10 tips for journalists who want to be better presenters

Here are 10 practical tips gleaned from several years of teaching and attending conference sessions – the good, the bad and the ugly. These tips can help those of you who are preparing newsroom training sessions, as well.

Give yourself enough time to prepare

As journalists, we tend to wait for a fast-approaching deadline to inspire us. Unfortunately, that attitude will only lead to disastrous teaching. You’re good at what you do. But that doesn’t mean you’ve broken down what you do into steps and thought about the most effective way to teach those steps. That preparation takes time and care.

Focus, focus, focus

A good presentation is like good storytelling. You can’t try to cover an entire topic. Instead, you need to focus on two or three main points that you want to convey to your audience, and then shape your presentation around those main points. A side note: Some presenters find that using a PowerPoint presentation can help them focus their thoughts. Use PowerPoint if you’re comfortable with it, but avoid making so many slides that you have to rush through them at the end.

Know your audience

A group of editors, a group of reporters and a group of average citizens are all going to have different perspectives on your topic. A group that includes international journalists may not understand your cultural references or even some of your assumed journalistic standards. Tailor your presentation to the group.

Know your audience’s needs and experience

Take a minute at the start of your session to survey your audience. How much experience do they have with the topic you’re going to talk about? What tools are they familiar with? What are they hoping to take away from the session?

Avoid war stories

Our eyes glaze over whenever a speaker rambles on, talking about stories that he or she reported on back in the day. Yes, you want to share your personal experience — that’s why you’ve been asked to speak. But make sure to attach a clear, relevant lesson to each “war story” you tell.

Realize that panels are their own beasts

Panels are not excuses for winging it, and they’re not always the most effective approach to engaging an audience. The best panel sessions require preparation. Select your panel members so that you know you’ll get a diversity of perspectives — perhaps even disagreement. Include a few “ringers” — people who you know are reliable and who can present to great effect. Talk to your panelists ahead of time and e-mail them questions so you can get a sense of what they may say. Then, if you’re the moderator, be prepared to guide the panel with both a light touch and an iron fist. You want to encourage each panelist to have their say. But you don’t want any one panelist to dominate the conversation. If that happens, you’ve got to intervene for the audience’s sake.

Foster the people

Get your audience to interact with you. Most of us hate it when a presenter says he or she wants a conversation with the audience, and then proceeds to talk and talk. Give some thought to how you’re going to not only foster – but enforce – interactivity. If your audience is small enough, ask folks to pair up or break into smaller groups and work on an exercise. If you’re working with a large audience, ask folks to take a minute to write down their thoughts on the topic and then ask three or four of them to share what they’ve written.

Save time for questions

In your preparation work, edit your presentation down so that you have 10 to 15 minutes to spare. That will allow you to take questions at the end. Sometimes, the Q&A period is the insightful part of the session.

Make handouts

In this time of chaos and uncertainty, journalists who attend conferences want to know that they’ve left your session with some practical takeaways. Share your wisdom on the handout and pass it out at the end of your session. And take comfort in knowing that the handout can cover any bullet points that you weren’t able to address in your session.

The Social Robots Are Coming To The Event Industry

One of the biggest challenges faced by event professionals today is capturing the attention and respect of today’s more complex, tech-savvy and often quite jaded audiences.

From the White House to Elizabeth Arden, Ford, Motorola, Pfizer and many others, event strategists around the globe are learning to leverage a new generation of iconic, time-appropriate Social Robots. Borne out of research in Technology-to-People Behavioral Psychology, the Social Robots are earning their place alongside Keynote Speakers, hosting Opening Ceremonies, Press Conferences, receptions, and exhibits.

Oftentimes, they will perform all of these functions in a single day, making this event tactic uncommonly cost-effective.

How Do Social Robots Work?

Gone are the days of promotional robots operated by model-airplane radio controls at malls and children's birthday parties. Today's Social Robot is a sophisticated and impressively engineered computer-supported technology. Social Robots are wirelessly operated by professional and cultured entertainers using a miniaturized microprocessor-assisted wireless technology concealed within their clothing. Whether the entertainer operates the Social Robot from backstage in a scripted manner or delivers improvisational conversations while transparently roaming the event as if you he or she were just another member of the audience, these seasoned operators can help you to create a very memorable experience.

So Why Use Social Robots In Your Events?

Social Robots resonate well in today's society. As we have a growing fascination with science and technology including the rapidly expanding markets in Robotics people have a natural curiosity about these Social Robots. The adult-sized, programmable and remotely operated personalities are often able to circumvent many of the constraints of social protocol and bond rapidly with any age, social, ethnic or cultural group in your audiences while erasing stresses, fears, anxieties, suspicions, attention-deficits or defense mechanisms.

But perhaps the greatest advantage of using a Social Robot at your event is its diversity and cost-effectiveness. Social Robots can be used in a variety of ways and unlike human beings they don't tire out. Social Robots are being used as an event's "goodwill ambassador" appearing in scripted welcoming speeches or keynotes, making appearances on local Morning News shows, delivering motivational speeches on science and technology at local schools or visiting a cancer-care unit at a local Hospital. These Social Robots can do all of this and then host an evening reception with improvisational comedy, singing, dancing, and of course, lots of souvenir photos - it's all in a day's work!

What about the Compassionate Side?

It's probably not surprising to note that Social Robots are equally successful working with the Learning Disabled, Autistic, ADHD, Handicapped, special-needs and senior citizen groups. This compassionate side of the Social Robot can be leveraged by event professionals in the form of scheduling goodwill visits to local Clinics, Hospitals, schools, Senior/Rehab centers in concert with their events. There are few other ways that can match the Social Robot's aptitude for reaffirming a company's all-important Corporate Social Responsibility in these challenging times. Not to mention a Social Robot's humanitarian gestures can potentially generate millions annually in media coverage while earning you the accolades of local consumer, business, and government and media groups.

What Role Might Your Social Robot Play in Your Event?

So how do you position your Social Robot in your event? There are many roles your Social Robot can play from being a member of your research department or a time-traveling emissary from your company's future-- the possibilities are endless!  Some Social Robots have impressive credentials which you can also leverage, having starred in movies, TV Series, and concerts.

Altogether, the non-human attributes, coupled with its wonderfully engaging human-like idiosyncratic mannerisms makes the Social Robot a strong and now time-appropriate contender for a multitude of dynamic and memorable event strategies.

What are your thoughts on the above???

Source- Article

Trends in advertising – 2012

Thanks to technology, what's old is new again. At least that's what advertising executives predict for 2012.

Television and magazines ads have been pronounced dead more than once on Madison Avenue, of course. But technology breathed new life into those mediums last year, with YouTube extending viewership for TV ads and the iPad making print ads sexy again.

Technology is expected to continue to invade and rejigger every aspect of advertising in the new year, according to ad executives.

"In 2012, advertising will be more than ever the intersection of technology and storytelling," says Christian Haas, executive creative director at Good by Silverstein & Partners, a unit of Omnicom Group Inc.

Hints about what this future might look like have already begun to emerge. In a reimagining of sampling, one of the oldest forms of marketing, Kraft Foods Inc., for instance, is testing a vending machine that uses facial recognition technology and a bit of humor to dole out bites of its Jell-O dessert called Temptations. Targeted at adults, the Jell-O machine, equipped with an Intel camera, has a surprising message for kids who approach for a taste: "Sorry kid. You're too young to experience an indulgence like this. Please step away so the adults can get their free treat."

Even staid retail catalogs are getting a digital makeover, with Google recently unveiling an app that aggregates dozens of the mailbox-clogging books, including ones for Pottery Barn and LL Bean.

Still, a flair for technology won't be enough to stand out amidst the stupefying ad clutter. To grab attention, some ad executives expect to see more comedy in the mix while others foresee an uptick in raunchier promotions, peppered with f-bombs.

What follows are some of Madison Avenue's predictions for 2012:

Couch-Potato Gatherings

New downloadable apps will turn TV watching into a virtual community event. "Apps like Get Glue invite viewers to check-in to a program and have conversations with others watching the same thing," says Daniel Khabie, chief executive officer of Digitaria, a digital-marketing firm owned by WPP PLC. "TV networks will pump it up because it encourages live watching and thus commercial watching."

Foul-Mouthed Ads

"Ads with f-bombs? Get used to it," says Glenn Cole, chief creative officer of 72 & Sunny, a unit if MDC Partners Inc. "Major brands will start to take off the granny pants and create racier content that demands the attention and respect of younger audiences." Such content would be focused on the Web and certain cable-TV channels.

Getting to Know You

Along with small screens on store shelves flickering with product promotions, kiosk-like machines will offer personalized "product suggestions," says Michele Fabrizi, chief executive officer of MARC USA. "So if you want to buy the same shade of lipstick or even the same color of paint, it will be able to remind you what you purchased previously.

-    Websites Migrate

Fortune 500 companies will give up on stodgy corporate websites and move their "primary online identity to a social network—most likely Facebook," says Mr. Khabie of Digitaria.

Mobile Madness

Every year, "Black Friday" sends shoppers into an irrational tizzy. Now add two more days. "In 2012, 'Mobile Thursday' will join 'Black Friday' and 'Cyber Monday' as record shopping days," says Colin Kinsella, chief executive of Digitas North America, a digital-ad firm owned by Publicis. Mr. Kinsella is predicting that "the link between mobile and commercial will thicken" in 2012, which means more money for the mobile industry.

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203899504577129021841047502.html

What Are the Different Kinds of Feature Stories?

The Profile

A profile is an article about an individual, and the profile article is one of the staples of feature writing. No doubt you've read profiles in newspapers, magazines or websites. Reporters do them on politicians, CEOs, celebrities, athletes, and so on. Profiles can be done on just about anyone who's interesting and newsworthy, whether it's on a local, national or international level.

The idea of the profile is to give readers a behind-the-scenes look at what a person is really like, warts and all, away from their public persona. Profile articles generally provide background on the profile subject - their age, where they grew up and were educated, where they live now, are they married, do they have kids, etc.

Beyond such factual basics, profiles look at who and what influenced the person, their ideas, and their choice of vocation or profession.

If you're doing a profile you'll obviously need to interview your subject, in person if possible, so that in addition to getting quotes you can describe their appearance and mannerisms. You should also watch the person in action, doing what they do, whether it be a mayor, a doctor or a beat cop. Also, talk to people who know the person you're profiling, and if your profile subject is controversial, talk to some of his/her critics.

Remember, your goal is to create a true portrait of your profile subject. No puff pieces allowed.

The News Feature

The news feature is just what it sounds like - a feature article that focuses on a topic of interest in the news. News features often cover the same subjects as deadline hard-news stories, but do so in greater depth and detail.

And since feature articles are "people stories," news features tend to focus on individuals more than deadline news stories, which often focus more on numbers and statistics.

For instance, let's say you're writing about the increase in heart disease. A deadline story on the topic might focus on statistics showing how heart disease is on the rise, and include quotes from experts on the topic.

A news feature, on the other hand, would likely begin by telling the story of one person suffering from heart disease. By describing he struggles of an individual, news feature can tackle big, newsy topics while still telling very human stories.

The Spot Feature

Spot features are feature stories produced on deadline that focus on a breaking news event. Often news features are used as sidebars to the main bar, the main deadline news story about an event.

Let's say a tornado hits your town. Your main bar will focus on the five W's and the H of the story - the number of casualties; the extent of the damage, the rescue efforts involved, and so on.

But with the main bar you could have any number of sidebars focusing on certain aspects of the event. One story might describe the scene at an emergency shelter where displaced residents are housed. Another might reflect on past tornadoes in your town. Yet another might examine the weather conditions that led to the destructive storm.

Literally dozens of different sidebars could be done in this case, and more often than not they would be written in a feature style.

The Trend Story

Is there a cool new look in women's fall fashions? A website or tech gadget that everyone's going nuts over? An indy band that's attracted a cult following? A show on an obscure cable channel that's suddenly hot? These are the kinds of things that trend stories zero in on.

Trend stories take the pulse of the culture at the moment, looking at what's new, fresh and exciting in the world of art, fashion, film, music, high-technology and so on. The emphasis in trend stories is usually on light, quick, easy-to-read pieces that capture the spirit of whatever new trend is being discussed. In other words, if you're writing a trend story, have fun with it.

The Live-In

The live-in is an in-depth, often magazine-length article that paints a picture of a particular place and the people who work or live there. Live-ins have been done on homeless shelters, emergency rooms, battlefield encampments, cancer hospices, public schools and police precincts, among other locales. The idea is to give readers a look at a place they probably wouldn't normally encounter.

Reporters doing live-ins must spend a fair bit of time in the places they're writing about (thus the name). That's how they get a real sense of the place's rhythm and atmosphere. Reporters have spent days, weeks and even months doing live-ins (some have been turned into books).

Wedding caterers to help cook up the most fulfilling wedding ever

Organizing a wedding is never an easy job. It comes with a whole range of responsibilities, and what makes it worse is the fact that since there are so many people involved and invitees expected to show up at the wedding- nobody can afford to go wrong. Some of the most glaring mistakes to avoid include going wrong with the decoration, music, or food- especially food. 

This is because food is something that depends greatly on individual choices and tastes. Also, in case the food does go wrong, there is nothing that can be done at the last moment to correct the mistake. You simply have to go with it and watch your guests eat the disaster recipes in embarrassment and shame. The only way to make sure this does not happen on your special day- select your wedding caterers very carefully.

To find the right caterer start by looking up popular names or the famous wedding caterers who are either recommended by your close ones- or even better- who seem to have a good company profile and have worked for big events and companies. For instance if you find a caterer who has been involved in something as popular as master chef live, or has done event catering for huge events organizations by internationally known companies- you know that this is the caterer to count on! 

The next thing you must do is to check the menu and see if they cover all the popular food items- ones which are not 'experimental-new-dishes' , and ones that your guests would gladly have. Once you feel like they have everything you want- starting from the popular starters like soup and cocktail, to desserts like the cheesecake, head over to get a taste of what they serve. If everything fits in perfectly- you know you have got the caterer who can spice up your party! 

Having a good caterer, who can assure you that the food at your wedding will be taken care of diligently and completely, can actually help you in more ways than one. For instance, knowing that you don't have to worry about those hog roasts being cooked at the kitchen, besides taking off a very heavy load off your shoulders, also in turn gives you plenty of time and space to work on other important wedding arrangements. And who can deny the fact that having good food always means that no matter how the rest of the party goes, at least it will end well with well fed happy guests for sure! 

These days, the well established catering companies are also capable of providing you help with event management, waste handling and recycling, and even staff appointment to help deal with all the food related issues. At additions costs, you can even search for caterers who can employ their own resources to help you get the best crockery on hire, and stylish chairs tables and other furniture with furniture covers.

So find the perfect caterer who makes the job of organizing a wedding much easier for you and allows you to find time for more than just worries. After all, wedding is the best time to let your guests know how exclusive you are and what better way to do that than by throwing the most 'delicious' wedding with the best wedding caterers ever!

What Defines Creative Design?

Creativity is one of the gifts given to human beings. By using creativity, one can come up with quick solutions to a problem that has remained unsolved over a long period of time. Creativity is not only used to solve complex problems but to also come up with unique designs that has never been attempted anywhere.

One of the major factors that have a great influence on creative design is the ability to think out of the box. Thinking out of the box results in some innovative design. This may be a little bit difficult to start with, but over a period of time, it will become a habit. Two other important elements associated with creative design are the form and the purpose.

The main motivation for creative design is the need to come up with creative solutions or creative designs. When the purpose or the problem for which the solution is being worked upon is vague, then it’s difficult to visualize a correct form for the design. Thus the client has to very clear on the purpose for which this creative design has been attempted.

When the designer has a better clarity of purpose, better will be the creative thinking process. The creative thinking process actually lays the groundwork for achieving that particular solution or design. The thinking process consists of a series of smaller activities to be accomplished, which when integrated together will result in the final design.

In order to lay out a creative thinking process, one has to have a series of small ideas, which need to be integrated together to complete the final creative design. These small ideas are really important to the overall final design. While coming up with small ideas, one has to always keep in mind the purpose for which the design is being attempted. All the ideas should directly or indirectly lead to the solution for the problem. If the small ideas are in no way related to the main purpose, then one has to ignore these ideas and come up with ideas that are coherent with the purpose for design.

When these small ideas are distinct, the final solution will also be quite distinct. In order to come up with great ideas one has to be relaxed and should be free from stress. When the person feels completely relaxed without having any worrisome thoughts, they tend to come up with exciting ideas.

Entertainment Contracts: Need to Know Information

It is always recommended to use the entertainment contracts – both for performers and clients.  While (fingers crossed) your event should go as planned – anything can happen and you want to be covered.  You don’t want any unpleasant surprises leading up to, or on, the day of your event.

Below are a few of the questions about your event that you should ask your entertainer before you sign a contract.  The answers to these questions will likely form the basis of your entertainment contract:

How much time will they need to set up? 

While you’ve established the date and time of the performance, you may not have discussed what time the performers need to arrive to set up. Once that time is determined, you’ll need to clear it with the venue and make certain that they’ll have access to the venue’s event coordinator during that time, in case they have any questions or problems. Most likely, you will be busy during this set-up time; so it’s important that someone at the venue is available to them.

Which of their group members will be present at your event? 

When you first picked this band you were probably impressed by the specific group of performers that you saw performs either live or on video. However, it’s important that you verify which of the band, DJ or ensemble members will actually be present at your event.

Will the performers consume alcohol at your event? 

This is really a question for you. You need to determine your comfort level with this issue. Remember, they are working for you…do you want them drinking on the job?

What will they wear at your event? 

You should find out what their standard attire is for your type of event and make sure that it fits in with what you envision. If your event is black tie, they should know this in advance. On the other hand, if you’re having a more casual event, you probably don’t want your entertainers in tuxedos.

What is the performer’s cancellation policy?

This is a two-way question: they could cancel or you could cancel. It’s important to understand what happens in both scenarios. In the case of a performer cancellation, you should select a certain number of days prior to your event that you can live with. For example, you might decide that they can cancel the contract up until 14 days before the event. While this is not something you even want to think about, it’s obviously important you allow ample time to find a suitable replacement. Naturally, you’ll want to be sure that if they cancel, that they’ll return your deposit to you.

There are a couple different scenarios if you cancel:

1.    If they’re requiring that you pay a non-refundable deposit, then the performer will need to select a date by which you can cancel and not be further obligated to pay the balance.
2.    If you’re paying a refundable deposit, then the performer will select a date by which you can cancel and receive a refund for your deposit.

What form of payment will they accept for the balance? 

You don’t want to be surprised on the night of your event when the performer asks for a certified check. So, be absolutely sure that you ask this question! Cash, money order, certified check, personal check, and credit card are all possible options.

Do they have personal injury and property damage liability insurance? 

Before you ask this question of the performer, you should discuss with the venue what they require or recommend. Ask the performer to provide their proof of insurance BEFORE signing the contract.

What are their space and electrical requirements?

Understanding how much space the performer needs as well as their power requirements is really important because it affects what the performer brings to set up. This will also determine where they set up, which needs to fit in with the overall layout of the space. Ideally, you’ll have a meeting with the performer and the event coordinator at the venue prior to your event – you can certainly discuss these details during this meeting.

Will they provide the sound and lighting systems? 

The answer to this question varies from performer to performer – and could be affected by the venue’s existing sound and lighting systems. So, find out what, if any, sound and lighting systems are available at the venue, and make sure that the performer’s systems are compatible.  This is another important item to discuss at the meeting with the venue.

Are they available for overtime? 

Months before your event, the idea of paying your performer for overtime might sound totally crazy when you carefully pore over every budget item. But, on the night of your event when the party is in full effect, you might say, “to hell with the budget” and ask them to play for another hour or two. So, we advise that you find out beforehand how much overtime they’d be willing to provide and at what rate.

Once you’ve discussed all of these questions with the performer, you’ll be better prepared to sign the contract that they send. You should make certain that the answers they provided during your conversation are consistent with what you see in the contract.