“Does everyone know how to properly use a handheld microphone”, Angela on my team asked? One hour before we were presenting in front of 300 people. The good thing was most of our people had presented in front of large audiences before, but a couple had not!

Presenting in front of hundreds of people with a large team is like coordinating a stage production. You need to know where everyone is going to be at all times, with the right words, singing along to the same theme song and making it a unique experience for each person in the audience.

For those of you in the chorus, behind the scenes or is in your future plans…some considerations:

The Visuals – Get your messaging right and make sure it ties to your theme throughout. Have an objective 3rd party not in the show give you feedback can be helpful.

The Choreography – Know who is coming onto the stage, when and what they are going to perform and who they hand off too. You can never practice too many times or test their readiness!

Sound Check – Have you checked video quality, the handoff to opening speaker, and do people know how to use the microphone? Have you checked in with the team prior?

Sit in the crowd – You know how it feels to sit in a theatre performance that just isn’t clicking. Have you sat in the seat of your audience, tried on their persona and challenged your own performance? What do you want them to leave with, to experience?

The Dress Rehearsal – Everyone practices on their own in front of the mirror, with your partner in the studio, and with the entire group on stage.

As the director, you are responsible for it all!

Break a leg.

Colin