Thank you for presenting at PlanetPTC Live 2012. This page has been designed to help you with your preparations for the event.
Important dates
- 3/7 – Live Webinar with our presenter trainer, 3 p.m. (EST)
- 3/15 – Register for conference
- 3/15 – Make your hotel reservation at the Rosen Shingle Creek
- 4/20 – PowerPoint presentation submission due on Session Browser
- 5/2 – Live Webinar to review presentation tips with our presenter trainer, 12 p.m. (EST)
Creating your presentation
Key Considerations
Before you even open up PowerPoint, sit down and really think about the day of your presentation. What is the real purpose of your talk? Why is it that you were asked to speak? What does the audience expect? In your opinion, what are the most important parts of your topic for the audience to take away from your 45-minute presentation? Remember, even if you've been asked to share information, rarely is the mere transfer of information a satisfactory objective from the point of view of the audience. After all, the audience could always just read your book (or article, handout, etc.) if information transfer were the only purpose of your presentation.
Before you begin to formulate the content of your presentation, you need to ask yourself many basic questions with an eye to becoming the best possible presenter for that particular audience. At the very least, you need to answer the basic "W questions."
- Who is the audience? What are their backgrounds? How much background information about your topic can you assume they bring to the presentation?
- What is the purpose of the event? Is it to inspire? Are they looking for concrete practical information? Do they want more concepts and theory rather than advice?
- Why were you asked to speak? What are the audience's expectations of you?
No matter how great your delivery, or how professional and beautiful your supporting visuals, if your presentation is not based on solid content, you cannot succeed. Great content is a necessary condition, but not a sufficient one. But your presentation preparation starts with solid content (appropriate for your audience) which you then build into a winning story that you'll use to connect with your audience.
Do not fall into the trap of thinking that in order for your audience to understand anything, you must tell them everything. Which brings us to the idea of simplicity.
Exercise: If your audience could remember only three things about your presentation, what would you want it to be?
(1)____________________________________________________________________________________________________
(2)____________________________________________________________________________________________________
(3)____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Simple does not mean stupid. Frankly, thinking that the notion of simplifying is stupid is a big (and very common) mistake. Simple can be hard for the presenter, but it will be appreciated by the audience. Simplicity takes more forethought and planning on your part because you have to think very hard about what to include and what can be left out. What is the essence of your message? This is the ultimate question you need to ask yourself during the preparation of your presentation. Here's a simple exercise:
- Build your presentation around what the title of your session promises to offer
- Technical information
- Your experiences
- Understand your audience – there will be many other users as well as PTC employees at the conference. People are there to listen to your best practices and hear about your PTC experience.
- Remember that the audience is here to learn from you
- Make certain that the takeaways you provided in your submission are relevant in your presentation.
- What do I want the audience to understand or do as a result of my presentation?
- What do I want to accomplish?
- Make sure that you include recommendations/suggestions that attendees can implement upon returning to their office.
- Consider and prioritize your key points – eliminate everything else
- Rules of thumb
- One slide for every two minutes of presentation time (for a 35-minute presentation, 20 slides maximum)
- Six bullets per slide
- Focus on your key points and how to engage your audience
- What are you telling them?
- Why should the audience believe you?
- Be confident in the organization of your presentation
- Group your key points to expand and support your central idea
- Stay within the scope of the presentation title
- Create a comprehensive outline
- Group your key points so they make sense to the audience
- Address each key points
- Create your slides – Do not forget the Rules of Thumb
- One slide for every two minutes of presentation time
- Six bullets per slide
- Presentation template provided by PTC
- Presenters must use the presentation template title chart with required information
- Session number must be included on title chart and in file name
- Presentation review
- Upload capability to presentation database opens by 4/20
- Instructions for upload will be posted at the Presenters Area
- At the conference:
- The Presenter Ready Room will be available to provide a place for you to work on your presentation, print out presenter notes, and contact a conference staff person.
- Session room will be equipped with data projector, screen and lavaliere microphone
- You need to bring your own laptop for presentation
- Reasons to use slides
- Clarify your message
- Enhance your key points
- To help your audience retain your message
- Creative must – use the presentation template
- Must use for the title chart
- Keep it simple and stay true to your key topic outline
- Ensure components are large enough and easy to understand
- Use descriptive slide titles that explain the specific slide content
- Make effective use of figures and non-text components
- Each slide should support your overall objective – remove it if it does not
- Bullet points
- Choose shorter phrases that can be read at a glance
- You provide the text beyond the bullets
- Charts and graphs
- Choose data that supports your main points
- Make your graphs and charts understandable
Presenting your session
- Be confident and speak well
- Rehearse and rehearse again
- Come prepared
- Gain eye contact with your audience
- Do not read your slides word for word
- Describe what is taking place in the graph or chart
- Transition first verbally then change slides
- Change your own slides
- Do not point at your laptop screen – point at the screen
- Taking questions
- Repeat the question
- Answer and move on
- Be ready for difficult questions beforehand
- Finish early and follow up
- Each session is 45 minutes and you must allow 10 minutes for questions
- Obtain appropriate legal approval as required by your company
A new benefit of your presenting at the conference is the opportunity for you to offer your co-workers a discounted registration fee. We will extend the group discount rate of discount registration fees for colleagues at your company. When your colleagues are registering, they will need to use this code CCRL2 and the most current group fee will be applied to their registration.
Promote your session and the conference
Let's work together to create some buzz about your participation in the conference.
The PlanetPTC Live Team will be aggressively promoting the event, and many featured sessions, between now and June 6. Please help us promote your own presentation as well as the event in general to your colleagues and the entire PTC community. Here are a few ways you can help us have a full house of customers attending the event and ensure you have a well-attended session.
> Social Media
PlanetPTC Live has a number of dedicated channels you can use to let your networks and the larger PTC Community know that you'll be at the event, and what the topic of your presentation is. The more of these you employ, the greater your impact will be. Here are a few suggestions to get you started. Download additional sample messages that you can customize for your use.
- Twitter:
Use the conference hashtag #PlanetPTC12 and an abbreviated URL such as http://bit.ly/nxtlzZ1 to craft your Tweet in a way that allows your message to pulled into the PlanetPTC Live feed. For example, "I'm going to present at #PlanetPTC12 in Orlando 6/3-6/6. I hope to see you there! http://bit.ly/nxtlzZ1." And, re-Tweet the comments of other presenters to help demonstrate your support of their presentations as well.
- Facebook:
Post your session name, a key takeaway or benefit and other appealing details on the PlanetPTC Live Facebook page (www.facebook.com/planetptclive). For example, "Looking for ways to create better products faster? Don't miss my presentation at PlanetPTC Live, Creo Tips & Tricks. Learn more at live.planetptc.com."
- LinkedIn:
Make the most of your LinkedIn profile. Share an update as simple as, "Join me at PlanetPTC Live Orlando, June 3-6. I'll be presenting a session on Creo Tips & Tricks." And, be sure to RSVP to the event using the following link: http://linkd.in/sw8GTE.
> Personal or company communication tools
Take advantage of email, your company's Intranet and social media channels to build awareness of the event and your session and raise your own profile. You can start with some of the same messaging you use to announce your session through the channels noted above, and continue to add comments or respond to questions before the event. Remember to ask your company to post the event on its public calendar as well.
If you have a blog, this would be another great location to talk about the challenges that you will address in your session, invite discussion, and encourage customers, colleagues and others to join you at PlanetPTC Live. The blog format allows you to really go in-depth and exchange thoughts about challenges common to those in your field.
And, lastly, remember to add information about the event to your email signature. Use a short and to-the-point invitation to your presentation similar to your social media announcements. This will help start discussions with all of your contacts.
Download additional sample messages that you can customize for your use.
Make yourself available
> PlanetPTC Live Connect Portal
One of the exciting new networking tools available to PlanetPTC Live Orlando attendees is the PlanetPTC Live Connect Portal. Registered attendees can use this resource to create a profile, search out other attendees and send messages and meeting requests. Be sure to register early and create a profile so that other attendees can ask you about your session or find out if you have a few minutes to discuss your work on-site.
> PlanetPTC Live Group
Within the communities.ptc.com site is a group of PTC employees, customers and others who exchange information about PlanetPTC Live. Be sure to join the PlanetPTC Live Group to become acquainted with this community. Feel free to start or comment on discussions that are interesting to you, or offer words of encouragement to your fellow presenters.
Advertise, advertise, advertise!
> Video Sneak Peek
Another great way to establish a connection with attendees and let them know what your session will be about — in your own words — is through a video preview. These short (think two minutes) recordings can be used to introduce yourself, provide a brief overview of the abstract and key session takeaways, and mention how this information helps you do your job more effectively. The video format really allows your personality to show through, so be creative in putting these together. And, don't worry about production and distribution. We'll edit your video and help you put it out there — through the website, social media channels, etc. If you would be interested in recording a sneak peek, please send an email to dshapiro@ptc.com.
> Session Abstract
Once you're familiar with the PlanetPTC Live Group, use this resource to your advantage. Post your session abstract, or ask a question that your presentation solves. Invite questions or suggestions about the topic. Not only will it generate interest, it will help you develop the best possible presentation. Want to know more? Contact us at dshapiro@ptc.com.