Getting up on stage for the first time is nerve wracking, but there’s so much to be gained from speaking at trade shows. Not only will it boost your confidence, but it’s also the best way to grow your authority and reputation in an industry.
We asked three speakers who presented at our previous show to tell us what they enjoyed most about the experience and share their advice.
Sofia Stouki, Group Head of GIS and Geospatial Consultancy Lead at Costain Group
What did you enjoy most about presenting at DCW?
Presenting at DCW was an invaluable experience. I thoroughly enjoyed speaking in front of an engaged audience comprising of subject matter experts and industry professionals, who had insightful questions at the end of my presentation. These led to very interesting discussions and introductions to professionals who I have stayed in touch with to this day!
What’s your best piece of advice for someone presenting for the first time?
Remember to leave at least five minutes at the end for questions from the audience to conclude your presentation with an engaging discussion.
Andrew Gamblen, AEC Specialist at Dalux
What did you enjoy most about presenting at DCW?
The friendly atmosphere of those at the event and the engagement from those who attended the presentation. It was great to have a number of people come up to me after my session to ask some further in depth queries and have a discussion about it. The team running the stage were also very good, making it easy to just head to stage and present.
What’s your best piece of advice for someone presenting for the first time?
My advice would be to breathe, speak slowly and have around one slide per minute of presentation where pictures and visuals are used more than text. This really helps get your message across to those listening to your presentation.
Dan Rossiter FCIAT, Built Environment Sector Lead at BSI
What did you enjoy most about presenting at DCW?
When presenting at DCW, what I enjoy most is luring audience members. As DCW has several stages running simultaneously, there are people constantly touring the exhibition. It is a great feeling to watch your audience grow as you present, attracting people off of their exhibition tour through poorly executed humour, brightly coloured slides and large text.
What’s your best piece of advice for someone presenting for the first time?
Be confident. Be bold. There will be several other presentations fighting for visitors’ attention too, so you need to make sure yours stands out. Instead of including five slides on your organisation and its relationship with your parent company, immediately jump into your opening gambit. If you start strong you might even convince the audience of the previous presentation to stay! Keeping your content tight with a clear narrative is the best way to present at DCW. That’s the kind of presentation I’d stop to listen to.