CSBA is pleased to have you participate in the 2022 Annual Education Conference and Trade Show Dec. 1 through Dec. 3. We look forward to seeing you at the San Diego Convention Center!
We have assembled the following information to help you get ready for your presentation:
- Preparing your presentation
- Engaging your audience
- Audio/visual needs
- 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
All breakout session rooms will be prepared with the following set up and audio/visual equipment:
- Head table for five people with a standing podium
- Podium microphone and table-top microphone
- LCD projector package with VGA input
- Speaker capabilities for computer audio
CSBA will NOT provide the following. Presenters are responsible for providing these:
- Laptops/computers
- Software for PowerPoint or other presentations already installed
- Presentation file
- HDMI adapter for your Mac or PC laptop/computer to connect with the provided LCD projector
Due to the high cost of audio/visual equipment, setup and maintenance, you will be charged for any changes to what CSBA provides and on-site requests will not be honored.
Each year, CSBA provides a PowerPoint template that mirrors the conference artwork. We encourage presenters to use the 2022 Annual Education Conference and Trade Show PowerPoint template.
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.
Friday, Sept. 16, 2022
For presenter substitutions or any information that needs to be updated on your session, please complete the Presenter Change Form and email the completed form to aec@csba.org by Friday, Sept. 16, 2022.
Friday, Oct. 21, 2022
Each year, CSBA provides a PowerPoint template that mirrors the conference artwork. We encourage presenters to use the AEC template. Handouts must be a PDF document and cannot exceed 10MB per document. You may submit your PowerPoint in PDF format to use as your session’s handout. Email your session’s PowerPoint and all handouts with the corresponding session title to aec@csba.org by Friday, Oct. 21, 2022.