CSBA is pleased to have you participate in the virtual 2021 Annual Education Conference and Trade Show Dec. 9-10. We look forward to working with you virtually!
We have assembled the following information to help you get ready for your presentation:
- Preparing your presentation
- PowerPoint template
- Handouts
While preparing your presentations, you should ask yourself these questions to shape what attendees can gain from your breakout sessions:
- What is the intent of the program/effort featured?
- Why was the program proposed? Or what challenges did it resolve?
- How did the governance team know this was the most effective way to accomplish their purpose?
- Was this approach successful?
- How much did it cost, one-time and on-going?
- What was the source of funding and was something given up to increase funds?
- How did the governance team measure success?
PowerPoint presentations are important when helping an audience learn and understand you, but they have also become the norm, meaning that just plain text on a slide might not be as effective as it used to be. Adding still images that are compelling and enhance your point will help engage your audience. Don’t go too far – motion graphics can be distracting, and endless clip art becomes meaningless. Aim for authenticity and meaningful connections for the most impact.
There are some simple ways to create powerful, interactive experiences at your breakout session. Today’s audience members struggle with information overload, as well as many things pulling them in different directions. The very first thing you should do is ask your audience to silence their cell phones, and if they need to take a call, step outside of the room. Often, audience members simply forget to do this and need a simple, yet friendly, reminder.
Touch the participants’ emotions and help them relate to you with humor. No need to go overboard on the jokes, but as they say, comedy is the great equalizer. Keep it friendly, laugh at yourself, use inside anecdotes, and defuse tension by making your audience comfortable.
Keep in mind the goal of your session is to teach, train or inform the audience so they can return to their local districts and county offices and make positive change. Check out this standard effective learning matrix which shows typical rates of retention:
- Listening – (you the presenter simply talking) = 5% retention
- Reading (a handout without explanation) = 10% retention
- Audio-visual (presenter talking with PowerPoint) = 20% retention
- Demonstration (video or demonstrations) = 30%retention
- Group discussion (asking audience members to discuss a certain topic) = 50% retention
- Practice by doing (audience members role playing) = 75% retention
- Teaching others (this one would be tricky at AEC, but may be possible) = 90% retention
Each year, CSBA provides a PowerPoint template that mirrors the conference artwork. We encourage presenters to use the 2021 Annual Education Conference and Trade Show PowerPoint template once it is available.
Effective PowerPoint
Make sure your text is big enough. Anything below 24 points is too small
- Use contrasting color schemes
- Use fonts that are easy to read
- Italics are harder to read on-screen
- Use bold or color for emphasis
- Don’t read your screen
- Avoid long sentences
- Use images to communicate, not to decorate
Treat your session handouts as a resource for attendees. Consider including a toolkit, a list of questions to ask staff, a blueprint, or sample implementation materials. Session handouts will be provided to attendees through the AEC app.