5 SIMPLE STEPS TO TAKE YOUR EVENT PRESENTATION FROM “MEH” TO “WOW”

Want to get people’s attention? Stop relying on just one of their senses when planning your event. It makes…well, sense. Visual presentations alone are functional and can communicate your point, but only if the audience is receptive and willing to pay attention – a rarity indeed.

A better strategy? Keep them riveted.

London & Partners, coupled with CWT Meetings & Events, released a survey that included interviews with 600 event organizers. To really capture an attendee’s attention and make the event as memorable as possible, 78 percent of event planners recommended putting on multisensory events. Events are about creating a lasting impression and one of the biggest benefits of an event that appeals to multiple senses is that it’s more memorable.

Elevating an Event

One of my favorite examples of spicing up what used to be an admittedly boring event is an internal one. Our monthly company meetings used to be a pretty droning corporate update about the current state of the company. Recently, we’ve made quite a transition. We now cover the same topics we would normally present but we interview the staff as if they’re on a live talk show.

We’re slowly adding to our set design as time and money permits, which illustrates two valuable lessons in putting on an amazing event: You don’t have to make huge changes all at once and you should set a budget early on. If stakeholders know what sort of numbers they’re working with, you’ll see the most creativity in execution and have plenty of time to get the appropriate support you need.

Support is another crucial element that’s often overlooked – don’t feel like you have to take on an entire production by yourself. Plenty of organizations specialize in putting on memorable meetings and events. With a little creative freedom, they’ll transform your event from a boring routine into something attendees actually look forward to.

Making the Good Great

Over the 32 years that Bluewater Technologies has been in the event space, our company has had the opportunity to participate in countless incredible events. Without fail, those that stand out were not only interesting and well-choreographed, but they also had a heightened sensory experience working in concert with knockout content.

While a visual presentation certainly falls into the broader “content” category, great events — and great event planners — recognize that more aspects of content exist. Keep the following tips in mind to elevate the content of your next event and wow your audience:

1. Develop a grand entrance. Whether it’s an installation people walk through on their way into the event or an opening to a presentation, it should be designed to capture the attention of your audience and put them in the right mood. Something like an opening video is relatively easy to produce and will pique interest immediately.

2. Visuals > text. This is a simple yet effective presentation hack that often goes unused. Have a presenter memorize stats or facts she wants to share and use the display to offer interesting visuals to maintain audience engagement.

3. Work a theme. Although an ugly sweater theme could be interesting, a contextual theme will elevate the perception of an event and give it a higher production value. It will also make it more memorable and your audience will appreciate the attention to detail demonstrated by the inclusion of thematic elements.

4. Leverage the whole canvas. The stage itself might be the center point but the entire room should be your canvas. This gives you creative freedom to support your messaging and the audience won’t forget it.

5. Select the right presenter. This can be the most difficult part of a presentation. We’re not all born with a natural gift for public speaking nor do we all possess a knack for entertaining on stage. For certain presentations, you might be locked in with a presenter (such as the company CEO) but it’s always worth exploring any options available. A dynamic presenter will bring even mundane content to life.

Even professional event planners can get caught up in the idea of content as the actual presentation. In reality, content includes so many more aspects of your event: the stage, decorations, lighting, theme, space, invites, pamphlets or brochures, and certainly your presenter or moderator. A broader perception of content and the details of its delivery is key to making your next event more than just another PowerPoint presentation.

For more awesome articles like this one, be sure to follow Scott on LinkedIn!

For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Pro AV Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!
Twitter – twitter.com/marketscale
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

DXpedition
Icom Powers 3Y0K : Ham Radio’s Most Ambitious DXpedition to Remote Bouvet Island Part 1
July 11, 2025

Bouvet Island sits at the edge of the world. It is frozen, uninhabited, and almost impossible to access. Fewer people have set foot there than in space. That level of remoteness is exactly what makes it so valuable to amateur radio operators. The island ranks tenth on ClubLog’s list of Most Wanted DXCC entities,…

Read More
entrepreneurial success
The Hidden Key to Entrepreneurial Success: Build Momentum Through Personal Branding and Authentic Networking
July 10, 2025

What if the biggest pivot of your career started with a conversation?  In this episode of Professional Quotient, host Jason Winningham welcomes Fanny Dunagan, CEO and Content Strategist of PathLynks, LLC. Fanny shares her journey from high-pressure consulting in Singapore to founding her own media and branding company — and why learning to network…

Read More
Q2 2025
RM Q2 2025 Wrap Up
July 9, 2025

Rogue Marketing continues to lead with intention in a space often driven by noise. Q2 2025 reflected a strategic focus on substance, where each initiative supported long-term brand growth. The team transformed internal recognition efforts into enduring brand assets and refined event strategies through immersive, results-driven experiences. Website launches during the quarter balanced visual…

Read More
amateur radios
Hamvention Spotlight: Emergency Preparedness Led PrepHam Paul to Amateur Radios and a Rising Voice in the Field
July 9, 2025

PrepHam Paul (K5VLP) celebrated his first visit to Dayton Hamvention by marking a major channel milestone. He hosted a giveaway of the  IC-2370B mobile radio from Icom to thank viewers for helping him reach 10,000 subscribers. His passion for emergency preparedness, rooted in his experience as an Eagle Scout and later studies in emergency management,…

Read More