The ideal presentation is preferably about 45 minutes in length and absolutely no longer than 50 minutes.- Learn the basics of PowerPoint. This presentation will go easy—and your next one will be even better.
- Think about what your message is and present it appropriately. Are you introducing the details of a new idea (a mode, an operating activity)? Are you reviewing some time sequenced activity like a travelogue, an event, or a study? Are you describing a system or piece of equipment? Each of these has a natural flow.
- Use your slides to support what you have to say, not the other way around.
- Make the slide font big enough for the audience to read. Yes, that limits how much you can get on a slide. But you’ll lose your audience if you just read a whole pile of text instead of really having something to say.
- Be sure graphics show something instead of just being an “eye chart.” If a detail is important, make it an enlarged insert.
- If audio is important, embed it in the slide rather than trying to work the audio simultaneously.
- If you’re really proud of your subject, show it. You’ll really engage your audience.
To see what other organizations say about setting up presentations at their conferences, go to:
- ION, the Institute of Navigation https://www.ion.org/gnss/author-resource-center-presentation.cfm
- History Camp https://historycamp.org/events/call-for-presentations-key-dates/?mc_cid=a8cb67fd69&mc_eid=28d055c093