When James Cleverly stepped up to launch the Conservatives' local election campaign on 19 March, he had a plan. He would introduce a highlights reel of Kemi Badenoch's best bits, the crowd would be energised, and the campaign would be off to a flying start.
Aim to Boss your Multimedia Presentation every Time.
Except the video wouldn't play. They tried again. Still nothing. As one observer noted, it was magnificently on-point.
How To Prepare for Your Multimedia Presentation before the Event Starts
Technical failures happen at boardroom presentations, client pitches and conference keynotes every day. Even this Steve Jobs presentation was affected!. The difference between a hiccup and a disaster usually comes down to one thing: preparation. So, here are ten tips to make sure your AV and multimedia presentation works when it matters.
Ten Top Tips for Your Multimedia Presentation
- 1Arrive Early: Give yourself at least thirty minutes before the audience arrives. That's your window to find the problems before anyone is watching.
- 2Equipment: Your laptop at home is not the room's projector. Always test your presentation on the actual screen, projector or display you'll be using on the day.
- 3Test Everything: Don't just open your slides and assume the media will work. Click every video. Play every audio clip. This is precisely the step that was missed at the campaign launch. Remember how nothing worked in this Nintendo presentation.
- 4Cables: HDMI, USB-C, VGA—venues are rarely consistent. Build a small kit of cables and adapters and carry them to every event.
- 5Backup: Save your presentation in more than one place—a USB stick, a cloud folder, an email to yourself. If your laptop fails, you need to be able to continue from someone else's machine.
- 6Format: Check in advance what software the venue is running. Fonts can shift, layouts can change, and videos may not play across different systems. A PDF version as a safety net is always worth having.
- 7Brief: If there's a technician or AV operator in the room, speak to them before you go on. Walk them through what you need. A two-minute conversation beforehand saves a lot of on-stage awkwardness.
- 8Rehearse: Do a full run-through the day before—out loud, with every transition and media element. In the actual room if you can get access.
- 9Recovery: Decide in advance what you'll say if something goes wrong. A calm "bear with me a moment" lands very differently to a flustered silence. James Cleverly kept his composure. It helps to have that line ready before you need it.
- 10Debrief: Once it's done, note what worked and what didn't. Build that into your preparation checklist for next time.
Get The Basics Right
Multimedia adds real impact to a presentation. But only when it works. Get the preparation right and your technology becomes an asset. Skip it, and you risk your tech becoming the story rather than your message.
Ten Top Tips For Your Multimedia Presentation
These top tips should help you get the most from your multimedia presentation without too much stress.
- 1Arrive at least thirty minutes early.
- 2Test on the actual equipment in the room.
- 3Click every video and audio clip before you start.
- 4Bring your own cables and adapters.
- 5Save your presentation in more than one place.
- 6Check the file format works on the venue's system.
- 7Brief your tech support before the event.
- 8Do a full rehearsal the day before.
- 9Prepare your recovery line in case something fails.
- 10Debrief afterwards and update your checklist.
When you need help and suggestions for your next speech or presentation, you'll find more than 100 top tips for presenters on this site. Because there's something here for every presentation event. And, when you're ready to advance your skills that bit further, then you can always enroll on an online presentation skills course in your own time.
