Are you in the process of speaker selection for next year’s meeting, conference or product launching event? Hiring high energy presenters who deliver a great message will make your meeting memorable, long after the event is over. So, what should you look for when reviewing the speaker’s presentation?

Below is a checklist of things every planner should keep in mind during the hiring phase.

1. Share much about the audience and how they learn.
   
   Tell your speaker as much information as possible about the demographics of your attendees and how they learn most effectively. Do they learn passively or interactively? Visually or Audibly? 
2. Make certain the speaker develops their own slides.

   I can’t tell you how many presentations I have been to where the boss or co-worker of the presenter developed the slide deck. It wasn’t the presenters voice, so the message was not authentic. Attendees are turned off quickly especially if the speaker starts to read from the slides, flip through them fast, or worse, stares and says "I have no ideas what this means." Put it in writing that they MUST put together their own message.

3. The presentation needs to flow and not be rushed.

   Is there a beginning, middle, and ending?
   
   Are there more than 6 lines on each slide and more than 6 words across? If so, have the speaker rework it.

   Does the presentation integrate color, graphics, photos, and video? Presentation services audio visual equipment is pretty sophisticated nowadays, allowing for bright, quality, visual presentations which can be better retained by audience members.

   How many slides are in the presentation? Standard rule of thumb is take the allotted time divided in half and that should be the maximum number of slides the presenter has. In other words, if it is a 30 minute presentation, no more than 15 slides with the intention of spending 1 to 2 minutes on each one.

4. Remove the podium.

   Many speakers like to "hide" behind the lectern and put that artificial barrier between the audience and themselves. Hire a speaker that is comfortable walking around the stage and even going into the audience and mingling with attendees. Every presenter I have witnessed doing this, especially the ones that get down off the riser, create an energy that resonates with the attendees.

5. An "attention grabbing" opening.

   It’s true what they say, "You never have a second chance to make a first impression." What is the first thing that comes out of the speaker’s mouth? Do they tell a story? Joke? New information? It needs to be interesting and compelling.

6. Summarize and Engage.

   Does the speaker summarize their entire speech at the end of the presentation? How do they engage the audience members? 

7. Call-to-Action.
   
   Make certain the presenter has a specific call to action or key takeaways. Many good speakers have the audience members write out what they are going to do in the next week, month, or year. What do they or you want the attendees to do?

Are you event planning in California? Call on AV Event Solutions to provide you with state-of-the-art presentation services audio visual equipment that will make your meeting come to life! Give them a call or request Express Quote for more information!