*Your presenters are the cornerstone of a good conference or awards ceremony. But you might be thinking 'how can I make sure my presenter performs at their best?'*How Can I Make My Presenters Comfortable on Stage?
It’s an indisputable fact that the ‘talent’ or presenters at your event can make or break the entire experience for the audience. On-stage content is the ultimate reason your audience attend, and it needs to entertain and inspire them.
An unhappy presenter does not perform at their best, and if they are not performing at their best, your audience are not getting the best experience.
Here are some ways you can make your presenters more comfortable, both on and off-stage.
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Provide comfortable ‘green room’ facilities. There is nothing worse as a presenter than having to battle through crowds to the toilets, or get changed in a public changing area. It may seem unimportant, but it will go a long way for you to ensure that there is a separate green room space for presenters to get ready in. This should be private, well-lit, and near to the stage area. Comfortable seating and a table are must-haves. You can also win bonus points if you have a fridge, tea, and coffee making facilities as well as access to drinking water.
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Send them relevant information in advance. Presenters are busy people, and while they may be used to walking into unknown situations, they will be able to prepare much better if they have some advance information. Consider sending them a presenter pack with information such as:
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- Venue details - access doors, exact location, parking information
- Timings, event start and finish, their slots, who is on before/after them
- Background of the event - why is it happening, who is there?
- Tech requirements - will they be expected to use their own laptop for slides, can they bring a PDF on a USB stick?
- Catering - are they being provided with food/drink etc?
- Venue details - access doors, exact location, parking information
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Make sure they have a point of contact on site. It’s always good to have a friendly face guiding you through a situation where nerves may be high. Make sure you assign someone to look after your presenters, ensure they have everything they need, and guide them to the stage at the right time. They will thank you.
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Have water available on stage. It’s a small thing, but getting a dry mouth in the middle of a monologue is a presenter’s worst nightmare. Have water available on a lectern or table, or with a stage hand just off stage if you are worried about the look. This means the presenter can be safe in the knowledge they are able to whet their whistle whenever they like!
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Ensure good communication. Presenters thrive off feedback - not only from their audience, but from you as organisers as well. Whether you have someone side of stage to make hand signals, or a prompting monitor at the back of the room, the more you can do to ensure presenters have plenty of information, the better. ‘Comfort’ or ‘Confidence’ monitors are a key way that your production company can help with this, and they can also be used to display slides and Q&A so the presenter doesn’t need to look behind them during the presentation!
These are just a few ways to ensure your presenters have a great time on stage, and deliver their best. If you are planning an event and need expert advice on presentation techniques, why not contact us, or read some of our other blog articles.
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