In this day and age, it’s almost unfathomable to host an event and particularly speaking engagements that fail to take technology into consideration in some form or another. Technology is a must, so it’s a matter of the extent and how it will be used.
Technology is also being used in greater measures by speakers and presenters, and this entails far more than just using a slide projector. More speakers are taking advantage of the latest technology for keeping an audience engaged.
1. Social Media Wall
A social media wall can be displayed right behind the speaker and can show what people are saying about the presentation right as it’s in progress. A social media wall is especially useful during a Q&A session. The speaker can answer questions that’s being asked on Twitter and coming from people that are watching the lecture via live stream. Seeing posts as they appear will also encourage audience members to chime in with their own tweet.
Also don’t forget that you’re not limited to tweets and posts. Questions can also be presented in video format. You can also show pics from Instagram or GIFs as companion material for conveying a comedic effect when getting a certain point across.
2. Video Mapping
Video mapping creates a visual spectacle and definitely helps deliver that “wow” factor that will blow an audience away. How might this be used during a conferences or speaking engagements? Well, you can show a number of relevant images or videos using a number of objects as the screen. This includes the floor, ceilings, and irregularly shaped objects like a statue or even the stairway where people are entering the lecture hall from.
Video mapping can be done throughout the presentation as a background backdrop, or just before the presentation begins to give the audience a visual treat while awaiting the arrival of the speaker. It can even be used in place of a digital signage screen used for your social media wall. Display the social media posts right on the venue’s wall or floor. Just be sure it’s still legible.
3. Use Live Polling
If the event includes an event app, and it should, then your speaking engagements should incorporate some type of polling feature. You can ask the audience a question, and they can respond with the results showing up on a digital signage screen in real time. You can use the results to dictate the direction of the presentation.
If you’re promoting an online business course, for instance, then you can ask questions, such as:
- Profit wise, where do you see your business a year from now?
- What key performance indicators are you using to measure the success of your business?
- Is your company overhead consistently proportional to profit margins?
Base on how the audience answers, you can tailor the lecture to suit the majority preference. If most people indicated in the polls that employee productivity is a primary concern, for example, then you can elect to spend more time discussing the key steps for boosting staff morale.
4. Audio Visual Equipment
Most digital signage systems these days come in HD. That’s a good start, but there is even better technology that makes normal HD pale in comparison. One example is the 4K curved TV. This technology provides extremely sharp and clear picture quality, not to mention the images on screen appear to have more depth and richer contrast. If you ever walked into a Best Buy, you will see just how magnificent a curved TV is.
Considering that very few people have begun embracing such technology yet, they will certainly be bedazzled when they see ads and videos played through a curved television. While incorporating such technology is a huge investment, it shows to your audience that you are at the forefront of the latest technology breakthrough, and that will definitely earn you some plus points with the attendees.
5. Use Touchscreen iPads
Touchy-feely technology like touchscreen iPads are huge these days. You can strategically place a few of these throughout the venue where they can be used by attendees for checking out the specs of a particular item.
You can do the same immediately after speaking engagements or during intermission. After introducing a product, have a few staff members come into the room with iPads where guests can use the touchscreen features to check out the features of a new product or service that was just introduced. Since it’s still fresh in everyone’s mind, the audience will be more receptive to it.
The product or service features can also be incorporated into an event app, so that those who have their own touchscreen devices can check the item out using their own mobile phone or tablet.
Keep Technology at the Forefront of Your Speaking Engagements
It’s no longer enough to just speak at an event. Presentations are easily forgettable if it’s all just talking from a single person. When you incorporate technology, the audience have more reason to be engaged and giving the speaker his or her undivided attention.
Guest Author:
Dan McCarthy is an Event Manager at JD Parties, an event management company based in the UK. Dan has 5 years of event project management under his belt. He has worked on many successful events, and currently he shares his knowledge by writing on the company blog. Follow him on Twitter @DanCarthy2.
The post Top 5 Event Tech Strategies for Live Speaking Engagements appeared first on The Social Tables Blog.
