5 ways to prepare for Event season

Event season can be a manic time of year. Your calendar is full and your team is stretched – you certainly don’t have time to be perfecting your presentation techniques. That’s why now is the perfect time to prepare. Presentations are central to many of your events.

Whether it is a key note presentation, a roadshow deck or simply a welcome address – presentations are a key piece of content. Get it right – and you’ll make a great impression. But, a poor presentation could be the downfall of your entire event. Here are five easy ways to prepare for presentation perfection this event season.

Team Work

Before event season gets into full swing, it’s time to focus on collaboration to ensure consistency. Often, event presentations are last-minute jobs. Old decks are muddled together and a quick script is drafted. Maybe your business used to have a presentation strategy and training – but it’s probably outdated and idealistic. That’s why it’s time to collaboratively plan your presentations, together.

Team work is one of the best ways to prepare for event season. Invest in some team-wide presentation workshop days to help everyone think about the best way to write, design and deliver. This strategy ensures consistent and on-brand presentations from everyone when event season rolls around.

Define your Big Idea

What is your Unique Selling Point? Pre-event season is the time to define this and think about the best way to communicate it. That way, every event presentation will hit the mark. Plus, as event season begins, you need to think of a seasonal ‘big idea’ which sits inside your USP. Do some research about the latest trends and themes within your industry – and think about your big idea.

For example, if ‘future of the workforce’ seem to be a popular theme this event season – think about what your unique angle on this them is. Your big idea for the event season stems from your USP and can serve to unite all your presentations. Think of it as a tag-line for your event season, tying all content together in a subtle yet powerful way.

Train your Speakers

This event season, you need your presenters to represent you well.  As they carry your brand to different audiences and industries, they should be confident and capable. One of the best ways you can prepare for event season is by training your speakers.

Give yourself an advantage by investing in high quality speakers who are excellent ambassadors for you. There’s nothing worse than a boring or ill-prepared speaker giving you a bad reputation on the event circuit.

Public speaking and presentation training is an investment worth making. Get all your potential speakers into training now, to ensure a successful event season.

Re-think Presentations

When it comes to event presentations, it is easy to get stuck in a rut. You probably have a slide deck which you have been using for years, adjusting it slightly for each event. But, is this presentation really doing your business justice?

Presentations should be impactful in every way. The content should be relatable and engaging. The design should be dynamic on-brand and thought-provoking. Transitions should be smooth and imagery up to date. Is this the case? If not, it’s time to re-think your presentations – before event season hits. This is a piece of preparation you won’t forget.

Matching Collateral

Events often require a take-home or hand-out to accompany your presentation. Perhaps you even want a whitepaper to provide your audience with extra information. Pre-event season is the ideal time to get all your ducks in a row by preparing your communications collateral.

A high-quality presentation needs high quality collateral. Make sure that all your ‘extras’ match in design, tone of voice and content. Consistency is the key to providing real impact for your audience.

Event season can be a whirlwind for many of us. Organising speakers and writing presentations can easily turn into a major stress. That’s why now is the time to prepare! Taking the time to invest as a team in your messaging, speakers and collateral is the best recipe for success. Walk into every event confident in your brand’s ability to communicate key ideas with impact.

Written by Emma Bannister.

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