Winning can be organized!

The room setup

Blog by Rutger Mollee

Your speech is ready. The content is sharp.You've practiced it three times to your satisfaction: you're all set!Now all you have to do is make sure that the conditions are right for you to shine.

The room setup does an awful lot for your success.

3 tips:

Avoid a moat

Especially in larger halls with loose seating, the distance between the stage and the front row is often far too large. We call this a "moat."

It is then more difficult to make contact with your audience.
Solution: move the back two rows forward and thus reduce the distance between you and your listeners.

The pitfall of the cabaret setup

A cabaret setup sounds cozy, but it has major drawbacks. Here, your audience sits at round tables, so almost half sit with their backs to you. Before your speech, ask the chairman of the day if people will turn their chairs around. Looks easier for them and you're not facing backs.

The chairs-turned-trick

How many people are coming? 'Two hundred and fifty,' says the organization.
Count on a last minute no show of at least 10%.
In that case, put the back 25 chairs in stacks to the side. That way you avoid an empty front row because we know from experience: that row often stays empty the longest. If by some miracle everyone does show up, the stacked seats can be put back in place in no time, creating that nice "sold-out" atmosphere.

Good luck!

Want to know more about presenting? Read our weekly tips, or call: 020-4204068.