Here are some things to look for when checking out the venue for a presentation:
- Adequate seating.
- Good sight lines. Some chairs may need to be moved so that everyone can see the speaker or the screen.
- Projectors or other equipment. If you will be using the site’s projector, be sure it works, and check to see if it is compatible with your laptop. Will you need an extension cord?
- What combination of lights will allow the audience to see you, their notes, and the screen if you plan to use slides?
- Speaker’s accommodations. Is there a podium if you plan to use one? Is there a place for you to put handouts?
- Where are the restrooms and emergency exits?
Sometimes a lot of preparation goes into a presentation, taking into account the way the speaker moves, sounds and sees the audience, as well as the visual aids the speaker will use during the course of the presentation.
A great deal of preparation should ensure that things go smoothly, but the level of presentation needs to be matched by the quality of preparation. Think for a moment how you would react if you had written a 30-minute presentation which called for frequent reference to a visual slideshow, and when you arrived at the venue you found that they did not have a projector.
If you can have access to the venue before you deliver the presentation, this should allow you to carry out a study of the room and get all the information you need. If you can have access for long enough to do a “dry run”, so much the better, as this will allow you to foresee any problems and either amend your speech or make alternative arrangements.
It is essential that you take nothing for granted when seeking to deliver a presentation, because it will be you who is in the unenviable position of explaining and dealing with any problems that happen during the live presentation.
If you cannot get access to the venue prior to your presentation, then you should at least be able to get a floor plan of the venue and a checklist of items you will have available to you, as well as knowing whether the venue will support any equipment you bring with you.
If you have written into your presentation a very clever ten-minute scenario that requires you to walk among the audience, you will need to know that the layout of the room allows this. If you have included a short film in your presentation, it will be entirely useless if most people cannot see the film because a pillar is in their way.
Then, before you deliver your presentation, you should look around the room and ensure that nothing there will distract people from what you are saying, and visualize how you will deliver your speech in this room.