Presentations

At some time we all find ourselves in a position to deliver a presentation, even those of us who have a burning fear of speaking in public. The next time you find yourself in this situation; it may be wise to consider using a computer projection system to aid in your talk for the following reasons:

• The projection screens help you deliver a presentation because they act as your lecture notes.
   
• These notes keep you on course and also allow audience participants whose minds naturally drift away to use the slides to catch up to you in your presentation.
   
• Presenters who have a natural fear of speaking in public are comforted somewhat because PowerPoint draws the audience’s eyes more toward the screen, and away from the presenter. In this manner, the reluctant presenter may not feel quite as nervous.
   
• Computer projection is also a great platform for presenting pictures and charts which plays into the old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words.

Projection Equipment

There are more than sixty portable projection system available ranging in price from approximately $900 to $10,000. Most hotels and audio/visual companies rent computer projection systems for approximately $100 to $500 per day, and they will typically deliver them to your location and pick them up when your presentation is over.

When evaluating projection systems, the most critical factor to consider is the amount of ANSI Lumens produced by the projector. Higher lumen ratings mean that the device emits more light. More light translates to a brighter image that is more readable by the audience. In general, I think that a lumen rating of 1500 should be the minimum acceptable lumen rating, with a lumen rating of 3000+ being most desirable.

The projection screen you choose is also important. You should choose a larger screen that is very reflective. Some screens, such as fast-folding screens, are translucent to provide for rear projection. When you use a rear projection screen for front projection purposes, the light leaks through the back of the screen and less light is reflected. The brightest screens will have a black back, and will include silver filaments in the screen itself in order to reflect light like a mirror. I recommend that you always use at least an 8 foot wide screen for presenting to more than 2 people, and increase the screen size by two feet for every 50 to 75 additional people. There are dozens of 8 foot wide screens available priced from approximately $250 to $1,000. Most hotels and audio/visual companies rent projection screens for approximately $35 to $75 per day, and they will typically deliver them to your location and pick them up when your presentation is over.

As a seasoned instructor who has delivered more than a thousand computer projection based presentations, here is a list of the equipment I carry.

Essential

 

1. NEC Projector – 3200 Lumens ($4,000)
2. A-B-C-D switch box, used to connect 4 computers to one projector ($20)
3. Four 6-foot male to female video cables. (extensions) ($10 each)
4. Two 6-foot male to male video cables. ($10 each)
5. 25 foot power cord, 12 foot power cord.
6. Surge protector / 6 outlet power strip (750 Joules). ($25)
7. 50 foot telephone cord (for dial up internet access) ($15)
8. 50 foot network patch cable (for high speed internet access) ($50)
9. Laser Pointer ($6)
10. Optical scroll mouse for each computer ($20 each)
11. Mouse pad for each computer
12. Security cable for each computer and projector to prevent theft ($40 each)
13. USB hard drive ($40)
14. Emergency repair disk for each computer

Optional
 

15. Computer speaker system ($60)
16. Computer head set/microphone ($80)
17. Computer video camera ($150)
18. Cradle for hand-held device ($80)
19. Portable hub and patch cables (to create LAN and share internet) ($200)
20. Remote control mouse (for use anywhere in the room) ($60)
21. USB Hub (to connect multiple USB devices) ($30)
22. 50-foot audio cable (to patch into hotel speak system) ($35)
23. Windows CD, Office CD, and other critical CDs just in case.
     

Other Projection-based Presentation Tips:
 

• Room Lighting - Lighting is an important element of your presentation. You should choose a room with controllable, dimmable lighting. Sunlight can be especially damaging to your presentation as it can wash out your image and severely reduce visibility. Therefore choose a room without windows, or at least choose a room with black out curtains.
   
• High ceilings – To ensure better visibility, you should always avoid rooms with 8 foot ceilings. A minimum of a 10 foot ceiling height is recommended.
   
• Fill the Screen – Be sure to move the projection systems as far away from the screen as possible in order to fill the screen. Some novice instructors make the mistake of displaying a 5 foot wide image on an 8 foot wide screen. The result can be a screen that is difficult to read, and you are less likely to hold your audience’s attention.
   
• Computer Display Resolution – You should consider setting your computer’s display resolution lower, so that the image projected to the screen will be more readable. A resolution of 800 by 600 is more readable when projecting software applications to the projection screen. (However, please note that changing your resolution will have little effect on the actual PowerPoint slide show as the slide show expands to fill the screen despite the resolution used.)
   
• Computer Colors – You should also consider the colors you choose to use for your computer system desktop, applications, and PowerPoint slides. Some colors are easier to read than others when using a projection system.
   
• Elevated Table – I like to place a row of boxes across the lecture table covered by a linen cloth before I set up my computers. This prevents me from having to stoop over to reach the keyboard throughout the day. I am more comfortable and my voice projects out to the audience, not down towards my keyboard.
   
• A/V Microphone – I use a microphone whenever the audience size exceeds about 40 people. However, because you can not hold a hand held microphone and type into a computer at the same time, you need to request a lavaliere microphone, or a cordless microphone that clips to your lapel.
   
• Carpeting – I find that carpeting for the instructor is essential, especially for longer presentations of 8 hours or more. If you have a concrete floor, request a couple of area rugs and stand on them most of the day – trust me on this.
   
• Carpet Tape – Tape down all cables so that audience participants don’t trip over them and pull your equipment down to the ground. When removing tape, leave cable on ground and stand on the cable while removing tape, otherwise your tape will wrap your cable and create a mess that is very difficult to recover from.
   
• Electricity Outlets - When setting up the room, first identify where the plugs and internet hook ups are located and set up the instructor table closest to those outlets.
   
• Lighting – Prior to starting the presentation, and once you have your projection system up and running, close all curtains and turn off all lighting. Bring up each light individually and watch to see how much it washes the screen. Bring up each light as far as you can without washing much of the screen. If necessary, unscrew light bulbs, tape paper over lights, slide the screen up, over, and around, do everything you can to ensure the best visibility of the screen.
   
• Projection Screen Height – Raise the projection screen as high as possible. Many A/V companies will fail to raise the screen as high as possible, therefore you should double check their work. If necessary, drag a table over and place the screen on top of the table. Next, make sure that your projected image touches the top of the screen, as well as the edges of the screen. Insert folded napkins under the projector to make small adjustments to the projected image.
   
• Room Set Up – When the facility is booked, and again the day before your presentation, fax the following room set up diagram to the facility. Otherwise you may show up to find stages, round tables, theater seating, no middle aisle, front row too close, or a host of other problems. Shoving tables around right before your presentation is not a desirable situation. 

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