Presenter? = A Person Who Gives A Presentation?

moon7296 Do I call a person who gives a presentation "presenter?"
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* National organizations and associations (a list can be found in Appendix E). * Local and State associations and coalitions. * Local assistance programs. * Government organizations, including the OVC Trainers Bureau (See Appendix F). * Speakers and attendees from your previous conferences. * Speakers from conferences sponsored by your colleagues. Create a file of brochures publicizing other related conferences. * Journals, local papers, and magazines. Think about speakers when you are reading; you can find some interesting prospects.
* Location and address of the conference. * Purpose of the conference. * Size and general profile of the target audience. * Topic of the presentation and length of time of the session. * Layout of the room where the presentation will be given. * Acceptable attire or dress requirements. * Honorarium and expenses to be paid. * Details regarding travel, accommodations, and where and when your conference representative will greet the speaker. * A deadline for requesting audiovisual aids, if unknown at the time of the invitation, or a confirmation of what will be provided. * A request for a picture or biographical material, as needed.
* Any program changes that could affect the speaker. * Any information the speaker might find valuable. * What accommodations have been arranged. * Confirmation of where the speaker will be greeted and by whom. * Your current telephone number, the date you will arrive at the site, and a number at which you can be reached onsite. * The names of other guests and any appropriate background if the speaker will be seated at the head table.

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presenter vs speaker

I am organizing a seminar but i wonder how to address the person who presents the presentation in that seminar. presenter or speaker? What is difference between presenter and speaker? Are they interchangeable?

Aaiam Litigoner's user avatar

4 Answers 4

Speaker is the correct word.

Note: In context of seminars, presenter and speaker have the same meaning i.e. the person who gives the discourse. However, the word "presenter" may give an impression that the speaker is presenting on behalf of someone else; for instance a proxy for the original researcher or the first author .

arbitUser1401's user avatar

While I think one could safely use the words "speaker" and "presenter" interchangeably in the given context, there are, as usual, shades of meaning involved with each term that should not be ignored completely.

I agree with Blessed Geek's assertion that a presenter presents a presentation, which usually includes visual aids, and which may or may not allow for audience feedback; while a speaker speaks a speech, and speeches are usually non-interactive, non-visual affairs.

However, I would make the case that even a speaker who does nothing but read a speech is still technically a "presenter"--he's presenting that speech to the audience. A presenter, meanwhile, could theoretically not speak at all, perhaps merely gesturing at his or her visual aids. So no, the words are not completley interchangeable, but unless your seminar is about avant garde performance art, they're pretty darn close.

Doug Warren's user avatar

Normally we use presenter , when a presentation is involved, where the presenter is not simply just speaking on and on and on . Especially when charts, diagrams and audiovisuals as well as demos are involved.

It is untrue that "presenter" correlates strongly towards "presenting for someone else", because a speaker could just as easily "speak for someone else".

For example,

The presentation of the new software was done very well. The presenter was none other than the engineer architecting the software.

Blessed Geek's user avatar

After reviewing a few practical examples, shown below, I support that Speaker is the person's role when delivering seminar or conference presentations.

Game Developer Conference: http://www.gdconf.com/conference/c4p/ National Association of Broadcasters: http://www.nabshow.com/attend/speaker-benefits

Exceptions include presentation of published papers, such as SPIE conferences , where the participants are referred to as authors or presenters.

JasonInVegas's user avatar

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3 Group Presentation Pitfalls — and How to Avoid Them

person who does presentation

Strategies for a polished, unified final product.

Putting together an effective group presentation takes teamwork and coordination so it doesn’t look like a patchwork quilt. And yet, many of us never budget the time to fully prepare. The author outlines some of the common mistakes people make in group presentations and offers best practices to keep you on track. 

Many of us have experienced poor group presentations. If you’re giving one, it’s the last-minute scramble the night before to decide who is presenting which part of the presentation. If you’re observing one, it’s the chaos of hearing multiple people talking over one another or, even worse, simply reading their slides word-for-word and ignoring their audience. 

For many organizations, group presentations are a part of life. Your team may deliver a group pitch to a new client, or perhaps the capstone exercise of your leadership development program includes a series of group presentations to the head of your business unit. Virtual meetings make these presentations easier than ever because your team doesn’t have to be in the same location.

Putting together an effective group presentation takes teamwork and coordination so it doesn’t look like a patchwork quilt. And yet, many of us never budget the time to fully prepare. 

Read more about

Do You Have What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation?

What’s at stake here? Every presentation is an opportunity to build trust with your audience. The cohesiveness of your group presentation is an indicator to your clients of what their relationship will be like working with you. If your presentation is disjointed and disorganized, your client will wonder what the outcome of your project will be. If one member of your team puts down another during the presentation, how will your team treat the client’s team? You are presenting a glimpse into your working relationship as well as into your organization’s capabilities. 

My colleagues and I have been coaching our clients on their group presentations for nearly 20 years. In addition, I’m part of the faculty in an executive education course on persuasive communication at the Harvard Kennedy School. This three-week course culminates in a series of group presentations, which I evaluate along with the other faculty in the program. 

Based on this experience, here are some of the common mistakes we see in group presentations, followed by a few best practices to keep you on track. 

Three Common Missteps

1. each slide looks like it was designed by a different person.  .

When no single person is in charge of a presentation, you tend to see a disjointed slide deck of different fonts, text styles, and images. You also see people put their entire script on the slide and read from it word-for-word. This distracts your audience and loses their attention. 

2. Presenters talk over one another. 

When we don’t take the time to decide who is covering what  —  and how we will transition from one person to the next — we start to interrupt one another, which reduces our professionalism. One of my clients once said to me, “What must our clients be thinking when we interrupt one another?”

3. Forgetting that you are “on.”  

Once someone finishes their part of a group presentation, they are so relieved to be done speaking that they forget they are still “on stage” or on camera. They start checking their phone or zoning out instead of actively listening to the person speaking next.

Luckily, each of those missteps can be prevented with the right preparation. 

Three Best Practices 

1. strategize in advance..

When preparing for any type of presentation, I teach people to ask three questions: Who is your audience? What is your goal? and Why you? For group presentations, it’s important to answer those questions together. The last question, Why you?, which actually means Why do you care?, prompts you to share your own motivations on the topic, helping your team bond as a cohesive unit. 

When you add a group presentation to your calendar, block off time to prepare as a group. Use this time to agree on your audience’s level of knowledge about the topic, your specific goal for the presentation, the main message, the general outline and who will present each section before each of you starts writing your individual components. This helps you avoid the last-minute stress trying to fit each of your slides into one cohesive unit. Also decide who will take what kinds of questions, or decide who on the team will be in charge of fielding questions and assigning them to the right person to answer.

2. Practice as a group. 

Before the presentation, make time for a complete run-through, with slides. Specifically, practice your transitions from one person to the next, such as, Stacey did a great job talking us through the challenges of entering this new market. Now, I’ll provide a few solutions based on our firm’s expertise. Use a timer to ensure you are keeping to the allotted time, or set a realistic time limit based on the format of your meeting, so you ensure plenty of time to field questions. Make time to evaluate the slides together so that the language, font, and use of graphics are consistent. 

3. Deliver with confidence and authenticity.

When it’s time for the group presentation itself, lead with the speaker who best represents your organization; give junior speakers an opportunity to present in the middle. This ensures a strong first impression and takes some of the pressure off newer speakers. When speaking in person, position yourself so that you can reference the slides but speak directly to the audience. Bring your own personality to the presentation; you could say something like, If you’re from California like I am, then you’ll know …Personal anecdotes that connect to the audience are a terrific way to build trust between the audience and each member of the group presenting. 

What changes in a virtual setting? 

All the above suggestions hold true in virtual presentations , especially the importance of doing a complete run-through on the virtual platform you’ll be using. In these situations, designate one person to run the slides for the entire presentation so each person doesn’t have to share their screen. Ensure each speaker has a professional background, adequate lighting on their face, and is clearly audible. Use this video for reference on how to prepare for virtual presentations. When speaking, look directly into the camera lens so the audience sees and feels your eye contact. When you are not speaking, mute yourself so your background noise doesn’t interfere with the speaker.

Done well, a group presentation demonstrates the strength of your team and the quality of your work. Take advantage of this powerful opportunity to build trust with your audience and, as a result, help your organization succeed.

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Presentation tips.

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"The mind is a wonderful thing. It starts working the minute you're born and never stops working until you get up to speak in public." (Unknown)

The quality of your presentation is most directly related to the quality of your preparation. Rarely will you have difficulties in your presentation due to being overprepared.

Create a Comfortable Learning Environment

"More important than the curriculum is the question of the methods of teaching and the spirit in which the teaching is given." (Bertrand Russell)

Image of a faculty member holding a microphone giving a presentation

Manage Your Anxiety

"There are two types of speakers. Those who get nervous and those who are liars." (Mark Twain)

Nervousness before a talk or workshop is healthy. It shows that your presentation is important to you and that you care about doing well. The best performers are nervous prior to stepping on stage. Below are suggestions for assuring that anxiety does not have a negative impact on your presentation.

Create a Strong Beginning

"The greatest talent is meaningless without one other vital component: passion." (Selwyn Lager)

Keep your opening simple and exciting to engage your audience in your content.

Incorporate Universal Design Principles

"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." (Confucius, 451 BC)

Model accessible teaching methods that your participants can use. Incorporate universal design principles to address the needs of participants with a wide range of knowledge, abilities, disabilities, interests, and learning styles. Examples are listed below.

Image of faculty member Scott holding a microphone giving a speech.

Create a Dynamic Presentation

"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." (Albert Einstein)

If your audience enjoys and remembers your presentation, it is because you presented it in a dynamic or compelling manner.

Make Your Presentation Interactive

"It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers." (James Thurber)

Avoid simply lecturing to your audience. Engage your audience in an active discussion.

Include a Group Activity

"Real prosperity can only come when everybody prospers." (Anna Eleanor Roosevelt)

Include a short activity that makes an important point and encourages participation and discussion. Here's one to try. Announce that you're going to have a five-minute activity, then ask your participants to choose someone sitting nearby and share with each other two things:

Have the instructions written on a presentation slide or write them on a flip chart. Read the instructions aloud. Give participants three to four minutes (there will be a lot of laughter and lighthearted talk), and then say you're not really interested in what they do well; ask people to share things that their partner does not do well. (This usually ends up funny—participants enjoy sharing that he can't do math, he hates public speaking, she's not good at fixing things around the house.)

After the fun, make the point that, "You have experienced, in a small way, what a person with an obvious disability experiences all the time—that people first notice something they are not particularly good at (e.g., walking, seeing, hearing) and don't take the time to learn his or her strengths. A disability may impact 10% of a person's life, yet is considered a defining characteristic by others. We need to pay attention to what everyone, including those with disabilities, can do, rather than accentuating what they can't do." To emphasize the point ask participants to reflect on how they felt when you said you weren't really interested in what they do well.

This activity is short, fun, and effective. It addresses the issue of attitudes, yet does not have some of the negative elements of traditional simulations that leave people feeling like having a disability is an impossible problem with no solution. This activity is also good to use when talking about internal and external barriers to success for students with disabilities, which can include lack of self-advocacy skills (internal barrier), and negative attitudes or low expectations on the part of individuals with whom they interact (external barrier).

Image of four faculty members sitting at a table.

Incorporate Case Studies

"Learning is an active process. We learn by doing . . . Only knowledge that is used sticks in your mind." (Dale Carnegie)

Have participants discuss case studies in small groups. At the end of this section are sample case studies that can be used in your presentation. They are all based on real experiences at postsecondary institutions. Each case study is formatted as a handout that can be duplicated for small group discussion. On the back of each activity sheet is the full description, including the solution actually employed. This version can be used for your information only or can be distributed to the group after the initial brainstorming has occurred. Participants can compare their ideas with the resolution in the actual case.

Address Key Points

"Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic, and faithful, and you will accomplish your objective. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Be sure that your presentation covers the most important content for your audience.

Provide Resources for Participants to Keep

"The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point, however, is to change it." (Karl Marx)

Make sure that you provide your audience with information on which they can follow up after your presentation.

Conclude with a Strong Ending

"The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own." (Benjamin Disraeli)

The most important and remembered words you speak are the last ones.

Improve Each Presentation

"I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best." (Oscar Wilde)

Take steps to gain feedback about your presentation that will lead to improvements.

"When you can do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world." (George Washington Carver)

In summary, to give effective presentations where participants gain valuable information in a dynamic way, make sure to:

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