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YOUR TARGET: Conferences and Strategic Presentations

High speed and reasonably priced wireless connectivity are changing the way conferences and corporate meetings are conducted. Wireless LANs, with speeds typically in the hundreds of thousands of kilobits per second in real world environments and with pricing based upon long durations (rather than per minute or per packet), are ideally suited for use during public events and company meetings.

Adding Value

WLANs can add a great deal to your Sales and Marketing presentations. Your audience will obtain more information and you could generate much more give-and-take. Many web logs provide useful real-time updates. Information about your presentation could be posted as you are speaking. Give your PR person the responsibility of posting information about your presentation on your company's public Web site and/or intra net. He/She can also provide details about the questions as they are being asked. How rare!

Although the majority this Web section is about WLANs, there's no reason why the next-generation cellular networks now being implemented also couldn't be integrated for wireless connectivity in conferences and meetings. Currently, GSM GPRS cellular networks offer speeds of about 10K - 20K bps upstream from the handset to the Internet, and 20K bps - 30K bps downstream from the Internet to the handset. CDMA2000 1xRTT offers speeds typically of 40K bps - 60K bps. These data rates will be improved by a few 10s of kilobits per second over the next year, as the hardware and software are enhanced.

If cellular operators provide reasonable pricing -- which most have not done, so far -- speeds of 40K bps and above are indeed suitable for these purposes.

Speakers beware: Better skills required!

Many speakers might not want their audience to access the Internet. They're afraid the audience will ignore them and, instead, surf the Web, send and receive e-mail and transmit instant messages to other audience members like kids passing notes in school. They're right. So what?

If you're a good speaker, you don't have to worry. Wireless Internet access will be a benefit to you and your audience. If you're a rotten speaker, you deserve to be ignored. Indeed, people who have web logs, which enable virtually instantaneous updating of a Web site, have used WiFi connections to publicly complain about the boring panels and speakers. Yea to better conferences!

As more journalists begin using WiFi to post comments about speakers, there will be real-time research about what speakers are saying. In other words, if you are lying on stage, it's possible that someone in the audience could post your comments -- as you're speaking -- and receive feedback via e-mail about the veracity of your remarks.

These are some tips for a better educated, more informed presentation:

Post all your slides

How many times have you finished your slides at the last minute? You could post your slides on your Web site or alert your assistant/Webmaster/whomever to be on the lookout for your slides and to post them as soon as they arrive via e-mail. If you want to limit who sees the slides, set up a password and tell the audience. Also, you could set up a form requiring attendees to fill in some information about themselves: name, company, e-mail address, etc. It’s up to you how “open” you want access to be. Never again say, “Just give me your business card and I’ll send you my presentation.”

Post your new slides

How many times have you felt satisfied about giving conference organizers a copy of your presentation...which you then changed? Just post the slides you changed or added. Never again say, “I’m afraid you don’t have this slide in your workbook.”

Post supplementary slides

Would you like conference attendees to view other information that doesn’t fit into your presentation? Information that is somewhat of a digression, but useful? Information that is displayed on a complicated chart that’s difficult to read, but readable on a laptop computer? Never again say, “I know this slide is difficult to read.”

Post Speaker Notes

Post speaker notes or commentaries for your presentation: How about writing additional “bullet points” you want to ensure the audience remembers? You could post the entire presentation plus additional notes, just selected slides and notes or just the number or title of each slide and the notes.

Post bookmarks for companies mentioned

If you mention companies in your presentation and would like the audience to see those companies’ Web sites as you're speaking, post the links on your Web site. One tip: Ensure that each link opens in another Web page, so that your list of bookmarks remains displayed.

Encourage e-mail or instant messaging

Some audience members might feel more comfortable sending you a comment or a question via e-mail or instant messaging rather than raising their hand. Also, some people want to remain anonymous, especially if the question is controversial or would "give something away" to the competition.

Create a special web log for your presentation

E-blogs are personal publishing Web sites that are very easy and inexpensive for individuals to create. You may do all the editing from a Web-based interface or download client software to your desktop or notebook computer. Google has a terrific weblogging tool Blogger.com which integrates into your server seamlessly. Several web logs, including Weblogger and Radio Community Server serve up some interesting weblog/RSS information. Another blogging resource, the upcoming Blogging Conference Official Site / Zdnet.com Article in Melbourne, Australia may be just what you need. And if you just want to have fun, check out the BETA blog from MSN, MSN Spaces.

Any way you do it, blogging is the advent of this centuries share communication.

Labels: blog, blogger, blogging, communications, marketing, speaking, web, wireless, WLAN