From the Archives - Pointers for Presenters

With all the news about RootstechConnect flooding the geneasphere I remembered this post written in  2010 and offer it to those who are taking to a genealogy stage. I feel that the points I covered are applicable to virtual as well as face to face presentations. As it's ten years since my original post I have added some further comments to the list in Purple.

What would you add to the list?

Monday, August 16, 2010

Pointers for Presenters

Having retired from the world of education I now have some time to devote to my hobby/passion for family history. Over the last eighteen months I have attended a number of seminars and talks on genealogy and related subjects. Some presenters have been excellent and some have been downright woeful. Some of the genealogy presenters I have seen could do well to watch and learn from the presentations I have seen given by Australian students in our schools.

Having knowledge of a subject does not qualify one as a competent and engaging presenter.

Prompted by Thomas MacEntee's announcement that he has published a book " Approaching the Lectern: How to Become a Genealogy Speaker"  I have decided to make a few suggestions for Australian speakers. Each of these points could have helped one or some of the speakers I have heard recently.
  
Before

• Update your knowledge of the topic
• Know your subject well enough so that you will not need to read your presentation
  
• Get prior information on your audience 
• Be prepared, have backups of your presentation
• Prepare a handout or disk for distribution to participants or provide links to the presentation on the internet
• Practice your talk in front of a trusted and honest friend or colleague and use their feedback to polish your work
  
• Maintain regular contact with the hosting organisation
• Dress appropriately for the situation 
• Arrive early and check setup

During

• Set the scene by giving some background information on yourself
• Turn the camera on yourself prior to starting your presentation - attendees like to put a face to a name
  
• State the rules of the game - Are you happy to be interrupted or do you want people to keep questions to the end? Do you allow attendees to take screenshots of your slides?
  
• Start with an overview of the presentation's content - Outline your goals for the gig
• Display enthusiasm or passion for your subject
• State your relationship to products being demonstrated - Some talks are thinly veiled marketing exercises/infomercials - Be honest and upfront about your connections to vendors/products
• Speak clearly, coherently and with animation - Engage your audience through good communication
• Keep your um count low - use pauses rather then ums
  
• Avoid Death by Powerpoint - You are the presenter
• Use original, relevant images to make your points
• Keep text on slides to a few pithy points
  
• There is no need to read the text on your slides - Most of your attendees can read for themselves
  
• Sprinkle your talk with anecdotes and analogies - but don't overdo it
• Use visual aids and artefacts to embellish your talk - Cater for individual learning styles of participants
• Maintain eye contact - Look at the camera
  
• Involve your audience - Ask them questions, get them to comment on a photo or artefact
• When showing internet sites connect to the site - avoid screenshots - use them as backups for times of technology failure 
• When talking about software - Accompany with a live demonstration
• Be honest - If you don't know the answer to a question say so  
• There may be experts in your audience who can add value to the event - Accept their comments graciously

Afterwards

• Invite feedback via a printed or online feedback form - Offer a prize draw for completed forms
• Set aside some time to talk to audience members individually after talk
• Provide contact details for audience followup 
• Use audience feedback to amend and polish your presentation
  

Keynotes at Rootstech

Back in 2012 after attending another conference I reflected on what I expected from a Keynote presentation. I wrote:

Am I being harsh in expecting a keynote presenter to display passion for his/her subject, to tailor the talk for the particular audience, to have sufficient slides and content to fill the allotted time and to have a coherently organised presentation?  Keynote presenters should also know their subject and not have to read from a prepared speech.

I expect a keynote to do more than one of these things: Inspire, Challenge, Educate, Engage, Entertain and Inform. It is a privilege and an honour to be invited to present a keynote; a sense of responsibility and ethical behaviour should be demonstrated by those given this honour.

Julie Arduini says "Keynote presentations are motivational speeches designed to excite the audience for the rest of the event. When keynote presenters deliver a speech, they know what aids to bring and implement to supplement their speech. Keynote speakers have public speaking experience and are known for their ability to educate, inform and entertain."

Over the next few days we will hear from several keynotes at Rootstech 2017. What criteria will you use to evaluate the performance of the keynote presenters?

Tell me - How would you choose?

The Salt Palace Convention Center

A few days ago I went through the Conference Schedule on the Rootstech app and selected the sessions I would attend. That was then, this is now.

Downloading and skim reading the papers for the sessions that appealed to me has helped me to focus on my priorities and select sessions that will give me the best value. I have discovered that my priorities are DNA, Ireland and the UK and Technology with a bit of entertainment thrown in.

So what criteria did I use to select the sessions?

• I don't attend talks I have heard before (there are a few). 
• I favour speakers who present new material.
• I won't attend talks I may hear in Australia (wish I knew what was on the Congress program).
• I am dismissing talks that are US centric because I only have few ancestral connections to the US.
• I am avoiding talks by vendors that appear to be infomercials. I can get that info in the Expo Hall.
• I won't attend beginner technology sessions.
• I am attending sessions by a couple of engaging speakers like Josh Taylor and Judy G Russell  for their educational and entertainment value. Ron Tanner is also good for a laugh and learn session.
• I am attending one session because I am starstruck. Can't wait to see the Scott Brothers.
• If it's about DNA I'll be there.
• I discounted sessions where the presenter hadn't submitted a paper. 
• I'm taking on recommendations from fellow attendees in previous years so I'll be listening to Bruce Durie.
• I'm avoiding speakers I consider pompous or boring.
• I may attend sessions to support genimates who are presenting.
• Unfortunately I have to miss a couple of good sessions due to Ambassador duties.

I am not setting my schedule in stone. I will use feedback on presenter quality from fellow attendees to amend my selections. I will also have some fallback choices made so that if I can't get into a popular session I will be able to quickly move to another.

Tell me - How would you choose?

Questions, Comments and Anecdotes

From time to time I like to republish some of my old posts. I have witnessed the behaviour I first wrote about here at local, national and international events over the past year. 

What to do?

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WARNING: This is a crankypants post.

When I was teaching we drummed into our students the meanings of and differences between Questions, Comments, andAnecdotes or Stories. When we were giving a lesson and students interrupted with a question or comment we would respond to them immediately or say we would deal with it at an appropriate time during the lesson; if they launched into a long-winded anecdote that had little to do with the topic under discussion we cut them off with a "sounds like an interesting story, perhaps you can tell us about it later."

What got up my nose on the recent Unlock the Past Cruise (but is not confined to that event) was the lack of manners of adults (who should know better) in the Q&A sessions towards the end of speakers' presentations. Some people asked relevant questions, some offered interesting comments and opinions and some launched into long-winded anecdotes that did little to enhance the subjects under discussion. 

I heard one woman tell the same story in two Q&A sessions and the poor presenters who did not want to be rude let her go on and waste that precious time we had for collaborative discussion at the end of talks.  GRRR! 

The problem is that speakers are generally polite and do not know how to cut audience members off without appearing rude. What to do?

My solution is simple. Please mind your manners and when a speaker asks for questions and comments during or at the end of a session please stay on topic. Most presenters, and especially those on the Unlock the Past Cruise are happy to speak privateyl with audience members after the conclusion of their formal talks. Please, save your stories for post-presentation chats.

Here are some handy definitions:

Question: a sentence worded or expressed so as to elicit information http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/question?q=question

Comment: a verbal or written remark expressing an opinion or reaction
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/comment?q=comment

Anecdote: a short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/anecdote?q=anecdote

The problem with some of the anecdotes we heard in Q&A sessions on the ship is that they were neither short, amusing or interesting.

Tips for Genealogy Event Hosts

My recent post Tips for Genealogy Presenters was well received so I am reposting another oldie. I must confess that having read my tips I need to lift my game.

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Tips for Genealogy Event Hosts

Over the last eighteen months I have  attended and presented at a number of seminars and talks on genealogy and related subjects. Some events have been well organised with thoughtfulness displayed by the organisers. Sadly, I have witnessed instances where speakers have not been treated with the respect one should accord a visitor. Organisers of genealogy events have a responsibility to their speakers and audiences.
 
These tips may help with event organisation:

Before the Event

• Liaise with the presenter before the event to ensure that you share similar expectations for the event.
• Confirm event details in writing, email is appropriate in the 21st century and give presenter contact details of the organiser
• Prepare and distribute marketing/advertising materials that accurately reflect the content and level.
• Ascertain what the speaker's technical requirements and organise prior to the event.
• Provide a map to venue and organise a parking spot for the presenter.
• If possible provide the speaker with details about audience - number of attendees, level of knowledge etc.
• If there are multiple presentations on a day allow ample time for room changes and refreshment breaks.
• Contact the presenter a few days before the event to address any questions he/she may have
• Offer to photocopy handouts. 
• Arrange for distribution and collection of evaluation forms with presenter.
• Make arrangements to record or video the event.
• Check the technology setup on the day prior to the event.

On the Day

• Be on hand to welcome the presenter or allocate this duty to another person.
• Have a trolley on hand to assist with the movement of bulky items.
• Assist the presenter with setup - Each venue is unique and foreign to the presenter.
• Have water available for the presenter.
• Discuss time management ie windup warnings with the presenter. 
• Nominate someone do an introduction and short bio of the presenter.
• Allow time for housekeeping - Give details of restrooms, food availability before the presenter takes the stage.
• Ensure that someone from the organising body remains in the room during the talk.
• Ensure that the presenter gets the full time allocated to the presentation - A lot of effort goes into planning - Cutting a presentation short is plain bad manners.
• Have someone propose a vote of thanks at the conclusion of the talk.
• If the speaker is a volunteer consider a small token of appreciation eg a book, petrol voucher, flowers.

Afterwards

• Assist with collection of evaluation forms.
• Follow up with a letter of thanks - Useful for the presenter's portfolio.
• Share the results of any evaluation with the presenter.

Tips for Genealogy Presenters

I have been notified that someone is sharing a page I posted on Weebly a few years ago when I was playing with that platform (reminder tto GeniAus - ake the old site down).

As I think what I wrote is still pertinent I am sharing it here:

Tips for Genealogy Presenters

My commitment to CGD exposes me to a range of presenters. Over the last eighteen months I have  attended a number of seminars and talks on genealogy and related subjects. Some presenters have been excellent and some have been downright woeful. In a blog post in 2010 I made some suggestions that may assist presenters at genealogy events. I am updating that here.
I have also suggested that Keynote Speakers should Inspire, Challenge, Educate, Engage, Entertain and Inform but believe that all speakers should aim to do more than one of these in each presentation.
Having knowledge of a subject does not qualify one as a competent and engaging presenter.

Each of these points could have helped one or some of the speakers I have heard recently.  

Before the Event

• Update your knowledge of the topic
• Get prior information on your audience 
• Liaise with the host before the event to ensure that you share similar expectations for the event.
• Be prepared for technology failure with a backup plan. Save copies of your presentation on the internet, a thumb drive, a CD. Have some printed notes for reference in case of complete tech failure.
• Ensure that marketing/advertising materials accurately reflect the content and level of your talk.
• Practice your talk in front of a trusted and honest friend or colleague and use their feedback to polish your work
• Make sure that you have enough content/slides to fill the allotted time. 
• Maintain regular contact with the hosting organisation.
• Prepare a handout or disk for distribution to participants or provide links to the presentation on the internet
• Dress appropriately for the situation 
• Arrive early and check the setup
• If you will be using the internet visit the sites you intend to show on the presentation computer  before the talk so that they are cached on your hard drive and quickly retrieved. 

During the Event

• Ascertain if audience members have auditory or visual issues and try to accommodate their needs.
• Set the scene by giving some background information on yourself
• Ask a few of the attendees: Why are you here? or What do you hope to get out of today's presentation?"
• If it's a small group or an all day seminar invest a few minutes in finding out something about each person in the group.
• State the rules of the game - Are you happy to be interrupted or do you want people to keep questions to the end? Can people record your talk? Can they take photographs?
• I shouldn't have to say this -  Never, ever read a prepared speech word for word
• Start with an overview of the presentation's content - Outline your goals for the gig
• State your relationship to products being demonstrated - Some talks are thinly veiled marketing exercises/infomercials - Be honest and upfront about your connections to vendors/products
• Display enthusiasm or passion for your subject
• Establish and maintain eye contact with the audience 
• Speak clearly, coherently and with animation - Engage your audience through good communciation
• Avoid Death by Powerpoint - You are the presenter and the focus
• Remember the people at the back of the room - Use a large (30point+) font on your slides)
• Smiles are free - Use them liberally
• Sprinkle your talk with anecdotes and analogies - But don't overdo it
• Use visual aids and artefacts to embellish your talk - Cater for individual learning styles of participants
• Pepper your talk with questions. Pose a question or problem and give the attendees a minute or two to discuss it with their neighbour. Ask a few to share their thoughts.
• Graciously accept all contributions to the conversation. Avoid putdowns.
• Always take a question - if is too complex to be answered immediately put it on a 'parking lot' list to be answered at the end of the presentation
• When showing internet sites connect to the site - avoid screenshots - use these as backups for times of technology failure 
• When quoting a URL have an accompanying slide in large font or have a word processing doc opened in the background into which you can quickly tyre the URL
• When talking about software - Accompany with a live demonstration
• Be honest - If you don't know the answer to a question say so  
• There may be experts in your audience who can add value to the event - Accept their comments graciously
• Provide handouts in hard copy or provide a link to a site where a soft copy can be found.
• Reiterate your goals at the end of the talk 

Afterwards

• Invite feedback via a printed or online feedback form - Offer a prize draw for completed forms
• Set aside some time to talk to audience members individually after talk
• Provide contact details for audience followup 
• Use audience feedback to amend and polish your presentation for next time

Please, genealogy presenters, recognise that learning is a collaborative exercise. Involve your students. You can learn from them and give them and yourselves a richer learning experience. Updated 12/4/2012

Congress Presenter - Pauleen Cass

Together with my fellow 2015 Congress Official Bloggers Pauleen Cass and Shauna Hicks I will be sharing interviews with Congress presenters, attendees and organisers on this blog from time to time. These may be in the form of written responses to questions we pose or they may be videos we record using Google Hangouts on Air.

I thank Congress presenter and official blogger Pauleen Cass for being first cab off the rank, Pauleen and I hooked up earlier this week for a Google Hangout on Air where we discussed family history and Congress matters. You can watch Pauleen's interview below in this post or via this link at my Youtube channel.

Questions, Comments and Anecdotes

WARNING: This is a crankypants post.

When I was teaching we drummed into our students the meanings of and differences between Questions, Comments, and Anecdotes or Stories. When we were giving a lesson and students interrupted with a question or comment we would respond to them immediately or say we would deal with it at an appropriate time during the lesson; if they launched into a long-winded anecdote that had little to do with the topic under discussion we cut them off with a "sounds like an interesting story, perhaps you can tell us about it later."

What got up my nose on the recent Unlock the Past Cruise (but is not confined to that event) was the lack of manners of adults (who should know better) in the Q&A sessions towards the end of speakers' presentations. Some people asked relevant questions, some offered interesting comments and opinions and some launched into long-winded anecdotes that did little to enhance the subjects under discussion. 

I heard one woman tell the same story in two Q&A sessions and the poor presenters who did not want to be rude let her go on and waste that precious time we had for collaborative discussion at the end of talks.  GRRR! 

The problem is that speakers are generally polite and do not know how to cut audience members off without appearing rude. What to do?

My solution is simple. Please mind your manners and when a speaker asks for questions and comments during or at the end of a session please stay on topic. Most presenters, and especially those on the Unlock the Past Cruise are happy to speak privateyl with audience members after the conclusion of their formal talks. Please, save your stories for post-presentation chats.

Here are some handy definitions:

Question: a sentence worded or expressed so as to elicit information  http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/question?q=question

Comment: a verbal or written remark expressing an opinion or reaction
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/comment?q=comment

Anecdote: a short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/anecdote?q=anecdote

The problem with some of the anecdotes we heard in Q&A sessions on the ship is that they were neither short, amusing or interesting.

Keynotes

Having sat through and having been underwhelmed by most of the keynote presentations at Congress has caused me to reflect on what I expect from a keynote presentation.

Image Source

Am I being harsh in expecting a keynote presenter to display passion for his/her subject, to tailor the talk for the particular audience, to have sufficient slides and content to fill the alloted time and to have a coherently organised presentation?  Keynote presenters should also know their subject and not have to read from a prepared speech.


I expect a keynote to do more than one of these things: Inspire, Challenge, Educate, Engage, Entertain and Inform. It is a privilege and an honour to be invited to present a keynote; a sense of responsibility and ethical behaviour should be demonstrated by those given this honour.


Julie Arduini says "Keynote presentations are motivational speeches designed to excite the audience for the rest of the event. When keynote presenters deliver a speech, they know what aids to bring and implement to supplement their speech. Keynote speakers have public speaking experience and are known for their ability to educate, inform and entertain."


So how did the keynotes at Congress measure up? Thankfully the opening keynote of the Conference, Colleen Fitzpatrick, did not disappoint. She displayed a passion for her field of forensic genealogy while informing us and challenging us to think outside the square. That she tugged at our emotions was a bonus. I enjoyed her keynote so much that I attended two more of her talks.


Sadly none of the other keynote speakers similarly affected me. Daniel Horowitz started off well by connecting with the audience, injecting humour into his talk and having good supporting slides. After his first 25 minutes of talking about his advertised topic he digressed. That he used the remaining half of his talk to promote his company's product to the exclusion of other products was unethical and unforgiveable.

Jenny Higgins from the National Library of Australia gave an informative presentation on the services of the Library that would have been a good ordinary session. Jenny read her prepared talk causing her to lose eye contact with the audience and thus spontaneity. This competent presentation was well-prepared, supported by appropriate slides and full of information for those who do not use the services of our National Library

Chair of the Federation of Family History Societies, David Holman's after lunch keynote "Fascinating facts and figures" captivated the audience with his unique perspective. David's talk was pure entertainment that got us thinking. He displayed a great depth of knowledge of and a passion for his subject. Another blogger Kylie Willison said: "I thoroughly enjoyed David’s talk as I’m sure many people did going by the audience’s laughter.  David shared figures of the most common surnames and forenames in different countries.   He also spoke about uncommon and funny names and combinations of fore and surnames.  I didn’t write anything down because I was so interested and entertained by what David was saying." David was a worthy keynote presenter.


John Kitzmiller finished his talk and slides in 25 minutes. He then spent the remainder of his time waffling on about this and that. This was unforgiveable in a keynote - did he not have a practice run and time himself before he presented? Another blogger commented that he should have let us go early and enjoy a longer morning tea break.

I missed Vicki Eldridge's keynote as I was busy working on a stand in the Exhibition Hall so I am unable to comment on her talk.

Stephen Young from Familysearch managed to spend an hour delivering a commonsense message, "Descendancy research: when you can't climb up your family tree, branch out", that could have been delivered in ten minutes. The content and topic of this talk was not appropriate for a keynote presentation.

I had heard Dan Poffenberger's talk on handwriting analysis and was impressed by his relaxed style, good content and sense of humour. Dan's closing keynote "Familysearch 2012 and beyond" confused me. The news Dan related seemed to differ from what I had heard at the Rootstech Conference in February. Dan just didn't seem to have the depth of knowledge of the Familysearch organisation that the speakers at Rootstech possessed.

Some of the American presenters did not tailor their presentations to Australian audiences but just presented talks previously prepared for US audiences. Quite a number of attendees commented on this issue. Some of the keynote presenters used the same examples in their keynotes that they used in breakout sessions; keynotes deserve all new material.

Most of these sessions should not have been labelled as keynotes but rather as plenary or general sessions that all members of a group attend. Some would have been better as breakout sessions.

Only two of the Keynotes were from Australians and one was from a Brit. There was not a Kiwi in sight; I found this strange in a Conference that is billed as Australasian.  Having four Keynote presenters from the US confounded me. The Congress was billed as "on Genealogy & Heraldry" yet none of the Keynotes addressed the topic of Heraldry.

From my perspective the programming was the weak point of this event that I otherwise thoroughly enjoyed.

What do you expect from a Keynote?

What to do?

I am a genealogy event junkie who regularly attends talks, seminars etc. around Sydney, on various topics related to family history. Sometimes I am familiar with the content of the talk, at other times the material delivered is new to me. However, I always learn something that I can apply to my practice.

At times I criticise speakers for their lack of speaking and presentation skills but I have not, until recently, heard a speaker who demonstrates a lack of knowledge of the topic under discussion. All other speakers I have heard have possessed a deep knowledge of their topics.

This has posed a quandary for me. The audience at this event was made up mainly of beginning genealogists who listened intently and took notes during the presentation. This talk was riddled with inaccuracies and misinformation with the speaker being unable to answer simple questions on the topic. I chimed in with answers and extra information a few times but did not want to be a fly in the ointment during the presentation.  The presenter was confused enough as it was. My concern is that these newbies have gone away from the talk with a load of codswallop.

The speaker's intentions were honourable, they had a nice personality and demonstrated a willingness to help others. It appears that the hosting institution asked this presenter to speak on this particular topic, the presenter stated that they went away, did a bit of homework and prepared the talk. Unfortunately that homework lacked the depth needed to present this topic adequately.

So what do I do? Do I write to someone at the hosting institution telling them my concerns? Do I let sleeping dogs lie?

10-20-30 with Guy

Going through the items I had starred in Google Reader I just found a link to this Guy Kawasaki video that had been shared by Mr Byrne on Free Technology for Teachers.

Having recently sat through a presentation in which the presenter read a paper and did not look at the audience I was reminded of those presentations done by my former students who just read out their research assignments instead of  talking about their topic with  pertinent slides as an aide-memoire.

Although this video is not pitched at genealogy speakers it poses some valid points.

Of course for a genealogy audience the rule might be 10-20-40 (watch the video to see why).

GeniAusEvents

It isn't getting a lot of visitors yet but a wealth of information has been added to the GeniAusEvents blog during the two weeks it has been live.

The blog has a Google Calendar in which I post details of events of interest to genealogists in Autralia that I come across in my virtual travels. The coverage is not comprehensive but it does have quite a few events listed. Details of events submitted to me will be added to the calendar.

The links to other calendars of Australian events that are located in the sidebar provide the visitor with a one-stop shop for genealogy events in Australia.

Additionally, provided via short blog posts, are details of events that I come across on Twitter, Blogs and Listservs.

As a serial event attendee I have opinions on what presenters and hosts should or should not do. I have created on the blog pages for Tips for Presenters and Tips for Hosts to which I will add suggestions as the blog matures.