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Presenter Information Kit

Preparing for Your Presentation

Slide Template

Please use the attached DrupalCon Slide Template to create your title slide. This will help make our archives consistent and easy to differentiate. It is also very important that the title slide be up
On the screen for a minimum of 2 minutes before starting the presentation, so the video capture is sure to capture this slide.

Template - Powerpoint
Template - Google Doc

Session Surveys

We are requesting that all speakers post the survey slide at the end of their presentation. It is important that we capture survey data and by posting the survey slide at the end of your presentation as well as asking attendees to fill out the survey will help in these efforts. The slide is included in the attached presentation slides.

Session Recording

Your session is being recorded with a Projection Capture System. Whatever you are displaying on the screen will be recorded in synchronization with the live microphones onto a hard drive. The recorded files will be collected by our AV team and session archive team.

A room monitor will launch the recording system several minutes prior to each session starting. Please check with you’re room monitor to make sure the recording has started before starting your session. A switch box will be available at the front of the room to plug your computer into. Make sure your channel is selected on the switch box so your computer image will be projected onto the screen. Everyone needs to speak into the microphone so the audio will be heard.

Your session will be posted within 48 hours of your session. You will be able to visit them on the DrupalCon site.

Tips for Designing Effective Presentations

  1. If you are excited about your topic, the audience will be excited about your topic. If the audience is excited about your topic, they will remember what you had to say.
  2. The more times you deliver your presentation, the better it will be. You should practise your delivery at least twenty five times.
  3. Prepare everything you want the audience to know. Once you've prepared the whole story, cut your content in half. And then cut it in half again.
  4. The content of your presentation should be available for people to read after your presentation--not the slides, the content. Write a supporting HOWTO article or blog post to go along with your presentation.
  5. Design each slide to address one major point or theme. The dominant idea or concept should jump out at the audience immediately, followed by bulleted summary information to support it.
  6. Keep your visual simple, neat, and uncluttered. Make sure it isn’t complex or busy. Don’t squeeze all the text or graphics into a small area in the center. Spread your elements out and make everything as large as possible for quick, easy viewing. Avoid radically changing backgrounds, colors, or fonts unless there is a good reason to do this. When you’re designing your visuals, remember that elegant, simple design is always more effective than jarring, flashy design.
  7. Limit the number of words and use large, bold letters. Use fewer than 45 words on each visual. A good guideline for text-based visuals is six to eight words per line and no more than five to seven lines per visual. Use only one font and use upper- and lower-case letters. Sans serif faces such as Helvetica or Futura are more readable when projected than are serif faces such as Times New Roman. Edit out words you don’t need until each statement is as concise and to-the-point as possible.
  8. Diligently copyedit and proofread. Check spelling and use consistent punctuation. Verify accuracy of people and organizations. Avoid using a period at the end of bullet points except in the case of a quoted statement. Double-check your data. Typos, misspellings, and factual errors destroy your credibility as an expert in the minds of the audience.
  9. Write titles that read like headlines. Each visual title should shout out a specific idea or point, grab attention, and titillate interest. “Quality in Plant #2” is informative, but “Quality Rises Dramatically at Plant #2” is both informative and dynamic.
  10. Highlight key words and graphics. Use a different color, size, or text effect (bold, italics) to draw special attention to key words or ideas. But use them only for special emphasis. Mixing too many typefaces, such as italic and bold and various fonts, creates excessive contrast and slows reading. Other techniques for drawing attention to key ideas include using arrows, asterisks, or enclosing words or graphics in geometric shapes.
  11. Avoid stark contrasts. When you switch between starkly different design elements (colors, size, or style) or content messages (between a deathly serious slide and a humorous one, for example) you give the audience mixed messages. Focus on being consistent in all areas of your presentation.
  12. Use colors sparingly. Although color is effective for drawing attention to key points, don’t overdo it. Never use more than three colors on one visual, and consider using the same three throughout your presentation for consistency. Use colors to contrast, highlight, and differentiate categories, separate groups of data, or call attention to a key point.

Technical Details

Equipment Specifications

Every Esplanade Session Room has:

  • One 5000 lumen projector (the projection resolution is set at 1024 x 768, 60Hz)
  • Switcher with 4 VGA inputs
  • 9’ x 12’ Projection Screen
  • VGA Switcher for laptop at head table
  • Head Table, 4 chairs with Table Microphone
  • Podium with Podium Microphone
  • Audio mini jack for computer sound at podium
  • Audio Mixer into House Sound Speaker System (Mono)
  • Hard Wire Internet Drop (1) at Podium
  • Wi-fi in Room

Room Specifications

  • Esplanade 303 – Chapter Three: 392 attendees
  • Esplanade 304 – Phase II: 399 attendees
  • Esplanade 305 – Gravitek Labs: 433 attendees
  • Esplanade 306 - Trellon: 435 attendees
  • Esplanade 307 - Commerce Guys: 439 attendees
  • Esplanade 308 - Rackspace: 439 attendees
  • Esplanade 309 - Microsoft: 287 attendees
  • Esplanade 310 - Drupal Association: 292 attendees

Conference Logistics

Badges

Speaker badges can be picked up at in the lobby at Moscone South Convention Center
747 Howard Street, San Francisco.

We strongly encourage you to avoid long lines and pick up your badge at Early Registration on Sunday.

Registration hours are as follows:

  • Sunday April 18, 2010 from 8am - 5pm
  • Monday April 19, 2010 from 7am - 7pm
  • Tuesday April 20, 2010 from 8am - 5pm
  • Wednesday April 21, 2010 from 8am - 5pm

Download guide as a pdf