We know from almost 20 years of experience in the conference business how important it is to present the most useful and engaging material, and have it presented in the most professional manner. It is what separates us from a trade show that cares more about its image and its attendance figures than its seminar tracks. There are three prerequisites for speaking at PowerPoint Live:
You have something significant to say. You have either undertaken an extraordinary project with PowerPoint that others would benefit witnessing, or you have devised a clever and creative strategy for producing something that otherwise would be extremely difficult.
You have proven and demonstrable experience speaking before a group, and can furnish a sample in the form of an audio or video clip.
You are comfortable being your own narrator as you take hand to mouse to drive the software while a crowd of many dozens watches you.
Our presentations are 60 minutes long and the emphasis is on showing over telling. In most cases, you would be expected to go beyond simply preparing a PowerPoint presentation; you would actually drive the software as you demonstrate the unique aspects of your story. This involves much more than simply being able to build the presentation. You need to stage the entire process, much like Julia Child or Rachael Ray would prepare a gourmet dinner for her television audience. We would expect you to be able to identify and discuss the critical parts of the project and be able to bypass the unimportant parts. It is a decidedly non-linear approach, which requires practice and experience to perform effectively.
You would also be expected to prepare handout material for the conference guide, following a specific editorial guideline with which we would furnish you. You would also allow us to place finished files and/or the building blocks for a project on our Conference CD, so the patrons can practice and try to recreate your steps upon their return home.
A moment of reality, based on our experience: The demands of giving a presentation about presentations to an audience of presentation professionals is no small challenge. If you feel your story is compelling but you need help telling it, you could be teamed up with a member of our conference team. There is much less pressure in that scenario and we would be happy to discuss it with you.
Finally, speaking at PowerPoint Live should not be seen as a way to attend for free. While we do pay an honorarium, first-time speakers are usually found among our paying patrons.
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To apply for a speaking position, or any of the other positions we offer, return to the previous page and click the Apply link at the bottom.