Planning your Management Conference / Sales Conference / Annual General Meeting is a major challenge for most organisations. There is much to think about:
- Your Venue
- Your Stage and AV requirements
- Arrangements for delegates; invitations, logistics, refreshments breaks, lunch etc and overnight accommodation
Then there’s the cost:
- The Conference Room, Stage & AV Company
- Delegate subsistence and hotel rooms
- The hidden cost of salaries & potential ‘loss’ of business
We believe that the most important element of your Conference are the presentations made by your speakers who deliver the message you need your delegates to receive and take away.
Here’s where we can help.
At 8ack we are passionate about communication and helping conference speakers inspire and motivate their audience. In our view, delegates need to leave your conference:
- Motivated to address the challenges of tomorrow
- Inspired to relay the conference messages to others
- Enthused about playing their part in making things happen
How many conferences have you attended where these objectives have been met?
So, what do we need to do to make your conference memorable?
Step One – Planning
An informal meeting with each speaker to get the ‘thinking wheels in motion’ by discussing
- The purpose of their presentation based on the outcome or results sought
- The key points to cover, how to organise and deliver them
- Visuals with impact to support the message
This meeting also serves as a way of ensuring all your speakers messages ‘dove-tail’ into each other. Discussions about the use of autocue, notes, lecterns, vox pops, speaker introductions, ‘vote of thanks’, external speaker/s, running Q & A sessions etc will also take place.
Mike will also help speakers:
- Prepare an attention-grabbing opening
- Illustrate and support key points with evidence and visuals
- Develop transitions between key points
- Prepare a memorable close.
Step Two – Informal Rehearsal
We now need to hear the ‘first draft’ of each presentation. What may sound good on paper doesn’t necessarily sound good as the spoken word or indeed vice-versa. Speakers will work one-to-one with Mike whose job it is to interactively:
- build their confidence to the next level
- suggest ways for them to better ‘connect’ with their audience
- develop their delivery style to support their message
Following a debrief, each speaker will leave the rehearsal with constructive feedback enabling them to produce the final draft of their presentation with supporting visuals etc
Step Three – Formal Rehearsal
Speakers will deliver their presentation a number of times. Each presentation will be videoed and reviewed to identify, what went well and what might be improved in terms of content and/or delivery style. As in Step Two, presenters will work interactively, one-to-one, with Mike. By involving your AV company at this stage, they have the opportunity to see the running order and content of your conference.
Step Four – Dress Rehearsal
Ideally this takes place the day before your Conference at the Conference location and using the Conference Stage & AV set up. This is an opportunity for each speaker to familiarise themselves with the ‘set’ and ‘fine tune’ their presentation – again working one to one with Mike. We will also finally agree and practice the choreography of your event – walk-on’s/walk-off’s – etc.
Step Five – Your Conference
Over to you! Albeit, Mike will be there to offer any last minute advice needed.
To arrange a meeting with Mike Atack, simply contact us.
