rocket Day. In addition to PowerPoint and presentation training, he inspires and advises companies to present themselves even more effectively and thus stand out from competitors. He is the business owner of the presentation and PowerPoint agency smavicon Best Business Presentations and with his team has created over 15,000 professional PowerPoint presentations for over 150 industries since 1993.
