A/V Needs/Meeting Room Guidelines and Helpful Hints

Some Things to Think About to Make this a Great Meeting

To help ensure that Mike’s program meets your expectations and brings high value to your audience, please review the requests below and let us know if there are any challenges. Mike is extremely flexible and easy to work with. He will work with your a/v capabilities and your technicians to make the most of your program. We don’t wish to cause you additional work, but sometimes a little additional effort can mean a great deal to the outcome. An ineffective room set up can sabotage the best presentation.

We appreciate your attention to detail and your willingness to help Mike create the very best experience for your audience.

Equipment:

• Wireless lavaliere (tie clip) microphone with fresh batteries
• Second microphone (handheld or stationary) for the introducer. It works best if there is no need to “hand off” the lavaliere microphone from the introducer to the speaker.
• Mike can either
  • bring his laptop (Dell Inspiron 1150) or
  • bring his presentation with imbedded video on a thumbnail USB drive
• Please provide a screen and LCD projector for Multi-Media presentation (2000 lumens minimum) appropriate to the audience size. Mike’s presentation is visually focused so the projection screen must be large enough to be seen by every audience member through the back row. A minimum of 10 ft x 10 ft.
• Rear or top projection preferred it at all possible. The audience will notice the quality difference.
• Screen angled in the room also helps.
• For audiences over 500, arrange for video magnification. Call with any questions.
• The video segments include sound so a patch cord from the computer to the rooms sound system will also be needed.
• Wireless presentation remote (not a wireless mouse) for controlling the presentation by the speaker.
• One power strip to accommodate LCD Projector and computer. Power strip cord must be long enough to reach from the table to the wall outlet without causing a walking hazard. Black tape may be needed to tape the extension cord to the floor.

Staging:

• Stage size and height appropriate for the room size. (8 X 16, two feet high is the norm)
• Please keep distance between rows so that people moving in and out of the rows can do so without interrupting those seated.
• If there is a dance floor, do not put Mike on the stage “on the other side” of the dance floor. This separates Mike from the audience and will greatly reduce the impact of the presentation.
• Light bulbs unscrewed over the screen where possible
• It always helps any presenter when the audience sits in the front of the room close to the speaker. For any size audience, try to seat as many people as possible near the front of the room. A guideline would be 4 feet from the front of the stage.
• Put out only the number of chairs for the people you expect with extra chairs stacked hidden in the back of the room. Hotels can usually provide draping to cover the extra chairs. A small skirted cocktail table set up at the back of the stage where Mike can place needed items. A glass of water on the table is appreciated.
• A small skirted cocktail table on set up at the back of the stage where Mike can place needed items. A glass of water on the table is appreciated.
• There is no need for a podium and we request that there is one onstage that it be place to the side of the stage so the front of the stage remains open.
• A set of stairs in the middle of the stage allowing Mike to come from the stage directly into the audience.
• Seating Preferences:
  • First Choice: Classroom
  • Second Choice: Theatre
  • Third Choice: Round Tables
• Maximize the good seat and minimizes the bad seats in the room. Avoid setting the room like a bowling alley with people looking the long-way at the stage.

If the room is rectangular, this is the recommended room set up:

SEATING: If the audience's chairs are chevroned rather than straight rows, facing the stage will be more comfortable.

In a meeting room where food is NOT served, if possible, have tables in front of speaker, not aisles:

Lighting:

• A bright stage will help keep the audience focus at the front of the room. Mike utilizes the entire stage area and will stay toward the front edge. If the room has any spotlights, please aim them for a general wash of the front of the stage (not directly into Mike’s eyes)
• The energy and connection in the room are increased when Mike can see the audience and when the audience members can see each others reactions. For this reason, please dim the lighting on the video screen, but keep the house lights full up.
• Mike moves around during his presentation. If the room has spot lights, aim them toward the front of the stage.

Introduction:

• Try to have the group in a fun mood before introducing your speaker. Sad announcements or moments of silence for a recently departed friend are appropriate, not just before introducing the speaker.
• Awards of Extended Announcements — either consider having your speaker first, or give the audience a stretch break for a couple of minutes before introducing the speaker.
• Please ask attendees to turn off pagers, phones and other possible alarms before beginning.
• We will provide you with Mike’s introduction, please have it read the way it was written. It does help if the introducer has the chance to read through and practice the introduction before giving it.
• There is no need to be concerned about the time. Mike will finish his program within two minutes of any time frame that you give him.

Room Environment:

• To maximize your investment in Mike or any other speaker, please keep in mind that an extended cocktail party is not a good start for your audience or any speaker.
• The eye follows movement, not sound; if photos are to be taken, resist taking them during the first fifteen minutes of the presentation. It will be too much of a distraction for your audience. (It is possible to take "posed action" shots during the break.)
• It is difficult to build intimacy and rapport if the audience is still eating. Please schedule the speaker to follow any meals.
• Please check the air conditioning or heat in advance. Be sure the room can be cooled to 68-70 degrees for an extended period of time.
• Please set up coffee breaks outside the meeting room. This will be less distracting for the participants
• For programs 3 hours or longer, Mike will give the audience a 15-minute break approximately one hour and thirty minutes into the program.

Handout Materials:

The branding session includes a full color session notebook. Detailed workbooks are provided which allow the students to concentrate on the power of the message delivered and to continue their study of the material after the seminar. Please provide them to participants or place them on the participants seats or tables in advance of Mike’s presentation

Video/Audio Taping:

When video taping, Digital Video (DVCam or Mini DVD) is the preferred format. Lighting is critical. Presenter must be lit appropriately for an excellent picture. If recording, Mike should wear two microphones…one for the PA system and one for the video camera. A third microphone is always helpful to capture audience responses. The second audio channel on the video recorder should capture the live audience ambience.

Rehearsal and Sound Check:

Mike likes to run through equipment and sound check 60 to 90 minutes before the presentation. It consists of working with the a/v technician to assure that the multi-media presentation which includes images and imbedded video is working perfectly for the audience. If this is not possible, please let us know.

Waitstaff:

It is not a good idea to have a presenter work with presenters on the floor. If the program is after a meal, instruct the catering manager to ask the entire wait staff to leave before the program starts. Nothing is more distracting to your audience than the noise and motions of folks clearing the tables.

If there are any challenges at all, please don’t hesitate to call. Mike is very easy to work with and will find a way to make this a great meeting for you.

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP IN MAKING THIS A FIRST RATE EVENT!