Room Setup & Audio/Visual Needs:
Make Great Connections Between Your Speaker and Your Audience

Whether you are planning your first or fiftieth conference, the logistical details can be overwhelming. You want everything to go smoothly to make the program/conference an experience that your attendees will remember. The following suggestions can help you make it all come together -- smoothly, easily, and powerfully. These ideas are based on learning research, input from professional speakers, and mostly from Shirley's platform experience.

CAN YOU PROVIDE SHIRLEY WITH:
A Helper - Shirley spends a lot of time greeting the audience and participants. She would appreciate one of your people to help her with a few details. This should be someone who doesn't have a lot of other on-site responsibilities. Also, a person who doesn't mind helping set up the back-of-the-room memory table, taking photos of your guests and Shirley together (Shirley provides the camera), or helping Shirley find whatever she may have "lost". (She occasionally sets things down and forgets where they are!)

An Introducer - Shirley will provide her standard introduction and looks forward to talking with the introducer ahead of time. Please check with Shirley if you have not received the introduction.

MAKING THE ROOM WORK
Size of the Room - Often the energy of the room depends on how full it is. Too many empty seats drain the energy of the room and makes it hard for the speaker to connect intimately with the audience. Provide only enough chairs for the expected number of participants. Have extra available. Other ideas: tape off the last few rows to encourage participants to fill the front of the room; fill empty space with displays; define meeting area with plants, chairs, or other furniture.

Lighting - Please have the "lights up" as high as possible during the program. Shirley uses humor and props to anchor her key points. Everyone will feel more connected if they can see Shirley. As our audiences begin to age, lighting becomes even more important. Additional lighting on the stage is desirable if it is available. Try to at least position the speaker in the brightest part of the room.

Seating arrangement & platform height - Please place chairs as close to the stage or speaking area as possible. (Comedians use this set-up to be as close to the audience as possible). Here's a standard rule of thumb:
Number in audience Platform Height Distance to front row
50 - 350 8 - 16 inches 4 feet
350 - 750 24 - 36 inches 6 feet
750 - 1000 48 inches 10 feet

AFTER THE PRESENTATION
Evaluations: If you are asking the audience to evaluate the program you can achieve higher response by drawing for a door prize from those who complete the form. Shirley will be happy to provide you with this.
Meeting and Greeting the Audience: Being able to personally connect with a speaker can make each attendee feel special. By giving Shirley time to move toward the exit, she is able to personally acknowledge the participants as they leave.

Product Sales: Many times audience members like to take home a momento of the event. Shirley has prepared a selection of items for those who want to purchase something special. The table should be in an easy-to-access area (lobby). Shirley does not like to be in the business of selling, so she generally has an "honor system" payment method. If you feel that something else is more appropriate, please discuss this with Shirley.

Door Prizes and Awards: After a powerful presentation, the energy of the audience can sometimes be depleted if the "ticket drawing" and "give-away" portion lasts too long. If possible, try to give awards and door prizes away prior to the program. . . or go ahead and draw the names early and announce all from the stage, asking them to claim their prizes at the end of the conference. One more suggestion: make sure your door-prizes have some value and are appropriate to most attendees. A lot of organizations suggest that a $25.00 minimum value adds more excitement to the prizes. Shirley is happy to assist with this part of the program to infuse a little humor and fun!

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AUDIO VISUAL PREFERENCES:

Keynote Addresses
Hand held microphone: If possible the microphone should be cordless. If cordless is not available, please make sure that there is plenty of cord for moving around.

Microphone stand: Shirley usually does at least one magic illusion. In order for her to maximize the effects, she needs a microphone stand set off to one side of the platform. The stand should be the single pole, adjustable kind (like stand-up comedians use!).

Lectern: Shirley does not use a lectern, however she realizes that many emcees require one. If the lectern must be on the platform, please make sure it is located at the back of the platform and to one side. Check to make sure that the platform does not block the audiences view of the central section of the platform.

Small Table: Please provide Shirley with a very small (covered) table set just back from center of the platform. This allows her to easily assess any props she might use.

Workshops/Breakout Session
Microphone: For groups less than 75, Shirley does not require a microphone. For larger groups, a microphone as described above is adequate. A lavaliere microphone is fine for workshops.

Table and Flip chart: A small table in the front of the room is desirable. A flip chart with 2-3 colored markers is requested.