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How to Structure your Presentation, with Examples
August 3, 2018 - Dom Barnard
For many people the thought of delivering a presentation is a daunting task and brings about a great deal of nerves . However, if you take some time to understand how effective presentations are structured and then apply this structure to your own presentation, you’ll appear much more confident and relaxed.
Here is our complete guide for structuring your presentation, with examples at the end of the article to demonstrate these points.
Why is structuring a presentation so important?
If you’ve ever sat through a great presentation, you’ll have left feeling either inspired or informed on a given topic. This isn’t because the speaker was the most knowledgeable or motivating person in the world. Instead, it’s because they know how to structure presentations – they have crafted their message in a logical and simple way that has allowed the audience can keep up with them and take away key messages.
Research has supported this, with studies showing that audiences retain structured information 40% more accurately than unstructured information.
In fact, not only is structuring a presentation important for the benefit of the audience’s understanding, it’s also important for you as the speaker. A good structure helps you remain calm, stay on topic, and avoid any awkward silences.
What will affect your presentation structure?
Generally speaking, there is a natural flow that any decent presentation will follow which we will go into shortly. However, you should be aware that all presentation structures will be different in their own unique way and this will be due to a number of factors, including:
- Whether you need to deliver any demonstrations
- How knowledgeable the audience already is on the given subject
- How much interaction you want from the audience
- Any time constraints there are for your talk
- What setting you are in
- Your ability to use any kinds of visual assistance
Before choosing the presentation’s structure answer these questions first:
- What is your presentation’s aim?
- Who are the audience?
- What are the main points your audience should remember afterwards?
When reading the points below, think critically about what things may cause your presentation structure to be slightly different. You can add in certain elements and add more focus to certain moments if that works better for your speech.
What is the typical presentation structure?
This is the usual flow of a presentation, which covers all the vital sections and is a good starting point for yours. It allows your audience to easily follow along and sets out a solid structure you can add your content to.
1. Greet the audience and introduce yourself
Before you start delivering your talk, introduce yourself to the audience and clarify who you are and your relevant expertise. This does not need to be long or incredibly detailed, but will help build an immediate relationship between you and the audience. It gives you the chance to briefly clarify your expertise and why you are worth listening to. This will help establish your ethos so the audience will trust you more and think you’re credible.
Read our tips on How to Start a Presentation Effectively
2. Introduction
In the introduction you need to explain the subject and purpose of your presentation whilst gaining the audience’s interest and confidence. It’s sometimes helpful to think of your introduction as funnel-shaped to help filter down your topic:
- Introduce your general topic
- Explain your topic area
- State the issues/challenges in this area you will be exploring
- State your presentation’s purpose – this is the basis of your presentation so ensure that you provide a statement explaining how the topic will be treated, for example, “I will argue that…” or maybe you will “compare”, “analyse”, “evaluate”, “describe” etc.
- Provide a statement of what you’re hoping the outcome of the presentation will be, for example, “I’m hoping this will be provide you with…”
- Show a preview of the organisation of your presentation
In this section also explain:
- The length of the talk.
- Signal whether you want audience interaction – some presenters prefer the audience to ask questions throughout whereas others allocate a specific section for this.
- If it applies, inform the audience whether to take notes or whether you will be providing handouts.
The way you structure your introduction can depend on the amount of time you have been given to present: a sales pitch may consist of a quick presentation so you may begin with your conclusion and then provide the evidence. Conversely, a speaker presenting their idea for change in the world would be better suited to start with the evidence and then conclude what this means for the audience.
Keep in mind that the main aim of the introduction is to grab the audience’s attention and connect with them.
3. The main body of your talk
The main body of your talk needs to meet the promises you made in the introduction. Depending on the nature of your presentation, clearly segment the different topics you will be discussing, and then work your way through them one at a time – it’s important for everything to be organised logically for the audience to fully understand. There are many different ways to organise your main points, such as, by priority, theme, chronologically etc.
- Main points should be addressed one by one with supporting evidence and examples.
- Before moving on to the next point you should provide a mini-summary.
- Links should be clearly stated between ideas and you must make it clear when you’re moving onto the next point.
- Allow time for people to take relevant notes and stick to the topics you have prepared beforehand rather than straying too far off topic.
When planning your presentation write a list of main points you want to make and ask yourself “What I am telling the audience? What should they understand from this?” refining your answers this way will help you produce clear messages.
4. Conclusion
In presentations the conclusion is frequently underdeveloped and lacks purpose which is a shame as it’s the best place to reinforce your messages. Typically, your presentation has a specific goal – that could be to convert a number of the audience members into customers, lead to a certain number of enquiries to make people knowledgeable on specific key points, or to motivate them towards a shared goal.
Regardless of what that goal is, be sure to summarise your main points and their implications. This clarifies the overall purpose of your talk and reinforces your reason for being there.
Follow these steps:
- Signal that it’s nearly the end of your presentation, for example, “As we wrap up/as we wind down the talk…”
- Restate the topic and purpose of your presentation – “In this speech I wanted to compare…”
- Summarise the main points, including their implications and conclusions
- Indicate what is next/a call to action/a thought-provoking takeaway
- Move on to the last section
5. Thank the audience and invite questions
Conclude your talk by thanking the audience for their time and invite them to ask any questions they may have. As mentioned earlier, personal circumstances will affect the structure of your presentation.
Many presenters prefer to make the Q&A session the key part of their talk and try to speed through the main body of the presentation. This is totally fine, but it is still best to focus on delivering some sort of initial presentation to set the tone and topics for discussion in the Q&A.
Other common presentation structures
The above was a description of a basic presentation, here are some more specific presentation layouts:
Demonstration
Use the demonstration structure when you have something useful to show. This is usually used when you want to show how a product works. Steve Jobs frequently used this technique in his presentations.
- Explain why the product is valuable.
- Describe why the product is necessary.
- Explain what problems it can solve for the audience.
- Demonstrate the product to support what you’ve been saying.
- Make suggestions of other things it can do to make the audience curious.
Problem-solution
This structure is particularly useful in persuading the audience.
- Briefly frame the issue.
- Go into the issue in detail showing why it ‘s such a problem. Use logos and pathos for this – the logical and emotional appeals.
- Provide the solution and explain why this would also help the audience.
- Call to action – something you want the audience to do which is straightforward and pertinent to the solution.
Storytelling
As well as incorporating stories in your presentation , you can organise your whole presentation as a story. There are lots of different type of story structures you can use – a popular choice is the monomyth – the hero’s journey. In a monomyth, a hero goes on a difficult journey or takes on a challenge – they move from the familiar into the unknown. After facing obstacles and ultimately succeeding the hero returns home, transformed and with newfound wisdom.
Storytelling for Business Success webinar , where well-know storyteller Javier Bernad shares strategies for crafting compelling narratives.
Another popular choice for using a story to structure your presentation is in media ras (in the middle of thing). In this type of story you launch right into the action by providing a snippet/teaser of what’s happening and then you start explaining the events that led to that event. This is engaging because you’re starting your story at the most exciting part which will make the audience curious – they’ll want to know how you got there.
- Great storytelling: Examples from Alibaba Founder, Jack Ma
Remaining method
The remaining method structure is good for situations where you’re presenting your perspective on a controversial topic which has split people’s opinions.
- Go into the issue in detail showing why it’s such a problem – use logos and pathos.
- Rebut your opponents’ solutions – explain why their solutions could be useful because the audience will see this as fair and will therefore think you’re trustworthy, and then explain why you think these solutions are not valid.
- After you’ve presented all the alternatives provide your solution, the remaining solution. This is very persuasive because it looks like the winning idea, especially with the audience believing that you’re fair and trustworthy.
Transitions
When delivering presentations it’s important for your words and ideas to flow so your audience can understand how everything links together and why it’s all relevant. This can be done using speech transitions which are words and phrases that allow you to smoothly move from one point to another so that your speech flows and your presentation is unified.
Transitions can be one word, a phrase or a full sentence – there are many different forms, here are some examples:
Moving from the introduction to the first point
Signify to the audience that you will now begin discussing the first main point:
- Now that you’re aware of the overview, let’s begin with…
- First, let’s begin with…
- I will first cover…
- My first point covers…
- To get started, let’s look at…
Shifting between similar points
Move from one point to a similar one:
- In the same way…
- Likewise…
- Equally…
- This is similar to…
- Similarly…
Internal summaries
Internal summarising consists of summarising before moving on to the next point. You must inform the audience:
- What part of the presentation you covered – “In the first part of this speech we’ve covered…”
- What the key points were – “Precisely how…”
- How this links in with the overall presentation – “So that’s the context…”
- What you’re moving on to – “Now I’d like to move on to the second part of presentation which looks at…”
Physical movement
You can move your body and your standing location when you transition to another point. The audience find it easier to follow your presentation and movement will increase their interest.
A common technique for incorporating movement into your presentation is to:
- Start your introduction by standing in the centre of the stage.
- For your first point you stand on the left side of the stage.
- You discuss your second point from the centre again.
- You stand on the right side of the stage for your third point.
- The conclusion occurs in the centre.
Key slides for your presentation
Slides are a useful tool for most presentations: they can greatly assist in the delivery of your message and help the audience follow along with what you are saying. Key slides include:
- An intro slide outlining your ideas
- A summary slide with core points to remember
- High quality image slides to supplement what you are saying
There are some presenters who choose not to use slides at all, though this is more of a rarity. Slides can be a powerful tool if used properly, but the problem is that many fail to do just that. Here are some golden rules to follow when using slides in a presentation:
- Don’t over fill them – your slides are there to assist your speech, rather than be the focal point. They should have as little information as possible, to avoid distracting people from your talk.
- A picture says a thousand words – instead of filling a slide with text, instead, focus on one or two images or diagrams to help support and explain the point you are discussing at that time.
- Make them readable – depending on the size of your audience, some may not be able to see small text or images, so make everything large enough to fill the space.
- Don’t rush through slides – give the audience enough time to digest each slide.
Guy Kawasaki, an entrepreneur and author, suggests that slideshows should follow a 10-20-30 rule :
- There should be a maximum of 10 slides – people rarely remember more than one concept afterwards so there’s no point overwhelming them with unnecessary information.
- The presentation should last no longer than 20 minutes as this will leave time for questions and discussion.
- The font size should be a minimum of 30pt because the audience reads faster than you talk so less information on the slides means that there is less chance of the audience being distracted.
Here are some additional resources for slide design:
- 7 design tips for effective, beautiful PowerPoint presentations
- 11 design tips for beautiful presentations
- 10 tips on how to make slides that communicate your idea
Group Presentations
Group presentations are structured in the same way as presentations with one speaker but usually require more rehearsal and practices. Clean transitioning between speakers is very important in producing a presentation that flows well. One way of doing this consists of:
- Briefly recap on what you covered in your section: “So that was a brief introduction on what health anxiety is and how it can affect somebody”
- Introduce the next speaker in the team and explain what they will discuss: “Now Elnaz will talk about the prevalence of health anxiety.”
- Then end by looking at the next speaker, gesturing towards them and saying their name: “Elnaz”.
- The next speaker should acknowledge this with a quick: “Thank you Joe.”
From this example you can see how the different sections of the presentations link which makes it easier for the audience to follow and remain engaged.
Example of great presentation structure and delivery
Having examples of great presentations will help inspire your own structures, here are a few such examples, each unique and inspiring in their own way.
How Google Works – by Eric Schmidt
This presentation by ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt demonstrates some of the most important lessons he and his team have learnt with regards to working with some of the most talented individuals they hired. The simplistic yet cohesive style of all of the slides is something to be appreciated. They are relatively straightforward, yet add power and clarity to the narrative of the presentation.
Start with why – by Simon Sinek
Since being released in 2009, this presentation has been viewed almost four million times all around the world. The message itself is very powerful, however, it’s not an idea that hasn’t been heard before. What makes this presentation so powerful is the simple message he is getting across, and the straightforward and understandable manner in which he delivers it. Also note that he doesn’t use any slides, just a whiteboard where he creates a simple diagram of his opinion.
The Wisdom of a Third Grade Dropout – by Rick Rigsby
Here’s an example of a presentation given by a relatively unknown individual looking to inspire the next generation of graduates. Rick’s presentation is unique in many ways compared to the two above. Notably, he uses no visual prompts and includes a great deal of humour.
However, what is similar is the structure he uses. He first introduces his message that the wisest man he knew was a third-grade dropout. He then proceeds to deliver his main body of argument, and in the end, concludes with his message. This powerful speech keeps the viewer engaged throughout, through a mixture of heart-warming sentiment, powerful life advice and engaging humour.
As you can see from the examples above, and as it has been expressed throughout, a great presentation structure means analysing the core message of your presentation. Decide on a key message you want to impart the audience with, and then craft an engaging way of delivering it.
By preparing a solid structure, and practising your talk beforehand, you can walk into the presentation with confidence and deliver a meaningful message to an interested audience.
It’s important for a presentation to be well-structured so it can have the most impact on your audience. An unstructured presentation can be difficult to follow and even frustrating to listen to. The heart of your speech are your main points supported by evidence and your transitions should assist the movement between points and clarify how everything is linked.
Research suggests that the audience remember the first and last things you say so your introduction and conclusion are vital for reinforcing your points. Essentially, ensure you spend the time structuring your presentation and addressing all of the sections.
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How to Plan, Organize, and Manage a Successful Seminar: A Comprehensive Guide
Introduction
Seminars are integral to academic life, providing a platform for knowledge sharing, networking, and professional growth. Whether you're a student, academic, or industry professional, attending a seminar can be a rewarding experience. In this comprehensive guide, we will not only walk you through the steps of planning and executing a successful seminar but also explore the core elements of a seminar, how attendees participate, and the techniques used to foster an engaging learning environment.
What is a Seminar?
A seminar is an interactive event where experts, researchers, or industry professionals gather to present and discuss their ideas, research findings, and experiences within a specific subject area. It typically involves presentations, panel discussions, workshops, and opportunities for networking and collaboration. Seminars can focus on various topics, from academic research to industry trends, and are usually organized around a central theme.
Participation and Interaction in Seminars
Unlike traditional lectures, seminars encourage active participation and interaction among attendees. Participants are encouraged to engage in discussions, ask questions, and share their thoughts. This two-way exchange of ideas creates a dynamic learning environment and enhances the overall learning experience.
Techniques Used in Seminars
To foster an engaging learning environment, various techniques are used in seminars. Some common techniques include:
Panel Discussions
Panels are an essential aspect of seminars, offering a platform for in-depth discussions and diverse perspectives on specific topics. Typically, a panel consists of a group of experts or professionals in the field, each providing insights and analysis. The moderator plays a crucial role in guiding the conversation and ensuring that the discussion remains focused and engaging. Panels are highly interactive, allowing audience members to pose questions and share their views, promoting a dynamic exchange of ideas. To make panels more effective, it's essential to curate a diverse set of panelists with contrasting viewpoints, enabling attendees to gain a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. Panels are especially valuable for shedding light on complex issues, encouraging critical thinking, and fostering meaningful dialogues among participants. As an attendee, participating in panel discussions provides an excellent opportunity to engage directly with industry experts, expand your knowledge, and network with like-minded individuals. For organizers, creating well-balanced and engaging panels can significantly enhance the overall seminar experience, leaving a lasting impact on participants.
Workshops are an integral part of seminar organization, offering a more hands-on and interactive learning experience. Unlike traditional lectures, workshops focus on active participation and skill-building. They are typically led by experienced facilitators or subject matter experts who guide attendees through practical exercises and activities. Workshops provide a unique opportunity for participants to delve into specific topics, hone their skills, and apply theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios. These sessions can range from small group discussions to immersive training sessions, depending on the seminar's objectives. One of the key benefits of workshops is the opportunity for attendees to engage in problem-solving, collaborate with peers, and receive immediate feedback from facilitators. As an organizer, ensuring that workshops are well-structured, relevant, and align with the overall theme of the seminar is crucial. By offering diverse and skill-enhancing workshops, seminar organizers can create a dynamic and enriched learning environment, leaving attendees with practical takeaways and a memorable learning experience.
Group Activities
Group activities are another essential component of a successful seminar, fostering teamwork, collaboration, and networking among participants. These activities aim to break the ice, encourage interaction, and promote a sense of camaraderie among attendees. Depending on the seminar's nature and objectives, group activities can vary widely, from icebreaker games and team-building exercises to group discussions and brainstorming sessions. The key is to create a supportive and inclusive environment where participants feel comfortable sharing their ideas and engaging with others. Group activities not only enhance the overall learning experience but also provide valuable opportunities for attendees to expand their professional networks. As an organizer, incorporating well-designed group activities can add a sense of excitement and fun to the seminar, making it more enjoyable and memorable for everyone involved. By carefully selecting activities that align with the seminar's goals and themes, organizers can ensure that participants leave the event with new connections, fresh perspectives, and a renewed enthusiasm for their academic or professional pursuits.
Q&A Sessions
Q&A sessions are a fundamental element of seminars that allow participants to engage in direct and interactive discussions with speakers or panelists. These sessions provide a valuable opportunity for attendees to seek clarification, share their insights, and delve deeper into the topics presented during the seminar. Q&A sessions are typically scheduled after each presentation or panel discussion, allowing the audience to ask questions related to the content or express their viewpoints.
To make Q&A sessions effective and inclusive, it's crucial for organizers to set clear guidelines and encourage active participation from the audience. Moderators play a vital role in managing the session, ensuring that questions are relevant and respectful, and giving everyone a chance to contribute. Additionally, utilizing technology such as audience response systems or online platforms can facilitate smooth communication and help manage the flow of questions.
Q&A sessions offer an opportunity for speakers and panelists to showcase their expertise, engage with the audience on a personal level, and address any lingering doubts or concerns. From the attendees' perspective, these sessions provide a chance to gain deeper insights, explore different perspectives, and enrich their understanding of the seminar's subject matter.
To enhance the success of Q&A sessions, organizers can encourage participants to submit questions in advance or use real-time polling to identify the most popular topics for discussion. By fostering a supportive and inclusive atmosphere, Q&A sessions can become a dynamic part of the seminar, sparking thought-provoking discussions and creating lasting impressions for all involved.
Interactive Presentations
Interactive presentations are a dynamic and engaging approach to delivering seminar content. Unlike traditional one-way lectures, interactive presentations encourage active participation from the audience, making the learning experience more immersive and memorable. Various techniques can be incorporated into interactive presentations to stimulate audience involvement and foster meaningful interactions.
One popular method is the use of multimedia elements such as videos, images, and audio clips to enhance the presentation's visual appeal and reinforce key points. This approach captivates attendees' attention and ensures a multi-sensory experience, making the content more accessible and easier to comprehend.
Another effective technique is incorporating audience polling or live quizzes during the presentation. This not only keeps participants engaged but also provides instant feedback to presenters, enabling them to tailor the discussion to the audience's interests and understanding level.
Gamification is another innovative approach to creating interactive presentations. By introducing gamified elements like quizzes, challenges, or group activities, the seminar becomes not only educational but also fun and enjoyable. This approach encourages healthy competition among attendees and motivates them to actively participate.
Additionally, interactive presentations can involve breakout sessions where attendees split into smaller groups to discuss specific topics or case studies. This allows for in-depth exploration of ideas and encourages collaboration and knowledge sharing among participants.
The benefits of interactive presentations are manifold. They foster a sense of inclusivity, as participants feel their opinions are valued and heard. The dynamic nature of these presentations helps maintain audience engagement throughout the seminar, leading to better knowledge retention and a more impactful learning experience.
Planning Your Seminar
✔︎ define your objectives.
Clearly outline the goals and objectives of your seminar. Consider the target audience, theme, and desired outcomes.
✔︎ Choose the Right Venue
Select a venue that can accommodate the number of attendees and offers the necessary facilities, such as audio-visual equipment and Wi-Fi.
✔︎ Invite Engaging Speakers
Attract knowledgeable and influential speakers who can add value to your seminar and spark meaningful discussions.
✔︎ Create an Engaging Agenda
Craft a well-balanced agenda with diverse sessions that cater to the interests of your participants.
✔︎ Implement Effective Marketing
Utilize digital platforms and strategic partnerships to promote your seminar and attract the right audience.
Managing Your Seminar
✔︎ facilitate networking.
Encourage networking opportunities during breaks and networking events to foster meaningful connections among participants.
✔︎ Ensure Smooth Logistics
Thoroughly plan event logistics, including accommodation options, catering, and onsite management.
✔︎ Foster Interaction
Encourage active participation through Q&A sessions, interactive presentations, and group activities.
✔︎ Gather Feedback
Request feedback from participants to evaluate the success of your seminar and identify areas for improvement.
A well-organized seminar provides a platform for participants to engage, learn, and collaborate within their field of interest. By understanding the core elements of a seminar, implementing interactive techniques, and facilitating meaningful networking, you can create a successful and impactful event. Whether you're a seminar organizer or attendee, embracing the spirit of knowledge sharing and collaboration will ensure a rewarding seminar experience for all involved. So, start planning your next seminar today and unlock its potential for growth and innovation in your field.
If you are interested in learning more about the academic event types you can also check our blog post article " Unraveling the Academic Event Landscape: Congresses vs. Conferences - What Sets Them Apart? "
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How To Write A Presentation 101: A Step-by-Step Guide with Best Examples
Jane Ng • 02 Nov 2023 • 8 min read
Is it difficult to start of presentation? You’re standing before a room full of eager listeners, ready to share your knowledge and captivate their attention. But where do you begin? How do you structure your ideas and convey them effectively?
Take a deep breath, and fear not! In this article, we’ll provide a road map on how to write a presentation covering everything from crafting a script to creating an engaging introduction.
So, let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
What is a presentation , what should be in a powerful presentation.
- How To Write A Presentation Script
- How to Write A Presentation Introduction
Key Takeaways
Tips for better presentation.
- How to start a presentation
- How to introduce yourself
Start in seconds.
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Presentations are all about connecting with your audience.
Presenting is a fantastic way to share information, ideas, or arguments with your audience. Think of it as a structured approach to effectively convey your message. And you’ve got options such as slideshows, speeches, demos, videos, and even multimedia presentations!
The purpose of a presentation can vary depending on the situation and what the presenter wants to achieve.
- In the business world, presentations are commonly used to pitch proposals, share reports, or make sales pitches.
- In educational settings, presentations are a go-to for teaching or delivering engaging lectures.
- For conferences, seminars, and public events—presentations are perfect for dishing out information, inspiring folks, or even persuading the audience.
That sounds brilliant. But, how to write a presentation?
How To Write A Presentation? What should be in a powerful presentation? A great presentation encompasses several key elements to captivate your audience and effectively convey your message. Here’s what you should consider including in a winning presentation:
- Clear and Engaging Introduction: Start your presentation with a bang! Hook your audience’s attention right from the beginning by using a captivating story, a surprising fact, a thought-provoking question, or a powerful quote. Clearly state the purpose of your presentation and establish a connection with your listeners.
- Well-Structured Content: Organize your content logically and coherently. Divide your presentation into sections or main points and provide smooth transitions between them. Each section should flow seamlessly into the next, creating a cohesive narrative. Use clear headings and subheadings to guide your audience through the presentation.
- Compelling Visuals: Incorporate visual aids, such as images, graphs, or videos, to enhance your presentation. Make sure your visuals are visually appealing, relevant, and easy to understand. Use a clean and uncluttered design with legible fonts and appropriate color schemes.
- Engaging Delivery: Pay attention to your delivery style and body language. You should maintain eye contact with your audience, use gestures to emphasize key points, and vary your tone of voice to keep the presentation dynamic.
- Clear and Memorable Conclusion: Leave your audience with a lasting impression by providing a strong closing statement, a call to action, or a thought-provoking question. Make sure your conclusion ties back to your introduction and reinforces the core message of your presentation.
How To Write A Presentation Script (With Examples)
To successfully convey your message to your audience, you must carefully craft and organize your presentation script. Here are steps on how to write a presentation script:
1/ Understand Your Purpose and Audience:
- Clarify the purpose of your presentation. Are you informing, persuading, or entertaining?
- Identify your target audience and their knowledge level, interests, and expectations.
- Define what presentation format you want to use
2/ Outline the Structure of Your Presentation:
Strong opening: .
Start with an engaging opening that grabs the audience’s attention and introduces your topic. Some types of openings you can use are:
- Start with a Thought-Provoking Question: “Have you ever…?”
- Begin with a Surprising Fact or Statistic: “Did you know that….?”
- Use a Powerful Quote: “As Maya Angelou once said,….”
- Tell a Compelling Story : “Picture this: You’re standing at….”
- Start with a Bold Statement: “In the fast-paced digital age….”
Main Points:
Clearly state your main points or key ideas that you will discuss throughout the presentation.
- Clearly State the Purpose and Main Points: Example: “In this presentation, we will delve into three key areas. First,… Next,… Finally,…. we’ll discuss….”
- Provide Background and Context: Example: “Before we dive into the details, let’s understand the basics of…..”
- Present Supporting Information and Examples: Example: “To illustrate…., let’s look at an example. In,…..”
- Address Counterarguments or Potential Concerns: Example: “While…, we must also consider… .”
- Recap Key Points and Transition to the Next Section: Example: “To summarize, we’ve… Now, let’s shift our focus to…”
Remember to organize your content logically and coherently, ensuring smooth transitions between sections.
Ending:
You can conclude with a strong closing statement summarizing your main points and leaving a lasting impression. Example: “As we conclude our presentation, it’s clear that… By…., we can….”
3/ Craft Clear and Concise Sentences:
Once you’ve outlined your presentation, you need to edit your sentences. Use clear and straightforward language to ensure your message is easily understood.
Alternatively, you can break down complex ideas into simpler concepts and provide clear explanations or examples to aid comprehension.
4/ Use Visual Aids and Supporting Materials:
Use supporting materials such as statistics, research findings, or real-life examples to back up your points and make them more compelling.
- Example: “As you can see from this graph,… This demonstrates….”
5/ Include Engagement Techniques:
Incorporate interactive elements to engage your audience, such as Q&A sessions , conducting live polls , or encouraging participation.
6/ Rehearse and Revise:
- Practice delivering your presentation script to familiarize yourself with the content and improve your delivery.
- Revise and edit your script as needed, removing any unnecessary information or repetitions.
7/ Seek Feedback:
You can share your script or deliver a practice presentation to a trusted friend, colleague, or mentor to gather feedback on your script and make adjustments accordingly.
More on Script Presentation
How to Write A Presentation Introduction with Examples
How to write presentations that are engaging and visually appealing? Looking for introduction ideas for the presentation? As mentioned earlier, once you have completed your script, it’s crucial to focus on editing and refining the most critical element—the opening of your presentation – the section that determines whether you can captivate and retain your audience’s attention right from the start.
Here is a guide on how to craft an opening that grabs your audience’s attention from the very first minute:
1/ Start with a Hook
To begin, you can choose from five different openings mentioned in the script based on your desired purpose and content. Alternatively, you can opt for the approach that resonates with you the most, and instills your confidence. Remember, the key is to choose a starting point that aligns with your objectives and allows you to deliver your message effectively.
2/ Establish Relevance and Context:
Then you should establish the topic of your presentation and explain why it is important or relevant to your audience. Connect the topic to their interests, challenges, or aspirations to create a sense of relevance.
3/ State the Purpose
Clearly articulate the purpose or goal of your presentation. Let the audience know what they can expect to gain or achieve by listening to your presentation.
4/ Preview Your Main Points
Give a brief overview of the main points or sections you will cover in your presentation. It helps the audience understand the structure and flow of your presentation and creates anticipation.
5/ Establish Credibility
Share your expertise or credentials related to the topic to build trust with the audience, such as a brief personal story, relevant experience, or mentioning your professional background.
6/ Engage Emotionally
Connect emotional levels with your audience by appealing to their aspirations, fears, desires, or values. They help create a deeper connection and engagement from the very beginning.
Make sure your introduction is concise and to the point. Avoid unnecessary details or lengthy explanations. Aim for clarity and brevity to maintain the audience’s attention.
For example, Topic: Work-life balance
“Good morning, everyone! Can you imagine waking up each day feeling energized and ready to conquer both your personal and professional pursuits? Well, that’s exactly what we’ll explore today – the wonderful world of work-life balance. In a fast-paced society where work seems to consume every waking hour, it’s vital to find that spot where our careers and personal lives harmoniously coexist. Throughout this presentation, we’ll dive into practical strategies that help us achieve that coveted balance, boost productivity, and nurture our overall well-being.
But before we dive in, let me share a bit about my journey. As a working professional and a passionate advocate for work-life balance, I have spent years researching and implementing strategies that have transformed my own life. I am excited to share my knowledge and experiences with all of you today, with the hope of inspiring positive change and creating a more fulfilling work-life balance for everyone in this room. So, let’s get started!”
Check out: How to Start a Presentation?
Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or new to the stage, understanding how to write a presentation that conveys your message effectively is a valuable skill. By following the steps in this guide, you can become a captivating presenter and make your mark in every presentation you deliver.
Additionally, AhaSlides can significantly enhance your presentation’s impact. With AhaSlides, you can use live polls, quizzes, and word cloud to turn your presentation into an engaging and interactive experience. Let’s take a moment to explore our vast template library !
Frequently Asked Questions
1/ how to write a presentation step by step .
You can refer to our step-by-step guide on How To Write A Presentation Script:
- Understand Your Purpose and Audience
- Outline the Structure of Your Presentation
- Craft Clear and Concise Sentences
- Use Visual Aids and Supporting Material
- Include Engagement Techniques
- Rehearse and Revise
- Seek Feedback
2/ How do you start a presentation?
You can start with an engaging opening that grabs the audience’s attention and introduces your topic. Consider using one of the following approaches:
3/ What are the five parts of a presentation?
When it comes to presentation writing, a typical presentation consists of the following five parts:
- Introduction: Capturing the audience’s attention, introducing yourself, stating the purpose, and providing an overview.
- Main Body: Presenting main points, evidence, examples, and arguments.
- Visual Aids: Using visuals to enhance understanding and engage the audience.
- Conclusion: Summarizing main points, restating key message, and leaving a memorable takeaway or call to action.
- Q&A or Discussion: Optional part for addressing questions and encouraging audience participation.
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How to Give a Killer Presentation
- Chris Anderson
For more than 30 years, the TED conference series has presented enlightening talks that people enjoy watching. In this article, Anderson, TED’s curator, shares five keys to great presentations:
- Frame your story (figure out where to start and where to end).
- Plan your delivery (decide whether to memorize your speech word for word or develop bullet points and then rehearse it—over and over).
- Work on stage presence (but remember that your story matters more than how you stand or whether you’re visibly nervous).
- Plan the multimedia (whatever you do, don’t read from PowerPoint slides).
- Put it together (play to your strengths and be authentic).
According to Anderson, presentations rise or fall on the quality of the idea, the narrative, and the passion of the speaker. It’s about substance—not style. In fact, it’s fairly easy to “coach out” the problems in a talk, but there’s no way to “coach in” the basic story—the presenter has to have the raw material. So if your thinking is not there yet, he advises, decline that invitation to speak. Instead, keep working until you have an idea that’s worth sharing.
Lessons from TED
A little more than a year ago, on a trip to Nairobi, Kenya, some colleagues and I met a 12-year-old Masai boy named Richard Turere, who told us a fascinating story. His family raises livestock on the edge of a vast national park, and one of the biggest challenges is protecting the animals from lions—especially at night. Richard had noticed that placing lamps in a field didn’t deter lion attacks, but when he walked the field with a torch, the lions stayed away. From a young age, he’d been interested in electronics, teaching himself by, for example, taking apart his parents’ radio. He used that experience to devise a system of lights that would turn on and off in sequence—using solar panels, a car battery, and a motorcycle indicator box—and thereby create a sense of movement that he hoped would scare off the lions. He installed the lights, and the lions stopped attacking. Soon villages elsewhere in Kenya began installing Richard’s “lion lights.”
- CA Chris Anderson is the curator of TED.
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Blog > How to structure a good PowerPoint Presentation
How to structure a good PowerPoint Presentation
08.09.21 • #powerpoint #tips.
When creating presentations, it is particularly important that they are well organized and have a consistent structure.
A logical structure helps the audience to follow you and to remember the core information as best as possible. It is also important for the presenter, as a good presentation structure helps to keep calm, to stay on the topic and to avoid awkward pauses.
But what does such a structure actually look like? Here we show you how to best organize your presentation and what a good structure looks like.
Plan your presentation
Before you start creating your presentation, you should always brainstorm. Think about the topic and write all your ideas down. Then think about the message you want to communicate, what your goal is and what you want your audience to remember at the end.
Think about who your audience is so that you can address them in the best possible way. One possibility is to start your presentation with a few polls to get to know your audience better. Based on the results, you can then adapt your presentation a little. Use the poll function of SlideLizard and have all the answers at a glance. SlideLizard makes it possible to integrate the polls directly into your PowerPoint presentation which helps you to avoid annoying switching between presentation and interaction tool. You can keep an eye on the results while the votes come in and then decide whether you want to share them or not.
- an informative
- an entertaining
- an inspiring
- or a persuasive presentation?
Typical Presentation Structure
The basic structure of a presentation is actually always the same and should consist of:
Introduction
Make sure that the structure of your presentation is not too complicated. The simpler it is, the better the audience can follow.
Personal Introduction
It is best to start your presentation by briefly introducing yourself which helps to build a connection with your audience right away.
Introduce the topic
Then introduce the topic, state the purpose of the presentation and provide a brief outline of the main points you will be addressing.
Mention the length
In the introduction, mention the approximate length of the talk and then also make sure you stick to it.
The introduction should be no longer than two slides and provide a good overview of the topic.
Icebreaker Polls
According to studies, people in the audience only have an average attention span of 10 minutes, which is why it is important to increase their attention right at the beginning and to arouse the audience's interest. You could make a good start with a few icebreaker polls for example. They lighten the mood right at the beginning and you can secure your audience's attention from the start.
For example, you could use SlideLizard to have all the answers at a glance and share them with your audience. In addition, the audience can try out how the polls work and already know how it works if you include more polls in the main part.
Get to know your audience
As mentioned earlier, it is always useful to think about who your audience actually is. Ask them questions at the beginning about how well they already know the topic of your presentation. Use SlideLizard for this so that you have a clear overview about the answers. You can use both single- and multiple-choice questions or also open questions and display their results as a WordCloud in your presentation, for example.
Include a quote
To make the beginning (or the end) of your presentation more exciting, it is always a good idea to include a quote. We have selected some powerful quotes for PowerPoint presentations for you.
Present your topic
The main part of a presentation should explain the topic well, state facts, justify them and give examples. Keep all the promises you made earlier in the introduction.
Length and Structure
The main part should make up about 70% of the presentation and also include a clear structure. Explain your ideas in detail and build them up logically. It should be organized chronologically, by priority or by topic. There should be a smooth transition between the individual issues. However, it is also important to use phrases that make it clear that a new topic is starting. We have listed some useful phrases for presentations here.
Visualize data and statistics and show pictures to underline facts. If you are still looking for good images, we have selected 5 sources of free images for you here.
Focus on the essentials
Focus on what is most important and summarize a bit. You don't have to say everything about a topic because your audience won’t remember everything either. Avoid complicated sentence structure, because if the audience does not understand something, they will not be able to read it again.
Make your presentation interactive
Make your presentation interactive to keep the attention of your audience. Use SlideLizard to include polls in your presentation, where your audience can vote directly from their smartphone and discuss the answers as soon as you received all votes. Here you can also find more tips for increasing audience engagement.
Repeat the main points
The conclusion should contain a summary of the most important key points. Repeat the main points you have made, summarize what the audience should have learned and explain how the new information can help in the future.
Include a Q&A part
Include a Q&A part at the end to make sure you don't leave any questions open. It's a good idea to use tools like SlideLizard for it. Your audience can ask anonymous questions and if there is not enough time, you can give them the answers afterwards. You can read more about the right way to do a question slide in PowerPoint here.
Get Feedback
It is also important to get feedback on your presentation at the end to keep improving. With SlideLizard you can ask your audience for anonymous feedback through star ratings, number ratings or open texts directly after your presentation. You can then export the responses and analyse them later in Excel.
Presentation style
Depending on the type of presentation you give, the structure will always be slightly different. We have selected a few different presentation styles and their structure for you.
Short Presentation
If you are one of many presenters on the day, you will only have a very limited time to present your idea and to convince your audience. It is very important to stand out with your presentation.
So you need to summarize your ideas as briefly as possible and probably should not need more than 3-5 slides.
Problem Solving Presentation
Start your presentation by explaining a problem and giving a short overview of it.
Then go into the problem a little more, providing both intellectual and emotional arguments for the seriousness of the problem. You should spend about the first 25% of your presentation on the problem.
After that, you should spend about 50% of your presentation proposing a solution and explaining it in detail.
In the last 25%, describe what benefits this solution will bring to your audience and ask them to take a simple but relevant action that relates to the problem being discussed.
Tell a Story
A great way to build an emotional connection with the audience is to structure a presentation like a story.
In the introduction, introduce a character who has to deal with a conflict. In the main part, tell how he tries to solve his problem but fails again and again. In the end, he manages to find a solution and wins.
Stories have the power to win customers, align colleagues and motivate employees. They’re the most compelling platform we have for managing imaginations. - Nancy Duarte / HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations
Make a demonstration
Use the demonstration structure to show how a product works. First talk about a need or a problem that has to be solved.
Then explain how the product will help solve the problem and try to convince your audience of the need for your product.
Spend the end clarifying where and when the product can be purchased.
Chronological structure
When you have something historical to tell, it is always good to use a chronological structure. You always have to ask yourself what happens next.
To make it more interesting and exciting, it is a good idea to start by telling the end of something and after that you explain how you got there. This way you make the audience curious and you can gain their attention faster.
Nancy Duarte TED Talk
Nancy Duarte is a speaker and presentation design expert. She gives speeches all over the world, trying to improve the power of public presentations.
In her famous TED Talk "The Secret Structure of Great Talks" she dissects famous speeches such as Steve Jobs' iPhone launch speech and Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech. In doing so, she found out that each presentation is made up of 4 parts:
- What could be
- A moment to remember
- Promise of “New Bliss”
Related articles
About the author.
Helena Reitinger
Helena supports the SlideLizard team in marketing and design. She loves to express her creativity in texts and graphics.
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How to Plan a Presentation
Last Updated: October 8, 2023 Fact Checked
This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 227,398 times.
Presentation planning is a useful and necessary skill in the professional world as well as school. Whether you need to sell a product, or get a passing grade in your class, planning a presentation takes time and dedication. You will want to figure out the best way to construct your material, considering your audience and your presentation's message. From there, work on building your slides and materials. Assemble information in a logical order that best illustrates your point. Practice your presentation regularly before delivering it. This can help you figure out any information that should be cut or restructured.
Assembling Your Best Material
- Write down your most important points. See if you notice a key point emerging. If your audience were to take away one thing from this presentation, what would it be?
- Don't just bombard your audience with facts. Think about what these facts do for your audience. What's the point you're trying to make with the information?
- Are you trying to sell them a product, introduce them to a new idea, alter their way of thinking?
- Think about the kind of people in your audience. Do you have a tougher crowd, or do you have a group of enthusiastic people excited about what you're going to say?
- For example, if you're talking to a company about recycling program, you might discuss how corporate pollution contributes to global warming and how recycling can help the company save money. You wouldn't discuss the melting ice caps as a key point.
- Melting ice caps are a valid concern, but they are a fact or a supporting point.
- Add clarity to your argument by explaining anything the audience may not understand. For example: a brief overview of pollution's effect on climate change.
- Add authority by making connections with existing research, studies, and information. For example, you could mention the consensus in the scientific community that global warming is manmade and cite a few studies.
- Add color to your argument through visuals, like pictures and videos. For instance, you could show a chart of the amount of waste an average corporation produces in one month.
Finding a Trajectory for the Presentation
- Include the basics of introducing yourself. You can say something like, "I'm Clara Thompson from Clean Water Action, and I would like to address your company today."
- Get your audience's attention with a question or a fact. For example, you could ask: "Have you ever passed a body of water covered in green sludge and wondered how this happened? The answer may surprise you."
- You don’t have to write your presentation in chronological order. If you want to work on your main points first and save the introduction for last, you can.
- For example, you're trying to get the corporation to alter their recycling program. Start by overviewing the vast amount of corporate pollution in the world.
- Explain the consequences of this. Show how pollution contributes to climate change, then show what the corporation can do through changes in their policies.
- Common linking statements include things like, "Another important issue...," "Based on this data, you can now see..." and, "This brings me to my main point..."
- For example, "Now that I've shown you the effects of corporate pollution, this brings me to my main point. What can you do to stop it?"
- If you have any graphs or diagrams that will help illustrate your point, use them. Physically seeing information can help make your point more clear.
- You should also see if there are any videos you can include. A brief video of someone succinctly explaining an issue can shake things up a bit.
- Pictures are also nice. Each slide should have a picture related to the topic at hand.
- Make sure not to overuse graphics or visuals. Too many could be overwhelming or distracting for your audience.
- You only need one slide. Recap what your point was. Begin with something like, "As you can see..." and then briefly repeat your main point.
- A visual can help as well. Try adding one last visual aid that sums up your point. A graph or diagram would work well here.
Practicing Your Presentation
- If you're taking longer, cut some information out. You do not want to talk fast to include all information, as this can make you difficult to understand.
- For accuracy, talk in your regular voice. Do not speak too fast or too slow. You want to make sure you can fit in all information talking at a normal rate.
- Are any facts extraneous? It's great to illustrate the effects of global warming, but do you really need five examples of environmental decay? Try to cut it down to two or three.
- You should sound enthusiastic when presenting. Talk without hesitance, and don't use filler words, like "um" or "uh."
- Don't jump between topics. Use your linking sentences, and say things like, "And this brings me to the following..."
- Watch the time. Make sure your presentation isn't going on for too long.
- Watch yourself give the presentation in a mirror so you can correct any distracting movements or gestures.
- Don’t read the information off of your visuals since it could affect your engagement between yourself and the audience.
How Should You End a Presentation?
Expert Q&A
You Might Also Like
- ↑ https://www.ncsl.org/legislators-staff/legislative-staff/legislative-staff-coordinating-committee/tips-for-making-effective-powerpoint-presentations.aspx
- ↑ https://www.comm.pitt.edu/oral-comm-lab/audience-analysis
- ↑ https://columbiacollege-ca.libguides.com/presentations/planning
- ↑ https://extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/documents/10551/partsofapresentation.pdf
- ↑ https://emedia.rmit.edu.au/learninglab/sites/default/files/Oral_presentations_signalling_2014_Accessible.pdf
- ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-conclude-a-presentation
- ↑ https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studyingeffectively/preparing/presentations/delivering.aspx
- ↑ https://www.gvsu.edu/ours/oral-presentation-tips-30.htm
About This Article
To plan your presentation, start by spending 5 to 10% of your time summarizing your research and linking it to a main point. A good way to start is with a key question or fact. Then, follow this summary with your research and work, which should take up 60 to 70% of the presentation. This is the body of your presentation, and should be made up of 3 key ideas which lead to your main point. Keep reading for our reviewer’s tips on how to organize the body of your presentation! Did this summary help you? Yes No
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Plan a Presentation for Success – 8 steps
September 03, 2023
Too many people, when they hear the word presentation, reach for their computer and switch to PowerPoint. That’s because they feel they are making progress by making slides. They pull information together, they lay out slides and admire their handiwork. Only then do they try to tell a story.
This is not the right way to plan a presentation..
“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” Alexander Graham Bell
What to do instead: Plan a presentation using a story, a script and a plan
The process for presentation planning should be more like that of movie making. When you make a movie you only start filming at the end of the planning process. Before filming you have a story, a script and a plan. It should be the same when you plan a presentation.
The better you plan a presentation, the easier it is to be successful. At first, it may feel frustrating that you are not writing slides. You may spent hours staring into space or doing research. But investing in proper planning will pay back many times over.
In the end by planning your presentation properly you will spend less time writing PowerPoint slides. You will spend less time editing and you will spend less time searching for a way to link the sections of your presentation together. You’ll also discover that practising and rehearsing is easier.
“There are three things that are important for a film. Number one is story, number two is story, number three is story. Good actors can save a bad script and make it bearable, but good actors can’t make a bad script good – they can just make it bearable.” Mark Strickson, TV producer & actor
Your 8 Step Presentation Plan
Let’s explore each of these presentation planning steps, one by one.
1. Start by using the AIM approach in your presentation plan
What is the first step in planning a presentation? AIM is an easy-to-apply first step so that your presentations are easier to prepare.
What typically goes wrong. Most people create presentations without proper planning. They start writing slides before they have decided what they really want to say.
Why is it important to plan a presentation? Without an effective presentation plan you waste time and energy.
What to do instead. Use AIM. Start with a blank sheet of paper and write the three letters A.I.M. across the top. In each of these columns start writing what you know about A: Audience , I: Your intent , (or Purpose) and M: your take-away Message .
See the next three paragraphs for more detail on A, I and M.
“Proper planning prevents poor performance” James Baker, former US Secretary of State
Contact us for a free consultation on your coaching needs
2. Presentation planning : Who’s your audience and what do they need?
Shortcut Summary : Your audience, not you, should be centre of attention in your presentation. The better you understand your audience, the better your talk will be.
What typically goes wrong : When people give presentations about their latest project, they talk about their latest project. If they are reporting quarterly results, they report quarterly results. If they are speaking about their new business, they tell the audience about their new business. If explaining a new piece of regulation, they talk about elements of that regulation.
The problem with this approach is you are not including your audience in your talk. And if you don’t include your audience, your audience will be disengaged.
Why does this matter? Audiences are selfish. They like being talked about.
What to do instead. Your talk should be about what your subject means for the audience. For example these are good titles for a presentation:
- “What you can learn from our latest project.”
- “Our quarterly results and what they mean for your department next quarter.”
- “How our new business can make you money.”
- “What the new regulations mean for you and your clients”
To do this, you must understand your audience. That means asking questions about them and getting under their skin. For example, some questions you may have could include:
ABOUT BACKGROUND
- Who is coming to this talk?
- What common reference points can I use?
- What experiences have they shared?
ABOUT MOTIVATION
- Why are they coming?
- What problems do they have?
- What do they need and want?
- What will make life easy for them?
ABOUT EXPECTATIONS
- What would they like me to talk about?
- What would victory feel like for them?
- What will make them sit up?
ABOUT CONNECTING
- What can I say that will show them I am on their side?
- What stories will resonate?
- How can I add value?
ABOUT EMOTIONAL POSITION
- What frame of mind will they be in?
- What should I avoid talking about?
- What will make them feel good?
- What can I say at the start to win them over?
ABOUT MAKING IT EASY FOR THEM
- What specific language should I use?
- How should I position what I am talking about for this audience?
- What phrases will resonate?
The more you learn about your audience, the better you know them and the better you can plan your talk for them.
“Designing a presentation without an audience in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it: To Whom It May Concern.” Ken Haemer, presentation designe r
- Before any talk, analyse the audience.
- Research them.
- Make sure you really know them and their needs before you start planning what to say.
3. How to plan a presentation – What are you trying to achieve?
Summary : Decide early the intent or purpose to your talk. This will help you direct your efforts to achieve your goals.
What typically goes wrong : “I’m going to talk about…” is a typical answer to the question “Why are you doing this talk?” But talking about something is of no use to anyone. It is pointless.
For example these are bad intents:
- “I’m talking about our new project”
- “I’m talking about the new regulations”
- “A pitch about our new fund”
- “An introduction to ABCX co”
- “Monthly board report”
Why does this matter? For a talk to work it requires a clear purpose. When you know your purpose you can harness your talk to achieve just that.
What to do instead : Decide your intent. For example, when I asked a Chief Financial Officer recently what was the intent of his presentation, he was clear: he said that he “Wanted to look like the next CEO of this business.” This clear purpose made it easy to help him prepare what he said, how he said it and how he positioned himself.
More examples of a good intent:
- A Lawyer, when giving a talk about new regulations , was clear that she wanted “to help companies use the new regulations to run better, more profitable businesses”.
- An HR director who was introducing a new expense system was clear that her intent was to “get people to use the new system by next month so they can get paid faster and with less effort.’
- A fund manager who was pitching a first time fund to new investors had a clear intent of “getting onto their radar screens and securing a second meeting”
- A company looking for a trade buyer had crystallised their intent into “creating excitement about the potential value of buying this business and demonstrate the risk of others buying it.”
- An accountant at a well known firm had the intent with his monthly board reports to “Get them to recognise the value my team adds.”
Having a clear intent will make it easier for you to plan your presentation. Identifying that intent is also one of the harder parts of planning a talk.
“A talk is a voyage with purpose and it must be charted. The man who starts out going nowhere, generally gets there.” Dale Carnegie
- Be absolutely clear on the intent of your talk.
- Summarise your intent in one line
- Use your intent as your North Star to guide everything you say and how you say it.
4. What’s your one big take-away message?
Summary : Your presentation needs a take-away message . This means one simple message so when someone asks “What was that talk about?” a listener can confidently answer.
What typically goes wrong : Many presentations have titles such as:
- “Quarterly strategy report”
- “Project X”
- “Manufacturing update”
- “Annual results”
These are all topics, not messages
Why does this matter? These titles don’t help the audience. They only tell them something they already know. With a topic title you miss the opportunity of preparing your audience and getting them in the right mindset to be ready for your talk.
What to do instead : Identify a message that summarises your talk that you can use as its title. Keep improving the title until it properly captures what you want to say. For example:
- “Our strategy remains on track”
- “Launching Project X by December could double revenues next year”
- “Manufacturing: three problems we must address”
- “Profits up 5% this year despite Covid headwinds”
Then test your title on other people. Check if it generates the reaction you want.
“If you can’t write your idea on the back of my calling card, you don’t have a clear idea.” David Belasco, theatre producer
Next Steps in planning a presentation
- Decide the title of your talk early.
- Check it generates the reaction you want.
- Use this to build the rest of your talk.
- Re-test your message against A.I.M.
5. How to plan a presentation – What are the three parts of your talk?
Summary : Your brain Is naturally tuned to hearing things in sets of three . If you can break your presentation into three parts then it’s more likely to be a success.
What typically goes wrong : Many presentations are like shopping lists: covering multiple topics and jumping from one idea to the next.
Why does this matter? In the end, a huge amount of information has been transmitted but little has been received.
What to do instead : Less is more in a presentation. Help your audience by giving them a structure. A three part structure is one of the most useful planning shortcuts that you can use.
Once you are completely clear about your intent and your message, start developing a three part structure for your talk. For example, if I wanted to give a talk that shared advice on how to present, I would consider using one of the following structures:
- Mistakes other people make / Tips you can use / How to become a great speaker
- How to define your messages / How to structure your talk / How to deliver your talk
- What bad looks like / what good looks like / what you can do differently
“ In writing and speaking, three is more satisfying than any other number.” Carmine Gallo, author
- Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
- Liberté, égalité, fraternité ;
- A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play;
- Stop, Look and Listen;
- Faster, Higher, Stronger;
- Veni, vidi, vici ;
- “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”
- Find your three part structure early.
- Use the structure to focus your efforts and guide your planning
6 . Presentation planning – What is your story?
Summary: Use a story to underpin your talk. No matter how dry your subject, when you use a story you will make it more memorable and more effective.
What typically goes wrong As an expert, a typical presenter wants to share knowledge.
For example: A few years ago, I helped a lawyer give a talk to investors. This audience consisted of private equity executives who sat on their investee company boards. The subject was the 2006 Companies Act and the Duties and Responsibilities of a Company Director. A dry subject.
In her first draft, she reviewed sections of the Act and highlighted problems that directors may face. For example, “Section 172 of the Act, sets out your overarching duties as a director. You must act in the way you consider, in good faith, would be most likely to promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members as a whole.”
As you can imagine, it was not the most exciting of talks.
Why does this matter? A precise talk may not be an interesting talk. Your job as a presenter is to make the talk interesting and easy for your audience.
What to do instead Find a story that fits what you want to talk about.
For example, for the investor director talk above, we decided to title the talk “How to keep your nose clean and yourself out of jail” Then the talk was based around a series of situations that anyone in the audience might face. She did not refer to any particular section of the Companies Act at all. Her text was:
“Imagine this situation. You turn up for a board meeting. You are a 10% shareholder and you are a director. At that board meeting the CEO announces that the company is near bankrupt and needs more funding. What should you do? Do you absent yourself, having a connected interest. Or do you declare your interest as a shareholder? Or do you carry as normal assuming business as usual?”
By framing it as a story you involve your audience and you make it easier for them to process what you say.
“Sometimes reality is too complex. Stories give it form.” Jean Luc Godard, film director
- Find stories to tell, narratives to bring your facts to life.
- Tell the story behind the numbers.
- The dryer your subject matter, the more important stories become.
7. How to plan your presentation – Have you asked WHY?
Summary : ‘Why’ comes before ‘What’ comes before ‘How’
What typically goes wrong : When a speaker knows a subject well, it is easy for them to assume knowledge and talk about the nuances of what they know. I often describe this as the ‘How’ of a subject.
For example, when speaking about a new engine you have developed, you might say that you made the pistons more accurately, that you mix petrol more precisely and you have added a new technique of managing engine performance.
Why does this matter? This is one of the most common mistakes that experts make when giving talks. They spend too much time explaining HOW something works, rather than explaining WHAT it is they are talking about and WHY it is important.
What to do instead : “We have designed a more efficient car engine that will get 100 miles to the gallon.”
“Start with Why” Simon Sinek
- Ask yourself “So What?” to everything you say
- Check that you are clear why the audience will be interested.
- Imagine someone in the audience asking “What’s in it for me?” (WIIFM)
8. How to plan a presentation – Can you give a 90 second summary of your presentation?
Summary : The best way to plan your presentation is by speaking a c 100-200 word summary of your presentation. This summary will test the rigour of your thinking, the clarity of your ideas and the robustness of your plan.
What typically goes wrong : The average poor presentation meanders from topic to topic and is more like a data dump than a well organised talk. It is rich in information but poor in story, structure and planning. It will be hard to summarise that talk easily.
Why does this matter? Lack of planning = Lack of story = Hard for your audience.
What to do instead : Create a short summary of your talk to test your thinking
- You can use your summary early in your presentation planning to test your ideas.
- If you are working with colleagues you can share your thinking using your summary.
- If you are planning a presentation for someone else, you can share your summary to test their reaction.
- If someone else is preparing your presentation, you can use a summary to check they are on track.
Creating a summary is one of the most powerful ways to plan a presentation and will save you a huge amount of wasted time.
“If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour.” Dianna Booher, Autho r
Next Steps for Presentation Planning
- Test your ideas with a short summary.
- Use a critical audience.
- If it is not tight enough, keep refining your summary.
Summary – how to plan a presentation for success
Start by planning, not by writing. This may feel counter intuitive, but you’ll make progress faster.
How do you plan a presentation for success? Try these steps:
- Use AIM as the first stage of preparing any talk
- A – Audience: Analyse your audience and understand their needs
- I – Intent: Be clear on the single purpose of your talk.
- M – Message: Decide your one take-away message from your talk
- Decide the three parts of your talk
- Create and perfect a 90 second summary of your talk before fleshing it out
- Answer the WHY questions in your talk before the WHAT or HOW questions.
- Imagine your audience asking So What? and What’s in it for me? throughout.
- Check your talk summary against your Audience, Intent and Message.
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Preparing And Presenting a Seminar - A Guide.
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Udeme Usanga
The primary objective of seminar presentation is to enhance presentation skills when persuading, educating, or informing an audience. Specifically, it provides a focus on the fundamental aspects of a quality academic, professional and business communications including structure, preparation and strategy for delivery, using visual aids, and handling question and answer sessions. The presenter/student practices by preparing and delivering an ideal real-life academic/business presentation. Strict adherence to the instructions outlined allows the presenter to evaluate his/her progress and alter any distracting behaviours before and during presentation. It also enables the participant to learn by doing. The aim of this paper is to introduce students to simple principles on how to plan, writs and present their findings as technical conference papers, then act as the mini-conference programme committee members in reviewing each other's submissions. Finally, in addition to the model itself, description of some variations in instantiation and an assessment of the benefits of this general approach and recommendation for adoption by faculties and educators are proffered. Introduction Rarely are the three pillars of academia-research, teaching and service-addressed together, within one intellectually cohesive context in the graduate curriculum. Such a context is important for exposing students to the interrelationships among these facets. Oftentimes, people are confused what a seminar, workshop or conference means. They are sometimes considered to mean the same thing. However, workshop is a brief intensive educational programme for a relatively small group of people that focuses on techniques and skills in a particular field. Seminar on the other hand is a meeting of a group of advanced students studying under a professor/officer with each doing original research and all exchanging results of their findings through reports and discussions. A conference is a meeting of two or more persons/bodies organized for the benefit of discussing matters of common concern, which usually involves formal interchange of views.
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The term workshop has been borrowed from engineering. There are usually workshops in the engineering. In these workshops persons have to do some task with their hand to produce something, Question Bank Workshops are organized in education to prepare questions on the subject. The designers are given knowledge and training for preparing questions in the workshop. Teaching is a continuum from conditioning to indoctrination and training. The new innovations and practices of education are introduced by organizing workshop in which teachers are trained to use new practices in their teaching learning process. The workshops are organized to develop the cognitive and psychomotor aspects of the learner regarding practices of new innovations in area of education. Participants have to do some practical work to produce instructional teaching and testing material. OBJECTIVE OF WORKSHOP General objective: To enhance the capabilities of teachers in planning and implementing instruction in teacher...
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Presentation Training Institute
A division of bold new directions training, how to plan a presentation: key points to consider before you start.
Great presentations begin with proper planning, which is why presentation planning is an important skill for any professional. Whether you are pitching a product to customers, sharing ideas with colleagues, or giving the keynote speech at an industry conference, the ability to present well will set you apart from others in your field. Planning an effective presentation takes time and dedication, as you will want to figure out the goal of your presentation and how best to convey your message. Consider the following tips for planning a presentation that will capture audience attention, develop their understanding of the topic, and achieve your desired objectives.
Consider the Goal of Your Presentation
You should always begin planning a presentation with the end goal in mind. Think about what you are trying to accomplish as a result of your presentation. What is the one thing you want the audience to take away? This will be the overall topic of the presentation. Once you know your topic, write down your goals as well as any main points you want to make. Choosing a topic that aligns with your goals is the most important step in the planning process.
Know the Background of Your Audience
Think about who you will be presenting to and what they hope to gain from your presentation. What previous knowledge do they have about your topic? Are you trying to sell them a product, introduce them to a new idea, or persuade them to act? Think about the people who will be in your audience, including their professional and personal backgrounds. Consider things like age, professional experience, demographics, and interest in the topic, as this information will help you tailor your presentation to better fit your audience.
Select Your Main Points
Think about three to four main points that best illustrate the theme of your presentation. You should choose points that are most relevant to your topic and be prepared to discuss them in greater detail. Try presenting no more than three to four main points, as it is difficult for audiences to stay engaged if your presentation is too lengthy. A powerful presentation delivers information in a logical, concise, and structured manner.
Choose Supporting Information
The supporting information is what you will say to help the audience better understand your main points. This could be in the form of facts, data, charts, graphs, or even stories. It can be presented as creatively as you like as long as it directly relates to your main points and adds relevant insight.
Develop an Opening and a Conclusion
The introduction to your presentation is critical, as you only have a matter of seconds to capture your audience’s attention. Your introduction should engage the audience while also laying a clear foundation for the presentation. Your conclusion is another important part of the presentation. This is the time when you will remind your audience of your main points, present them with a call to action, and leave them with a lasting impression of your presentation.
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How To Start a Presentation: 15 Ways to Set the Stage
By Krystle Wong , Jul 25, 2023
The opening moments of your presentation hold immense power – it’s your opportunity to make a lasting impression and captivate your audience.
A strong presentation start acts as a beacon, cutting through the noise and instantly capturing the attention of your listeners. With so much content vying for their focus, a captivating opening ensures that your message stands out and resonates with your audience.
Whether you’re a startup business owner pitching a brilliant idea, a seasoned presenter delivering a persuasive talk or an expert sharing your experience, the start of your presentation can make all the difference. But don’t fret — I’ve got you covered with 15 electrifying ways to kickstart your presentation.
The presentation introduction examples in this article cover everything from self-introduction to how to start a group presentation, building anticipation that leaves the audience eager to delve into the depths of your topic.
Click to jump ahead:
How to create an engaging introduction for your presentation
15 ways to start a presentation and captivate your audience, common mistakes to avoid in the opening of a presentation, faqs on how to start a presentation, captivate the audience from the get-go.
Regardless of your mode of presentation , crafting an engaging introduction sets the stage for a memorable presentation journey. Let’s dive into some key tips for how to start a presentation speech to help you nail the art of starting with a bang:
Understand your audience
The key to an engaging introduction is to know your audience inside out and give your audience what they want. Tailor your opening to resonate with their specific interests, needs and expectations. Consider what will captivate them and how you can make your presentation relevant to their lives or work.
Use a compelling hook
Grab the audience’s attention from the get-go with a compelling hook. Whether it’s a thought-provoking question, a surprising fact or a gripping story, a powerful opening will immediately pique their curiosity and keep them invested in what you have to say.
State your purpose
Be crystal clear about your subject matter and the purpose of your presentation. In just a few sentences, communicate the main objectives and the value your audience will gain from listening to you. Let them know upfront what to expect and they’ll be more likely to stay engaged throughout.
Introduce yourself and your team
Give a self introduction about who you are such as your job title to establish credibility and rapport with the audience.
Some creative ways to introduce yourself in a presentation would be by sharing a brief and engaging personal story that connects to your topic or the theme of your presentation. This approach instantly makes you relatable and captures the audience’s attention.
Now, let’s talk about — how to introduce team members in a presentation. Before introducing each team member, briefly explain their role or contribution to the project or presentation. This gives the audience an understanding of their relevance and expertise.
Group presentations are also a breeze with the help of Venngage. Our in-editor collaboration tools allow you to edit presentations side by side in real-time. That way, you can seamlessly hare your design with the team for input and make sure everyone is on track.
Maintain enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is contagious! Keep the energy levels up throughout your introduction, conveying a positive and upbeat tone. A vibrant and welcoming atmosphere sets the stage for an exciting presentation and keeps the audience eager to hear more.
Before you think about how to present a topic, think about how to design impactful slides that can leave a lasting impression on the audience. Here are 120+ presentation ideas , design tips, and examples to help you create an awesome slide deck for your next presentation.
Captivating your audience from the get-go is the key to a successful presentation. Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or a novice taking the stage for the first time, the opening of your presentation sets the tone for the entire talk.
So, let’s get ready to dive into the 15 most creative ways to start a presentation. I promise you these presentation introduction ideas will captivate your audience, leaving them hanging on your every word.
1. Ask a thought-provoking question
Get the audience’s wheels turning by throwing them a thought-provoking question right out of the gate. Make them ponder, wonder and engage their critical thinking muscles from the very start.
2. Share a surprising statistic or fact
Brace yourself for some wide eyes and dropped jaws! Open your presentation with a jaw-dropping statistic or a mind-blowing fact that’s directly related to your topic. Nothing captures attention like a good ol’ dose of shock and awe.
3. Tell a relevant story
Start your presentation with a riveting story that hooks your audience and relates to your main message. Stories have a magical way of captivating hearts and minds. Organize your slides in a clear and sequential manner and use visuals that complement your narrative and evoke emotions to engage the audience.
With Venngage, you have access to a vast library of high-quality and captivating stock photography, offering thousands of options to enrich your presentations. The best part? It’s entirely free! Elevate your visual storytelling with stunning images that complement your content, captivate your audience and add a professional touch to your presentation.
4. Use a powerful quote
Sometimes, all you need is some wise words to work wonders. Begin with a powerful quote from a legendary figure that perfectly fits your presentation’s theme — a dose of inspiration sets the stage for an epic journey.
5. Engage with a poll or interactive activity
Turn the audience from passive listeners to active participants by kicking off with a fun poll or interactive activity. Get them on their feet, or rather — their fingertips, right from the start!
Venngage’s user-friendly drag-and-drop editor allows you to easily transform your slides into an interactive presentation . Create clickable buttons or navigation elements within your presentation to guide your audience to different sections or external resources.
Enhance engagement by incorporating videos or audio clips directly into your presentation. Venngage supports video and audio embedding, which can add depth to your content.
6. Utilize visuals or props
Capture your audience’s gaze by whipping out captivating visuals or props that add an exciting touch to your subject. A well-placed prop or a stunning visual can make your presentation pop like a fireworks show!
That said, you maybe wondering — how can I make my presentation more attractive. A well-designed presentation background instantly captures the audience’s attention and creates a positive first impression. Here are 15 presentation background examples to keep the audience awake to help you get inspired.
7. State a bold statement or challenge
Ready to shake things up? Kick off with a bold and daring statement that sets the stage for your presentation’s epic journey. Boldness has a way of making ears perk up and eyes widen in anticipation!
8. Use humor or wit
Sprinkle some humor and wit to spice things up. Cracking a clever joke or throwing in a witty remark can break the ice and create a positively charged atmosphere. If you’re cracking your head on how to start a group presentation, humor is a great way to start a presentation speech.
Get your team members involved in the fun to create a collaborative and enjoyable experience for everyone. Laughter is the perfect way to break the ice and set a positive tone for your presentation!
9. Invoke emotion
Get those heartstrings tugging! Start with a heartfelt story or example that stirs up emotions and connects with your audience on a personal level. Emotion is the secret sauce to a memorable presentation.
Aside from getting creative with your introduction, a well-crafted and creative presentation can boost your confidence as a presenter. Browse our catalog of creative presentation templates and get started right away!
10. Use a dramatic pause
A great group presentation example is to start with a powerful moment of silence, like a magician about to reveal their greatest trick. After introducing your team, allow a brief moment of silence. Hold the pause for a few seconds, making it feel deliberate and purposeful. This builds anticipation and curiosity among the audience.
11. Pose a problem and offer a solution
A great idea on how to start a business presentation is to start by presenting a problem and offering a well-thought-out solution. By addressing their pain points and showcasing your solution, you’ll capture their interest and set the stage for a compelling and successful presentation.
Back up your solution with data, research, or case studies that demonstrate its effectiveness. This can also be a good reporting introduction example that adds credibility to your proposal.
Preparing a pitch deck can be a daunting task but fret not. This guide on the 30+ best pitch deck tips and examples has everything you need to bring on new business partners and win new client contracts. Alternatively, you can also get started by customizing one of our professional pitch deck templates for free.
12. Provide a brief outline
Here’s a good introduction for presentation example if you’re giving a speech at a conference. For longer presentations or conferences with multiple speakers especially, providing an outline helps the audience stay focused on the key takeaways. That way, you can better manage your time and ensure that you cover all the key points without rushing or running out of time.
13. Begin with a personal connection
Share a real-life experience or a special connection to the topic at hand. This simple act of opening up creates an instant bond with the audience, turning them into your biggest cheerleaders.
Having the team share their personal experiences is also a good group presentation introduction approach. Team members can share their own stories that are related to the topic to create an emotional connection with your audience.
14. Begin with an opening phrase that captures attention
Use opening phrases that can help you create a strong connection with your audience and make them eager to hear more about what you have to say. Remember to be confident, enthusiastic and authentic in your delivery to maximize the impact of your presentation.
Here are some effective presentation starting words and phrases that can help you grab your audience’s attention and set the stage for a captivating presentation:
- “Imagine…”
- “Picture this…”
- “Did you know that…”
- “Have you ever wondered…”
- “In this presentation, we’ll explore…”
- “Let’s dive right in and discover…”
- “I’m excited to share with you…”
- “I have a confession to make…”
- “I want to start by telling you a story…”
- “Before we begin, let’s consider…”
- “Have you ever faced the challenge of…”
- “We all know that…”
- “This is a topic close to my heart because…”
- “Over the next [minutes/hours], we’ll cover…”
- “I invite you to journey with me through…”
15. Share a fun fact or anecdote
Time for a little fun and games! Kick-off with a lighthearted or fascinating fact that’ll make the audience go, “Wow, really? Tell me more!” A sprinkle of amusement sets the stage for an entertaining ride.
While an introduction for a presentation sets the tone for your speech, a good slide complements your spoken words, helping the audience better understand and remember your message. Check out these 12 best presentation software for 2023 that can aid your next presentation.
The opening moments of a presentation can make or break your entire talk. It’s your chance to grab your audience’s attention, set the tone, and lay the foundation for a successful presentation. However, there are some common pitfalls that speakers often fall into when starting their presentations.
Starting with Apologies
It might be tempting to start with a preemptive apology, especially if you’re feeling nervous or unsure about your presentation. However, beginning with unnecessary apologies or self-deprecating remarks sets a negative tone right from the start. Instead of exuding confidence and credibility, you’re unintentionally undermining yourself and your message.
Reading from Slides
One of the most common blunders in the opening of a PowerPoint presentation is reading directly from your slides or script. While it’s crucial to have a well-structured outline, reciting word-for-word can lead to disengagement and boredom among your audience. Maintain eye contact and connect with your listeners as you speak. Your slides should complement your words, not replace them.
Overwhelming with Information
In the excitement to impress, some presenters bombard their audience with too much information right at the beginning.
Instead of overloading the audience with a sea of data, statistics or technical details that can quickly lead to confusion and disinterest, visualize your data with the help of Venngage. Choose an infographic template that best suits the type of data you want to visualize. Venngage offers a variety of pre-designed templates for charts, graphs, infographics and more.
Ignoring the Audience
It’s easy to get caught up in the content and forget about the people in front of you. Don’t overlook the importance of acknowledging the audience and building a connection with them. Greet them warmly, make eye contact and maintain body language to show genuine interest in their presence. Engage the audience early on by asking a show of hands question or encourage audience participation.
Lack of Clarity
Your audience should know exactly what to expect from your presentation. Starting with a vague or unclear opening leaves them guessing about the purpose and direction of your talk. Clearly communicate the topic and objectives of your presentation right from the beginning. This sets the stage for a focused and coherent message that resonates with your audience.
Simplicity makes it easier for the audience to understand and retain the information presented. Check out our gallery of simple presentation templates to keep your opening concise and relevant.
Skipping the Hook
The opening of your presentation is the perfect opportunity to hook your audience’s attention and keep them engaged. However, some presenters overlook this crucial aspect and dive straight into the content without any intrigue. Craft an attention-grabbing hook that sparks curiosity, poses a thought-provoking question or shares an interesting fact. A compelling opening is like the key that unlocks your audience’s receptivity to the rest of your presentation.
Now that you’ve got the gist of how to introduce a presentation, further brush up your speech with these tips on how to make a persuasive presentation and how to improve your presentation skills to create an engaging presentation .
How can I overcome nervousness at the beginning of a presentation?
To overcome nervousness at the beginning of a presentation, take deep breaths, practice beforehand, and focus on connecting with your audience rather than worrying about yourself.
How long should the opening of a presentation be?
The opening of a presentation should typically be brief, lasting around 1 to 3 minutes, to grab the audience’s attention and set the tone for the rest of the talk.
Should I memorize my presentation’s opening lines?
While it’s helpful to know your opening lines, it’s better to understand the key points and flow naturally to maintain authenticity and flexibility during the presentation.
Should I use slides during the opening of my presentation?
Using slides sparingly during the opening can enhance the message, but avoid overwhelming the audience with too much information early on.
How do I transition smoothly from the opening to the main content of my presentation?
Transition smoothly from the opening to the main content by providing a clear and concise outline of what’s to come, signaling the shift and maintaining a logical flow between topics.
Just as a captivating opening draws your audience in, creating a well-crafted presentation closing has the power to leave a lasting impression. Wrap up in style with these 10 ways to end a presentation .
Presenting virtually? Check out these tips on how to ace your next online presentation .
Captivating your audience from the very beginning is crucial for a successful presentation. The first few moments of your talk can set the tone and determine whether your audience remains engaged throughout or loses interest.
Start with a compelling opening that grabs their attention. You can use a thought-provoking question, a surprising statistic or a powerful quote to pique their curiosity. Alternatively, storytelling can be a potent tool to draw them into your narrative. It’s essential to establish a personal connection early on, whether by sharing a relatable experience or expressing empathy towards their needs and interests.
Lastly, be mindful of your body language and vocal delivery. A confident and engaging speaker can captivate an audience, so make eye contact, use appropriate gestures and vary your tone to convey passion and sincerity.
In conclusion, captivating your audience from the very beginning requires thoughtful preparation, engaging content and a confident delivery. With Venngage’s customizable templates, you can adapt your presentation to suit the preferences and interests of your specific audience, ensuring maximum engagement. Go on and get started today!
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In today’s fast-paced world, the need for quick learning has grown tremendously.
People seek short yet substantial pieces of information delivered in a timely manner, and rather than digging through hundreds of pages of research material or sitting through a full-semester class, an easy way to gain valuable information is to join industry experts as they discuss topics of interest in a seminar.
Seminars are a cost-efficient and effective way for companies to reach out to their target customers and/or industry partners, and when done right, can be a great lead-generating mechanism.
Here are 5 steps to achieving a successful and smooth-running seminar:
√ Determine the Who, What, When, Where and Why √ Prepare a Registration Process √ Develop an Outreach Strategy √ Prepare for the Presentation √ Develop a Follow-Up Strategy
Step 1: Determine the Who, What, When, Where, and Why of Your Seminar
Planning a seminar requires time, attention, and strategy. By determining the who, what, where, when, and why of your seminar, you will take the appropriate steps to develop and clarify the objectives and strategy of the seminar.
1a.) The WHY – Clarify the Objective Why are you holding this seminar? What is the objective? Is it to educate current clients? Is it to generate new clients? Is it to establish your business as thought leaders? Is it to reinforce your image as subject matter experts? The answers to these questions should impact the steps you take to put on and perform an effective and successful seminar.
1b.) The WHAT – Choose a Topic With an objective in mind, now you can choose a topic. For example, if the objective is to establish your business as a thought leader, your topic should be innovative, educational, and presented with research and well-rounded perspectives on topics that pertain to your field of business. Whereas if the objective is to educate current customers, your topic should be one that answers many of the questions your customers may have now, or how your field of business may impact them.
1c.) The WHO – Identify the Target Audience and Presenter(s) Identifying your target audience is important in order to properly identify personas and the voice you use to present your seminar. Is your seminar geared towards CEOs, CFOs, HR Directors, small businesses, large businesses, manufacturing facilities, educators, municipalities, etc.? Be as specific as possible when identifying your audience. This will determine how you reach your audience and your seminar presentation.
Once you have the topic and target audience, you must choose your presenter(s). Make sure your presenter is well-educated on the seminar topic, comfortable speaking to the identified target audience, well-respected in the industry, and able to provide general information on all areas of the field.
1d.) The WHEN – Pin Down a Time Slot Once you have the topic and presenter(s) identified, the next step is to identify a time period that will allocate enough time to cover your topic and objective and appeal to your target audience. Make sure to allocate enough time at the end for Q&A and meet-and-greets.
1e.) The WHERE – Secure a Location Keeping the objective and audience in mind, you need to find a location for your seminar. If this seminar’s primary purpose is to educate current clients, choosing a location that will be centrally located to your client base is imperative. If the objective is to generate new clients, choosing a location that would appeal to the geographic area in which you are targeting would be better.
Step 2: Prepare a Registration Process to Drive Attendees to Your Seminar
After you identify the objectives and tactics of the seminar, the next step is to prepare a clear registration process, setting the stage to drive attendees to your seminar.
2a.) Create a Registration Landing Page To prepare for online registration, create an online registration page with a memorable URL to send your audience to (for example, www.yourwebsite.com/seminar).
On the landing page, include:
- A compelling description of the seminar
- The date, time, and location of the seminar
- A brief introduction of the presenter(s) and presenter(s) credentials
- A registration form with predetermined fields (including Name, Company, Email, and Phone Number)
2b.) Set Up a Registration Confirmation Email Set up a registration confirmation email to be triggered and sent right after the attendee registers for the seminar. The confirmation email should include the seminar location, time, and date of the event. Include an “add to calendar” link to make sure registrants don’t forget about your event.
2c.) Prepare a Reminder Follow-Up Process To increase your registration-to-attendance ratios, create a process to stay in front of your registrants and remind them of their commitment in the days leading up to the event. This process could include sending a reminder email and/or giving registrants a phone call to check in and make sure they are set to attend, and all pre-seminar questions have been answered.
Step 3: Develop an Outreach Strategy to Drive Attendees to Your Seminar
To drive people to attend your seminar, you need to make certain efforts to get the seminar information in front of possible attendees. This strategy will be heavily influenced by your objective. For example, if the seminar is targeted at current clients, reaching that audience should be simple because you have their contact information. However, if your objective is to reach out to prospects, creating a strategy to get an invitation in front of that audience will be critical to your seminar’s success.
Based on your target audience, the channels you use to reach them will vary. Set realistic expectations, or invest in the resources needed to accomplish the task.
3a.) Determine and Use Specific Channels to Reach a Predetermined List or Current Connections In order to get your message in front of a determined list or current connections, the following channels are great outlets to promote your seminar:
Email Marketing – Create an email marketing campaign to get in front of your target audience and promote your seminar with seminar details. Email the invitation on its own, sending registrants to the registration page. Also include a snippet and link to the registration page in all other monthly emails (i.e. Newsletter, etc.). Social Media – Post the link to your seminar registration page to your company’s LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ pages along with a catchy caption to drive traffic to the page. Direct Mail Campaigns – Depending on your budget, list, target audience, and objectives, a direct mail campaign with promotional literature could be in order. Include your seminar registration URL in all marketing material. Telemarketing – If you can invest in the resources to launch a telemarketing campaign, this can be effective in helping to reach out to prospects when you have only the company phone number and name of the person you are targeting.
3b.) Determine and Use Specific Channels to Reach a Larger Audience To get your seminar registration page in front of a larger audience who are not on your email or telemarketing lists or connected with your brand on social media, the following channels are great outlets to promote your seminar:
Press Release – Digital distribution channels can be effective mediums for distributing your Press Release on your upcoming seminar and can help increase website search traffic. Promoted Social Media Advertisements – To maximize the post reach and promote your seminar to people who may not directly like your company page, promoting posts through social advertising and boosted posts will help you reach a larger percentage of your target market’s social feeds. Encouraging other team members to share the post to their personal pages and invite their personal network to the seminar will do the same. Partners or Co-Sponsors – Do you have a current partner or center of influence that could help with their distribution list? For example, if you’re targeting CEOs with your message, considering partnering with a bank, accounting firm, law firm, etc. that will co-sponsor the event and either give you access to their client list or send out the invitation via their own distribution method. Utilize Associations – Gather a list of all local associations whose members would likely fall into your target market. For example, if your audience is attorneys, your local Bar Association has members that fall into this category. Determine how to utilize the associations to distribute your seminar information. Can you place an ad on their website? Can they add your seminar to their next permission email marketing? Work with all applicable associations to distribute your message.
Step 4: Prepare for the Seminar Presentation
As you are driving attendees to register for your seminar, you should be finalizing details on your presentation and how you will run your seminar.
4a.) Prepare an Agenda – and Stick with It To stay organized and keep your audience focused, develop and share an agenda that outlines the seminar objectives and key points.
4b.) Create a Visual and Audience-Appropriate Presentation Depending on who your target audience is, the theme of your presentation may vary. As your presentation is crafted, make sure it is clear, visible, and easy to follow. It is important to speak to the voice of your target audience’s persona throughout the presentation to relate back to them and make them feel comfortable.
4c.) Test the Presentation with Multiple Run-Throughs Once the presentation is set, schedule time for run-throughs with the presenter(s). Practice makes perfect, so schedule as many run-throughs as needed until the presentation runs smoothly and all technology devices are working properly.
4d.) Provide Printed Hand-Outs and Materials Provide a printed hard copy of your presentation along with any other marketing materials to enhance the takeaway of your seminar. Providing your audience with pieces they can leave the seminar with creates one more touch point to stay in front of them.
Step 5: Develop a Strong Post-Seminar Follow-Up Strategy
Seminars take a lot of strategic planning and execution, so when your event is over, it’s important to follow up with all who attended. You can use this time to deepen the relationship with everyone who signed up.
5a.) Provide a Post-Seminar Survey Preparing a post-seminar survey questionnaire is a good way to gather feedback on your seminar and how you can better your seminar for next time. Putting the survey on the tables of the seminar location provides easy access for the audience to take the survey and turn it in at the time of the seminar.
5b.) Schedule a Follow-Up Thank You Email The attendees of your seminar took the time out of their busy schedules to come and learn from you – so make sure you reach out to them to thank them for attending. Doing so in a relative amount of time after the seminar is another touch-point to stay in front of attendees, and is an outlet to provide a call to action if you are looking to take the next steps with certain attendees.
For more information on how World Synergy can assist your organization with a successful seminar, contact us .
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Home Blog Business Event Planning Made Simple: A Guide on Event Planning Templates + Examples
Event Planning Made Simple: A Guide on Event Planning Templates + Examples
According to Allied Market Research , the events industry is projected to reach a staggering $1,552.9 billion by 2028. As the industry continues to thrive, event planners face the challenge of delivering memorable experiences while efficiently managing various aspects of the planning process.
Whether you organize a corporate conference, a manufacturing tradeshow, or a leadership seminar, the key to success lies in effective event planning. And one tool that has proven invaluable in achieving this success is event plan templates.
In this guide, we delve into the world of event planning while exploring the vital role that event plan templates play in supporting and streamlining the planning process.
Regardless of the nature or scale of your event, incorporating these templates into your workflow can enhance your productivity, ensure consistency, and mitigate potential risks.
Table of Contents
Types of Business Events
Purpose, goal, and objectives, timeline and processes, the event planning team, budget + logistics planning, branding, marketing, and promotion.
- Sponsorship Opportunities
Event Program and Agenda
Evaluation and feedback, what are event planning templates, case study: business conference event plan, design and plan successful events every time, what is event planning .
Event planning is the process of conceptualizing and designing an event. The practice consists of coordinating all the details for an event of any type; meetings, conventions, trade shows, ceremonies, etc.
Event planning is part of event management and focuses on all pre-event stages, including strategy, concept development, and detailed planning. In contrast, event management itself deals primarily with the execution and operational aspect during the event itself.
The primary output of an event planning process is an event plan that will guide the event management team to prepare and coordinate a successful event. Sometimes, the first output is an event plan proposal that needs approval before becoming a complete event plan.
The case study at the end of this article is an event plan proposal.
Business events are either internal for the company’s employees and stakeholders or external and aimed at other businesses or potential clients.
Here are some of the most common types of business events.
Business Conferences
Conferences bring together professionals to exchange knowledge and discuss a particular subject in panel discussions and workshops.
Trade Shows
Trade shows allow companies to showcase products or services to a targeted audience in specialized booths.
Seminars are educational events focused on specific topics or industries through expert presentations and interactive discussions.
Product Launches
Product launches are events introducing new products or services to the market, creating buzz, and generating media coverage.
Team-Building Activities
Team-building events strengthen bonds and enhance employee collaboration with games and problem-solving challenges.
Networking Events
Networking events provide a platform for professionals to connect, build relationships, and expand their professional network.
Award Ceremonies
Award ceremonies recognize and celebrate the excellence of individuals or teams in various fields by acknowledging outstanding achievements.
Charity Functions
A charity function primarily aims to raise funds, create awareness, and support charitable causes by gathering donations.
What Constitutes Event Planning?
Event planning involves a comprehensive approach that starts with defining an event purpose and culminates in an event plan proposal or event plan.
Along every step of the event planning process, event planners use PowerPoint templates to help the team stay on track and plan effectively.
An event’s purpose is the overarching reason why the event will take place. The goal fulfills the purpose, and the objectives achieve the goal.
To determine the event purpose, answer the 5W1H; Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. Define a SMART event goal using the SMART framework , and write the objectives precisely as they will fulfill the event goal.
Here are two templates to help you:
You’ll see how all three (purpose, goal, and objectives) work together in the case study at the end of this article.
Answering the 5W1H also helps identify the target audience for the event. Use a persona analysis template to define how to conceptualize the event in a way that will positively impact them.
The event planning process needs transparent processes to keep everything on track. These processes all have templates you can use:
- A roadmap to define key milestones and deadlines.
- A work breakdown structure to outline all the tasks and action items.
- A communication plan for transparent communication processes between team members or the team and the client.
- Schedules and agendas to organize all event planning meetings.
Here are two Event Planning PPT templates to help you:
All events need a team to cover all planning tasks effectively. Depending on the event’s magnitude, some roles listed below will require a subteam.
- An Event Director with ultimate decision power.
- An Event Coordinator is responsible for day-to-day admin work.
- A Financial Coordinator in charge of the budget and allocation of monetary resources.
- A Marketing/Communications Director in charge of marketing campaigns.
- A Technical Director to oversee all audio, video, and media tasks.
- A Creative Director oversees all visual aspects like a website, invitations, signage, and more.
Budget and logistics in event planning consist of minute details that must be tracked, confirmed, and completed. Typically, budget and logistics are managed with spreadsheet and checklist templates.
Budget planning includes the following analyses:
- A budget forecast with a projection of fixed and variable costs. Fixed costs are the ones that won’t change, and variable costs will go up or down depending on the circumstances.
- The expenses sheet includes food & beverage, team, staff, decor, travel, marketing, venue rental, streaming flatforms, tech, etc.
- Revenue sources sheet including advertising revenues, concession, booth rental fees, registration, and sponsorship.
- A contingency fund in case of unforeseen circumstances.
Logistics planning includes:
- Finding a venue.
- Hiring vendors.
- Negotiatinsterms and signing contracts.
- Defining speaker availability.
- Organizing flights, transport, and accommodation.
- Receiving booth applications.
- Minding health & safety protocols
Internal and external events have different branding, marketing, and promotion requirements. It all depends on the event’s purpose and magnitude.
Event branding uses company brand guidelines to direct all visual communication and assets for the event. These include simple elements like the logo, colors, and fonts to what style of imagery to use or what type of messaging is incorporated. Typically, event branding is used for both internal and external business events.
Event marketing and promotion are generally used for external events that sell tickets, sponsorship opportunities, and other marketable event aspects. But occasionally, an internal event will use promotion techniques to remind employees about the event weeks or days beforehand.
Some events offer sponsorship opportunities for businesses to provide funds in exchange for something valuable that will benefit both the sponsor and the event attendees.
These are the most common types of event sponsorship:
- Financial: Purely monetary help offered as a deposit to the event planning committee or payment of one of the event logistic necessities; food, wifi, venue.
- In-Kind: The sponsor offers their services or products for free.
- Media: Promotional help about the event on different media outlets; social media, television, radio, etc.
- Promotional: Influencers, bloggers, writers, and others promoting the event on communication channels.
- Packages: Businesses pay a set amount for several brand highlight opportunities in the event; a logo in the poster, a banner in the venue, a speaking slot, etc.
The event program and agenda detail all the activities during the event. Your event program can be designed as a schedule with detailed times, presenter or facilitator details, or more creative compositions that inspire attendees throughout the day.
The evaluation and feedback process after an event is critical to give you insights into what worked and what didn’t. You can send attendees forms or surveys after the event or ask attendees to leave feedback while at the event.
Regarding event performance indicators, more than 80% of event planners consider attendee satisfaction and engagement an important KPI.
Event planning templates are predesigned resources that serve as frameworks for organizing an event. There isn’t just one event planning event template but a collection of them, each with its own purpose.
Industry-standard templates will save you and your team tons of time and significantly reduce the possibility of forgetting or skipping essential details.
In the section above, we suggested some templates that aren’t precisely event related but can help in the process nonetheless.
Event Planning Checklist Template
The event planning checklist template is where the event planner tracks all the necessary actions toward planning a successful event. These templates consist of a list that applies to all event types, plus other detailed activities that different events might need. You can add or remove what you need concerning your circumstance.
Event Planning Timeline Templates
Planning an event takes time; you need an event planning timeline template to use that time effectively. Show the team what’s expected at every milestone and when tasks and actions must be done.
Event planning timeline templates can be roadmaps, schedules, or Gantt charts . It all depends on your planning style.
Event Plan Presentation Template
An event plan presentation template is a slide deck on which the event planner shares critical information about an event concept, event plan, budget, logistics, and more with an audience of investors, decision-makers, or sponsors.
Event Plan Proposal Presentation Template
Much like an event plan presentation, an event plan proposal highlights all the same concepts but as a proposal. This slide deck template pitches the event to the decision-makers who will say yes or no to the event going ahead.
This template will help with both an event plan and the event plan proposal:
Event Budget Templates
With an event budget template, you can forecast costs efficiently, always keeping track of fixed and variable costs and managing a contingency fund. These templates look like spreadsheets or tables that make it easy to see costs per item and the difference between the projected amount and the final cost.
Event Venue and Vendor Templates
Event venue and vendor templates cover all key elements, actions, and information about the event venue (the location) and the vendors hired to supply their services.
Event Registration Template
Some events, especially public ones, must be registered with local officials. Sometimes, the authorities will supply an event registration template for you to fill in, but occasionally you’ll have to create your own. An event registration template includes all key data about your event, like who is organizing it, how many people will attend, and who will clean up.
Attendee Registration Templates
Attendee registration differs per event type. Paid in-person events involve attendance fees and costs, free events might only need a signup list, and online events use digital forms for attendees to reserve a spot in the virtual meeting room.
Event Speaker Checklist
An event speaker checklist can be internal for the event planning team or created specially for the speaker.
Internal event speaker checklists track all critical information like travel details and unique requirements. Use a list per speaker to ensure everything runs smoothly for them.
Checklists for the speaker ensure that they know what to expect and come prepared for their presentation.
Event Tech Checklist
All events involve tech of some sort, and to ensure everything is ready and working, you need an event tech checklist. Your specifics will differ according to what type of event you’re planning, but the idea is to keep track of all tech necessities on time for your event to succeed.
Event Agenda Template
Event agendas in your event plan match the overall presentation design, but the event agendas you give attendees are another story altogether. The agenda slide template for your plan or plan proposal covers what will happen during the event. The audience for that template is your team, decision-makers, sponsors, or partners.
The agenda template for your attendees is different. These agenda templates are eye-catching, inspiring, and worth taking home. Add your event brand assets along with your content to finish the design.
Event Sponsorship Templates
Event sponsorship templates will help your event planning team create a proposal that matches your event needs and style. You can use a simple proposal template that includes sections where you can specify the type of sponsorship per sponsor.
Another type of sponsorship template includes sponsorship packages with different price tags that contain lists of detailed items or opportunities included in each package.
Event Feedback and Evaluation Templates
Event feedback and evaluation templates can be both internal and external. You can poll your event planning team and ask attendees for their feedback. Likewise, you can ask speakers, vendors, sponsors, and partners how they felt about the event.
StellarCorp, a multinational manufacturing company with offices in three major cities, wishes to organize a leadership summit. Their in-house event management team has prepared an event plan proposal for StellarCorp CEOs to approve.
Discover the event plan proposal presentation that sealed the deal.
Cover: Key Event Details
The cover is a welcome mat to the presentation and highlights the event name and key details.
StellarCorp Leadership Summit
Potential dates: June 12-15 or October 10-14, 2024
Location: New York
Attendees: Senior managers from New York, Los Angeles, and Miami offices. From HR, marketing, sales, and innovation departments.
Interested presenters and key speakers: Corporate leadership guru Kristine M. and Communication specialist Jack S.
Introduction: Purpose, Goal, and Objectives
The presentation’s first slide highlights the event concept, purpose, goal, and objectives.
By sharing a clear hierarchy of purpose>goal>objectives in a pyramid design, the event planning team sets the stage for the rest of the presentation.
This leadership retreat aims to empower senior managers with the professional skills, insights, and necessary relationship-building techniques to lead effectively and positively in a dynamic business environment.
The goal of the leadership retreat is to strengthen and inspire efficient and positive leadership in senior management through interpersonal communication, strategic thinking, and the right skills to drive organizational success.
3 Objectives:
- To enhance leadership skills through interactive workshops and coaching sessions focusing on refining leadership capabilities, decision-making, and innovation.
- To foster strategic thinking through facilitated discussions where attendees will develop a shared strategic vision and craft actionable goals to learn how to navigate challenges and leverage opportunities.
- To strengthen interpersonal communication by conducting networking activities and team-building exercises to cultivate trust, communication, and collaboration.
Event Plan Schedule with Milestones
The following section in the event plan proposal is the event plan schedule highlighting key milestones. Showing this information to CEOs will give them an idea of how long the planning stage will take and if it’s feasible and aligned with their organizational goals.
Since the team has already done much of the work to create a plan proposal, the timeline starts with the CEOs signing off and covers the next two months of the planning activities.org chart.
- Conduct a kickoff meeting with the event planning team to review the Leadership Summit’s purpose, objectives, and goals.
- Review the budget projection and financial plan.
- Confirm the target audience and expected number of attendees.
- Research and select suitable venues in each of the three major cities.
- Delegate venue negotiations and contract signing tasks to team members.
- Review and approve the selected venues.
- Develop a comprehensive agenda and program for the Leadership Summit.
- Identify and invite keynote speakers and workshop facilitators.
- Create a registration system and launch the website or registration platform.
- Initiate promotional activities to generate awareness about the event with senior management.
- Review and approve the design and distribution of formal invitations.
- Confirm speaker availability and finalize their session topics.
- Arrange audiovisual equipment, staging, and decor based on the venue requirements.
- Coordinate with catering services to plan meals and refreshments during the event.
- Design and produce event materials, badges, signage, and handouts.
- Develop a communication plan.
- Organize transportation arrangements for attendees, if needed.
- Finalize logistics, including room setups, seating arrangements, and technical requirements.
- Coordinate with vendors for additional services, such as event security or photography.
- Conduct a comprehensive team run-through of the event schedule and logistics.
- Conduct a final review of all event materials and attendee lists.
- Prepare an event-day checklist and distribute it among the planning team.
- Handoff to the event management team for on-event activities.
The next slide is all about presenting the event planning team. Team members and their roles are displayed using a hierarchical organizational chart, with the event director at the top and the other directors and coordinators on the second level. Team members for each section go below their leader’s column.
- Event Director (top of the org chart)
- Event Coordinator (second level)
- Financial Coordinator (second level)
- Marketing/Communications Director (second level)
- Technical Director (second level)
- Creative Director (second level)
Logistics Overview
Across one or two slides, the team shares a logistics overview, including all the event’s top-level details. All items are listed in a table separated into horizontal sections that cover details for the venue, f&b (food and beverages), and tech requirements.
Venue: NY Hotel Chain Conference Room
Attendee Registration: Online
Seating arrangements for seminars: audience
Seating arrangements for workshops: table groups
Parking facilities: Superpark
Accessibility: AccesNY
Accommodation: NY Hotel
Transportation: Uber
Tech: eventtech NY
Catering and Refreshments: Cater NY
- Allergies and dietary restrictions forms
Event materials and signage: NY design
Health and Safety measures: EventSafe
Budget Projection and Forecast
Next is the budget breakdown, with which the team shares a budget forecast and projection for all event costs. The budget table or sheets show prices for all the details, referencing whether the cost is fixed or variable. It also includes a contingency plan and a final estimated budget.
- Rental fees for event spaces: $10,000
- Additional charges for breakout rooms or meeting rooms: $3,000
- AV equipment rental and setup costs: $5,000
- Hotel accommodations for attendees and speakers: $15,000
- Group rates or negotiated prices: $2,000
- Transportation services, including airport transfers and shuttles: $4,000
- AV equipment rental, such as projectors, screens, and sound systems: $8,000
- Technical support and on-site technicians: $3,000
- Internet and wifi services: $2,000
- Food and beverage catering for meals, snacks, and refreshments: $20,000
- Special dietary requirements or customized menu options: $3,000
- Coffee breaks and beverage stations: $2,000
- Online registration platform or software: $2,000
- Ticketing services and payment processing fees: $1,000
- Badge printing and lanyards: $1,500
- Printing and production of event materials (badges, programs, handouts): $3,000
- Signage and banners for venue branding and directional guidance: $2,000
- Promotional items or giveaways: $2,500
- Promotional campaigns: $5,000
- Design and production of promotional materials: $3,000
- Sanitization stations and supplies: $1,500
- Health and safety signage and communication materials: $1,000
- Insurance coverage for the event: $1,500
- Permits and licenses: $1,000
- Staff and volunteer expenses: $2,500
- Allocate a portion (10%) of the total budget for unexpected expenses or changes: $10,000
- Total Estimated Budget: $115,500
The Event Program
The final slide in the event plan proposal is a draft of the event program. As of the day of the proposal, the team brings a short list of topics chosen with the HR team:
- “Leadership in the Digital Age”
- “Building High-Performing Teams”
- “Effective Communication Strategies for Leaders”
- “Innovation and Disruptive Leadership”
- “Leadership in Crisis Management”
- “Developing Emotional Intelligence for Leaders”
- “Leading with Purpose and Authenticity”
- “The Future of Leadership: Trends and Insights”
- “Driving Innovation and Change in Organizations”
- “Strategic Leadership for Business Growth”
Event Program for Stellar Corp Leadership Summit:
Morning Session:
– 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Registration and Welcome Refreshments
– 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM: Opening Ceremony and Welcome Address by CEO
– 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM: Keynote Speaker 1
– 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM: Networking Break
Mid-Morning Session:
– 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Panel Discussion
– 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM: Lunch Break
Afternoon Session:
– 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM: Interactive Workshop
– 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM: Keynote Speaker 2
– 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM: Networking Break
Late Afternoon Session:
– 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM: Breakout Sessions:
– 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM: Networking Reception and Dinner
– 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Registration and Networking Breakfast
– 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM: Keynote Speaker 3
– 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Panel Discussion
– 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM: Networking Break
– 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM: Interactive Workshop
– 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM: Lunch Break
– 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Keynote Speaker 4
– 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Panel Discussion
– 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM: Networking Break
– 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM: Breakout Sessions:
-6:30 PM – 8:30 PM: Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony
– 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM: Networking Breakfast
– 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM: Keynote Speaker 5
– 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM: Panel Discussion
– 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM: Networking Break
– 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Interactive Workshop
– 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM: Lunch Break
– 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM: Keynote Speaker 6
– 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM: Closing Keynote Speaker
– 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM: Closing Ceremony and Recap
– 5:00 PM onwards: Optional Networking Sessions and Farewell
Creative and Design
The event plan proposal ends with a draft of the creative and design material for the event itself and the promotional material to be sent out beforehand.
The mood board that served as inspiration for the event’s graphics is also listed in the presentation since it captures the ideas that CEOs must be in touch with to check if they represent the core values behind this event.
The event planner reminds the CEOs that the Leadership Summit is vital for the company because when you take care of your people, your people take care of you.
The presentation ends on a high note with a thank you slide and a quote by Judy Allen, author of The Executive’s Guide to Corporate Events & Business Entertaining, “What sets your business function apart is not the amount of money you have to spend but how creatively you tap into your customers’ senses.”
In this guide, you learned just how essential event plan templates are when planning an event. There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel when all the resources are at your fingertips.
There’s one for every aspect of the planning process, from event plan checklist templates to registration form templates. Use SlideModel templates to plan, organize, present, and pitch amazing events every time.
1. Event Planning PowerPoint Template
A slide deck tailored to present an event action plan. This selection of slides is not designed to fit any particular industry, making them ideal for different sectors like corporate events, private events, academic events, and charity events.
Inside this slide deck you can find:
- Agenda Slide
- Event Goals
- Event Main Details
- About the Event
- Event Funnel
- Marketing Plan
- Timeline Template
- Project Status & Completion Rate
A versatile slide with bold graphics in a delicate color palette. Fully customizable to meet the branding requirements of your project or your styling preferences. Check it out!
Use This Template
2. Onboarding Checklist PowerPoint Template
Although onboarding templates are commonly associated with hiring and coaching new employees into organizations, in this case, the Onboarding Checklist PowerPoint template is relevant to track the activities assigned per specific time slot. We can arrange tasks by day, week, month, quarter, or even year. The checkmark icons help us signal which tasks are completed and which are in process, which in turn can give us an estimation of the event’s task completion rate.
3. 8-Week Event Planning Timeline Template for PowerPoint
If your event requires a carefully planned agenda, but you don’t want to fall into a traditional Gantt Chart template, be sure to check this 8-Week Event Planning Timeline Template for PowerPoint. In two different color schemes, we find two slides showing a calendar format similar to Google Calendar, arranged in weekly blocks by column. Sort out your tasks by creating blocks spanning multiple columns or staying bounded in the same week.
4. Event Management PowerPoint Template
We don’t want you to stick to simple diagrams for your event presentation slides: get ready to incorporate professionally designed vector images themed for event planning presentations.
A slide deck containing a broad range of vector art illustrations, including human figures, graphs, checklists, calendars, and other relevant figures that help you create an engaging event planning presentation. Check it out now!
5. Virtual Festival Event PowerPoint Template
If you are planning a virtual event, this is the slide deck you should check. With colorful slides and custom-made festive graphics, these placeholder images help to introduce speakers in a fashionable way, as well as promote your event with an event hashtag slide (ideal for social media engagement).
Be sure to implement these slides in your next virtual event advertisement for maximum engagement. Check them out!
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Event Management, Planning Filed under Business
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Every organization has grand goals on their business agenda. However, there is a long way between formulating those goals and seeing the results of their successful accomplishment. A lot of things can happen in-between, the project can get side-tracked, the timeline may change and new threats may emerge. To get a better sense of what needs to be accomplished and how? Most managers regularly engage in strategic planning.
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Statistics PhD Travel Support
Students who plan to give presentations at conferences, participate in professional meetings, attend conferences or training sessions, or visit colleagues at other institutions for professional purposes are eligible to apply for support.
Policy Statement
The Department of Statistics and Data Science (SDS) has set up a fund to support graduate students' professional travel. The aim of the Department is to promote travel activities that enrich the Statistics community at Cornell University.
Important factors to consider prior to requesting your travel award
- The funding is intended to supplement or complete travel funding from other sources. All other available funding sources intended for travel must be exhausted, and documented, prior to applying for this award. See the Travel Funding Opportunities on the grant website .
- Funding decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis by the governing committee (SDS Chair, Field of Statistics Director of Graduate Studies, etc.).
- All policies and decisions are contingent on the availability of funds.
- The Statistics PhD Travel Support Application must be submitted at least three weeks prior to the proposed travel.
- If you are arriving earlier or staying longer than the conference dates, please pull and save a flight comparison when booking tickets.
- Students can claim up to $1800 for travel per calendar year, July 1 through June 30 from SDS (as long as students have applied for funds first from the Graduate School). Only graduate students in the Field of Statistics are eligible to apply for this award.
- Additional advisor funds could be available upon request and based on available funding from your advisor. Please make sure you understand all allowable expenses based on the accounts you use. Not understanding allowable expenses could result in certain expenses not being reimbursed.
- If you would like the Graduate Field Coordinator, Allen Ward, to cover some of your expenses, like hotel costs and registration fees on the department business travel card, please email [email protected] . The amount covered on the department business travel card will still be claimed towards your $1800 for travel per academic year. You're still welcome to use your card and submit a reimbursement.
Trips with the following business purpose will be considered for reimbursement
- Professional meeting or conference (e.g., JSM); the participant must be making a professional presentation (typically a research paper).
- Professional visit to a colleague at another institution.
- Specific training purpose (e.g., SAS training, short courses), when such training is unavailable at Cornell.
Travel reimbursement documentation must be submitted within 30 days of returning from travel:
- Familiarize yourself with the policy prior to your trip Cornell travel policy
- All international travel MUST be registered through the Cornell Travel Registry prior to the trip; all international travel to destinations considered to be HIGH RISK must obtain prior approval by the International Travel Advisory and Response Team (ITART) BEFORE the trip begins: Global Cornell Travel
- Within 30 days of your return from travel, complete the Travel Reimbursement form and attach travel receipts for reimbursement.
- Please email or create a shared folder with Allen Ward , [email protected] , to help process your travel-related expenses and information.
- Provide all documents to Allen Ward (aw269), 301 Malott Hall, or by email for processing.
Note the following must be applied to your travel reimbursement request
- State all funding sources acquired (external funding, grants from The Graduate School or other Cornell departments/agencies, etc.).
- State balance requested for travel reimbursement from SDS.
- Provide receipts for all expenses and supporting information.
- There is no need to submit meal receipts. You will be reimbursed using the per diem rates for the location where you are staying.
Updated by Allen Ward, March 14, 2024
AERA i-Presentation Gallery Training Sessions—Register Now
Dear Authors Accepted for a Poster Session, Paper Session, Roundtable, Symposium, Structured Poster Session, or Working Group Roundtable Session:
We are pleased to announce two live “Create an AERA i-Presentation” training sessions that will be held on March 19 and 21. These highly interactive webinars will provide guidance on how to create a presentation in the user-friendly editor site and how to use the innovative multimedia options at your disposal. There will be ample time for Q&A.
Register now to participate in a training session:
- Tuesday, March 19, 8:00 am ET Register here
- Thursday, March 21, 4:00 pm ET Register here
While only authors representing in poster and structured poster sessions are required to include their presentations in the i-Presentation Gallery, the interactive online product provides exciting opportunities for all paper authors to share their presentations widely and to engage with peers.
For More Information and Questions
For more information on i-Presentations, see the January 2024 Highlights story on the opening of the 2024 content creation site or visit the AERA website . We also encourage you to visit the 2023 i-Presentation Gallery page to see how others have created their i-Presentations.
If you need help accessing the i-Presentation Editor Site, please contact access support at [email protected] .
General questions regarding the i-Presentation Gallery can be sent to [email protected] and general questions about 2024 AERA Annual Meeting can be sent to [email protected] .
We hope you take advantage of this opportunity to broadly share your research!
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U.S. to Send $300 Million in Weapons to Ukraine Under Makeshift Plan
The package will keep advancing Russian troops at bay for only a few weeks, an official said.
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By Helene Cooper and Eric Schmitt
Reporting from Washington
The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that it was sending up to $300 million in weapons to Ukraine, the first new aid package for the country since funding ran out in late December.
The package, pulled together from money that Army accountants cobbled from savings from contracts that came in under bid, includes air defense interceptors, artillery rounds and armor systems, senior defense officials said. Two U.S. officials said the package also includes an older version of the Army’s longer-range missile systems known as ATACMS, which can travel 100 miles.
It is a stopgap measure at best, the officials said, but Ukraine is in dire need of air defense systems in particular, as Russia has continued its bombardment of towns particularly in the east.
The makeshift solution would keep advancing Russian troops at bay for only a few weeks, one official said.
Announcing the aid package at the White House, the national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said that “Ukrainian troops have fought bravely, are fighting bravely throughout this war, but they are now forced to ration their ammunition under pressure on multiple fronts.”
He said the new package would “keep Ukraine’s guns firing for a period, but only a short period.” Mr. Sullivan called for Congress to pass a new Ukraine aid bill “as soon as possible.”
He said that Ukraine desperately needed the assistance to hold the line against Russian attacks, but that “it goes without saying this package does not displace and should not delay the critical need to pass the bipartisan national security bill.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, in his overnight address, thanked “the United States and all Americans who value freedom” for their support of his country.
The Senate passed an emergency aid bill including $60.1 billion for Ukraine. But the measure faces an uncertain fate in the House of Representatives , where Republican leaders have refused to put the measure to a vote. While congressional officials say there is a critical mass of support for continuing to arm Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, the Republican Party is increasingly turning away from its traditional hawkish posture and belief in projecting American power and democratic principles around the world.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican of Louisiana who has opposed aiding Ukraine, must navigate a handful of ultraconservative lawmakers who have said they will move to oust him if he allows a vote on Ukraine aid without stringent immigration measures attached.
On Tuesday, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, urged Mr. Johnson to hold a vote on the Ukraine aid package.
“I want to encourage the speaker again to allow a vote,” he said.
For President Biden, who has led the way in calling for the West to stand up for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion and occupation, the issue has become an embarrassing one on the international stage.
The American political paralysis has led, Pentagon officials said, to critical shortages on the battlefields of Ukraine. As each day goes by without a fresh supply of munitions and artillery, and Ukrainian crews ration the shells they have, morale suffers.
“When Russian troops advance and its guns fire, Ukraine does not have enough ammunition to fire back; that’s costing terrain,” Mr. Sullivan said. “It’s costing lives and it’s costing us, the United States and the NATO alliance, strategically.”
Since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration has sent more than $75 billion in cash and equipment to the country for its defense. Most of the aid has gone to Ukraine’s military operations, keeping its government running and addressing its humanitarian needs.
The money ran out in December, and Mr. Biden asked Congress for the authority to begin a new infusion of cash and equipment that only it can approve. But many Republicans object to pouring more taxpayer dollars into the conflict.
Senior intelligence officials warned on Monday that without additional American aid, Ukraine faced the prospect of continued battlefield losses as Russia uses a network of arms suppliers and increases its supply of technology from China.
In public testimony during the annual survey of worldwide threats facing the United States, the officials told Congress that any continued delay of U.S. aid would lead to additional territorial gains by Russia over the next year, the consequences of which would be felt in Europe and in the Pacific.
On Tuesday, Denmark also announced a new $340 million military aid package for Ukraine.
Constant Méheut contributed reporting.
Helene Cooper is a Pentagon correspondent. She was previously an editor, diplomatic correspondent and White House correspondent. More about Helene Cooper
Eric Schmitt is a national security correspondent for The Times, focusing on U.S. military affairs and counterterrorism issues overseas, topics he has reported on for more than three decades. More about Eric Schmitt
Our Coverage of the War in Ukraine
News and Analysis
The United States and six other major world powers warned Iran not to provide ballistic missiles to Russia to aid Moscow’s war against Ukraine and threatened to retaliate if it did by cutting off Iranian air travel to Europe, among other measures.
A U.N. commission said it had uncovered new evidence of widespread torture of Ukrainian prisoners held by Russian security forces, detailing a range of what it described as Russian war crimes, including summary executions and sexual violence.
Ukrainian authorities said that a Russian missile attack on Odesa had killed a t least 20 people and had injured 73 others , the latest in a series of deadly air assaults on the southern Ukrainian port city.
Targeting Russia’s Oil Industry: With its army short of ammunition and troops to break the deadlock on the battlefield, Kyiv has increasingly taken the fight beyond the Ukrainian border, attacking oil infrastructure deep in Russian territory .
Electronic Warfare: Drones have become a critical weapon for both Russia and Ukraine. But Moscow’s capability to overpower Ukrainian signals by broadcasting on the same frequencies at higher power is putting Kyiv at a disadvantage.
Helping the War Effort: Since the early days of the war, thousands of Ukrainian volunteers have led crowdfunding efforts that have been crucial in supplying the military with equipment. But as the conflict drags on, it is becoming harder to raise money .
How We Verify Our Reporting
Our team of visual journalists analyzes satellite images, photographs , videos and radio transmissions to independently confirm troop movements and other details.
We monitor and authenticate reports on social media, corroborating these with eyewitness accounts and interviews. Read more about our reporting efforts .
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Follow these steps: Signal that it's nearly the end of your presentation, for example, "As we wrap up/as we wind down the talk…". Restate the topic and purpose of your presentation - "In this speech I wanted to compare…". Summarise the main points, including their implications and conclusions.
Group Activities. Group activities are another essential component of a successful seminar, fostering teamwork, collaboration, and networking among participants. These activities aim to break the ice, encourage interaction, and promote a sense of camaraderie among attendees. Depending on the seminar's nature and objectives, group activities can ...
6/ Engage Emotionally. Connect emotional levels with your audience by appealing to their aspirations, fears, desires, or values. They help create a deeper connection and engagement from the very beginning. Make sure your introduction is concise and to the point. Avoid unnecessary details or lengthy explanations.
Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired ...
Presentation skills are the abilities and qualities necessary for creating and delivering a compelling presentation that effectively communicates information and ideas. They encompass what you say, how you structure it, and the materials you include to support what you say, such as slides, videos, or images. You'll make presentations at various ...
Frame your story (figure out where to start and where to end). Plan your delivery (decide whether to memorize your speech word for word or develop bullet points and then rehearse it—over and ...
Length and Structure. The main part should make up about 70% of the presentation and also include a clear structure. Explain your ideas in detail and build them up logically. It should be organized chronologically, by priority or by topic. There should be a smooth transition between the individual issues.
If you want to work on your main points first and save the introduction for last, you can. 2. Present your research and work in the body of the presentation. Your body should make up about 60 to 70% of your presentation, so put all your best points here. Think of your body as the path to your point.
Make your friends talk over each-other, practice without notes, or put some loud music on. Whatever it is that distracts you the most. Try to remember your presentation in full detail in those conditions before you come out in front of an audience. This is a surefire way to radiate confidence during your delivery.
What to do instead: Plan a presentation using a story, a script and a plan. The process for presentation planning should be more like that of movie making. When you make a movie you only start filming at the end of the planning process. Before filming you have a story, a script and a plan. It should be the same when you plan a presentation.
Step 1: Define your purpose and goals. Break this one down into easily digestible steps: First, write down your seminar's purpose. Then, set goals for how many people you want to attend in person or to watch your livestream. Finally, set a clear profit goal, which will help you calculate how much to charge attendees.
The primary objective of seminar presentation is to enhance presentation skills when persuading, educating, or informing an audience. Specifically, it provides a focus on the fundamental aspects of a quality academic, professional and business communications including structure, preparation and strategy for delivery, using visual aids, and handling question and answer sessions.
Great presentations begin with proper planning, which is why presentation planning is an important skill for any professional. Whether you are pitching a product to customers, sharing ideas with colleagues, or giving the keynote speech at an industry conference, the ability to present well will set you apart from others in your field.
Hold the pause for a few seconds, making it feel deliberate and purposeful. This builds anticipation and curiosity among the audience. 11. Pose a problem and offer a solution. A great idea on how to start a business presentation is to start by presenting a problem and offering a well-thought-out solution.
On Chromecast, choose to use the split screen. One side shows the video of you teaching, and the other is the training presentation you prepared. Send the recording to the employees that didn't attend in person or live online. Infographic of the steps required to create a SCRUM training presentation. 3.
Top Tips for Creating an Effective Training Presentation. What we commonly call "effective presentation" is the right balance of two elements: the content you provide and how you deliver it. The first part is on your expertise and every piece of information you can share. But the second part is where the real magic happens.
Here are 5 steps to achieving a successful and smooth-running seminar: √ Determine the Who, What, When, Where and Why. √ Prepare a Registration Process. √ Develop an Outreach Strategy. √ Prepare for the Presentation. √ Develop a Follow-Up Strategy.
Are you nervous when delivering a presentation? Don't worry! Today, we'll show you how to plan a successful presentation. You'll learn all about the key elem...
You want these two presentations to smoothly flow together, as balanced as possible. At each "click" on your slides, new information is shown on the slides. Let's mark by (slides) the amount of information added following a "click". Let's mark by (speech) the amount of information conveyed by your speech between two "clicks".
Here is a checklist of important things to consider when planning a seminar: Determine the seminar's purpose and goals. Choose a suitable venue. Create a budget. Develop a marketing strategy to promote the event. Select speakers or presenters. Create an agenda and schedule. Plan for equipment and technology needs.
Training Plan Presentation. This is the best presentation template for training plans and courses. It has a set of 13 slides that help you organize the training, break it up into different sections, and communicate course objectives and training content in a visually engaging, effective way.
Plan for 15 to 20 minutes, two to three pages of notes. ... A seminar presentation is a short informal talk giving the results of your researches into a topic on the course. You are sharing your ideas or discoveries in a way that gives seminar participants an opportunity for discussion. These presentations form a normal part of the teaching and ...
Week 1 milestone: Confirm target audience and finalize budget projections. Conduct a kickoff meeting with the event planning team to review the Leadership Summit's purpose, objectives, and goals. Review the budget projection and financial plan. Confirm the target audience and expected number of attendees.
Students who plan to give presentations at conferences, participate in professional meetings, attend conferences or training sessions, or visit colleagues at other institutions for professional purposes are eligible to apply for support. Policy Statement The Department of Statistics and Data Science (SDS) has set up a fund to support graduate students' professional travel.
AERA i-Presentation Gallery Training Sessions—Register Now. Dear Authors Accepted for a Poster Session, Paper Session, Roundtable, Symposium, Structured Poster Session, or Working Group Roundtable Session: We are pleased to announce two live "Create an AERA i-Presentation" training sessions that will be held on March 19 and 21. These ...
The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that it was sending up to $300 million in weapons to Ukraine, the first new aid package for the country since funding ran out in late December.
Submit training materials including presentation slides and evaluation forms (criteria: training content quality, materials quality, instructor expertise, comments and suggestions) to ARTC for final review. Training Delivery Requirement. Training Date: on/about July 24-25, 2024. Training Time: 3.5 hours per day from 8:30 am. - 12:00 pm ...