seating layouts for presentations

Setting up the Venue
If you can, ask someone to stand at the back and confirm how you sound from there; but remember that your voice will carry less well when the room is full. If you are able to adjust the temperature set it to just below what is comfortable as when the room fills up the temperature will rise. You don’t want to be hot and flustered and neither do you want your audience dozing in excessive heat. If there is any chance of getting fresh air into the room this can help to keep your audience alert.
Here are some of the issues that you should consider.

1. Make sure that you can control the ambient light level to suit your visual aids.
2. Locate power points and ensure that you have all of the extension leads and adaptors that you need.
3. Ask a colleague to stand at the back to assist you with a sound check.
4. Place literature and handouts where they can easily be collected as your audience leave.
5. It is important to keep doorways clear at all times.
6. Place refreshments at the rear of the venue to avoid possible distractions.
7. Ensure that the lighting of the stage area is suited to your presentation.

Check all of the Equipment
Make sure that any equipment you requested is present and working properly. It is very disconcerting to have to learn how to use unfamiliar equipment halfway through a presentation. Remember, even equipment that looks familiar may actually be a model you haven’t used before. A single unfamiliar function or strangely placed button has the potential to stop you when you are in full flow.

Where your presentation will be dependent on a consumable item - such as an overhead projector bulb, check that you know how to replace it and ensure that a spare is handy. When you are presenting at an external location, make a note of the technical support extension number so that any equipment failure can be remedied as soon as possible. Make sure that your audio-visual aids are installed in the correct position and sequence. If these include a slide show it is worth checking through them - to confirm they are all present, sequenced and the right way up. This will also enable you to check that your images are in focus, and familiarize yourself with adjusting this setting. If you will be using a PA system then perform a sound check. Pay particular attention to avoiding acoustic feedback, which is affected by both the volume and the position of the microphone in relation to the speakers. Also check that your microphone will not be rubbing against your clothing as you gesture and move around. Place any pointers, pens, remote control units and other hand held devices where they are easily accessible. Having water or another drink handy is important, if you do dry-up, it is much easier to take a quick sip than to hack your way through the remainder of your presentation.

Optimizing the Seating Layout
In small and medium size venues you will probably have considerable discretion over the seating layout. It is important to get the right balance when seating your audience; comfort is an issue but try not to make them so comfortable that they fall asleep. Spacing chairs out so that everybody has sufficient room to store their bags and briefcases will also create a less claustrophobic feeling. If your audience is likely to make notes during your presentation you might want to provide chairs with armrests or supply complimentary clipboards - which may carry your organizations logo. Whilst the seating layout is often fixed in large venues you can experiment with the seating plan at smaller venues. A series of straight and narrow rows stretching back from you may permit easy eye contact but may restrict the ability of people at the back to see and hear clearly. If this plan is switched to wide rows in front of you, then the majority of the audience will be able to see and hear clearly but it will be difficult for you to make eye contact with those people sitting at the periphery.

A semi-circular; or ‘n’ arrangement provides an effective format as both the acoustics and visibility work well for the audience. You will also find it easy to engage all members of the audience with eye contact. This arrangement takes up slightly more space than the other options but is well worth the effort where there is sufficient room. If your presentation involves a lot of note taking, or includes workgroup based interaction, you might want to include tables in the seating plan. The plan shown is the classic schoolroom type layout and this can be significantly improved simply by turning the end of the tables towards the presenter. By doing this the members of the audience will have a better view of your visual aids and each table will be able to accommodate twice the number of people - which is ideal for any group based working. If you want to use group interaction during your presentation then arrange the audience so that they are sitting in groups of between five and eight. Research shows that people are most likely to contribute to group sessions when there are enough people to create some energy within the group but not so many that they feel excluded. Groups of between five and eight people have been shown to optimize this.

Final Details
A final point regarding floor-plans where your audience is an unknown quantity is that you may find it helpful to remove the back row of seats. This avoids the common problem where the audience filters in and head for the seats furthest from the presenter. By placing potentially surplus seats at the sides of the room latecomers can help themselves to a seat and join at the back. When planning any pre-presentation food and drink think carefully; you don’t want to spend a lot of money on lavish food and drinks just to put your audience to sleep. As with your own personal preparation, light snacks and sandwiches are best and it is advisable to avoid alcohol where possible. If possible hold over part of the catering - such as desserts and any alcoholic drinks until a post presentation gathering. Depending on the size and level of formality of your presentation it may be a good idea to welcome members of your audience as they arrive. If you are present but wait impassively, or are preoccupied, as the audience filters in this can create a cold and stand-offish atmosphere that can be difficult to overcome - regardless of how good your presentation is.

Making a Good First Impression
When your presentation actually begins, if you find that you are suffering from last minute nerves, you can calm yourself by not speaking immediately. Consciously deepen your breathing as you take in your audience, holding eye contact with two or three of them for 3-4 seconds. Then when you feel ready, start speaking as you maintain eye contact with one individual before moving on to another.

This is the time to switch your focus firmly onto the message. This does not mean that body language, eye contact and interaction with your audience are not important - they are, and these vital presentation skills are dealt with in the next section.

Any presenter who asks themselves ‘How am I doing?’ is liable to deal their own presentation a critical blow. You cannot perform real-time self-assessments in mid-presentation. The human mind can only cope with one major task at a time and delivering your message should become that all encompassing task once your presentation has started.

A good introduction will help to establish your credibility and will give the audience a clear expectation of what you are about to tell them. If you are being introduced, it may be worth clarifying your personal details, such as any relevant qualifications or experience that you possess, with the person who will introduce you. Ideally, your introduction will inform your audience how long you will be speaking for, so that they can adjust their anticipated concentration span accordingly. It is also a good time to outline the overall structure of your presentation, and to mention the style of audience interaction you would prefer. For example you might welcome any question from the floor, as and when they arise, or you might prefer to proceed uninterrupted until a formal question and answer session at end of your presentation. Make sure that you start by speaking confidently and at a natural pace. Try not to refer to your notes more than once or twice in your opening segment. A confident opening style should establish you as a credible and authoritative speaker who is open and friendly. One very useful tip for generating a relaxed and friendly presentation style is to speak to your audience, regardless of its size, as though you were chatting to a friend in a far less formal environment.

Try to look at all of the members of your audience - so that they feel included, and hold brief eye contact with a handful of them. It can be worth seeking eye contact in a methodical way - by switching from the rear right corner of your audience to the center to front left, then back to rear left and so on. Adopting this approach should ensure you cover all areas of your audience. One final point regarding your opening is that you should make it crisp and telling - giving your audience something to think about right at the start. This will have the effect of gaining their attention. It is then your job to make sure that you keep it.

Audience, Formality and Presentation Style
The presentation style that you adopt should be influenced by the size of your audience and the level of formality that is appropriate:

Type 1 - Examples of this type of presentation would be: a committee meeting, a sales pitch or an interdepartmental presentation. Here you should establish eye contact with each member of the audience early on and remain facing them at all times, in order to hold their attention.

Type 2 - Examples of this type of presentation would be: the introduction of new products to established suppliers or the briefing of work colleagues. Here it is often best to interact with the audience by soliciting questions and letting individuals make meaningful, but brief, contributions.

Type 3 - When presenting at large formal events such as a conference or a corporate AGM, check early on that all sections of the audience can hear you clearly. Punctuate your presentation with links, clear summing-ups and by repeating your main points.

Type 4 - An informal presentation to a large audience is relatively rare, but might for example occur if you were asked, at very short notice, to make a contribution from the floor when attending a conference or similar event. In this case, make sure that you keep your message simple and speak slowly with clear enunciation. Only expand on your general point if requested to do so.

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