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17 fun presentation ideas (with video!) to wow your audience

• 30 Mar 2023

So you want to be the next Steve Jobs. Or Martin Luther King. Or any other dazzling orator you look up to. But you need a little something to add to your presentation ideas – you don’t want to bore people to death with Powerpoint.

Whether you’re creating a sales presentation, an event presentation, or just showing your travel video to Uncle Ron, we’ve compiled some of the best ways to get your audience seriously hyped up about your message.

Biteable offers online video presentation software, so we know a thing or two about making engaging presentation videos. In this guide, we share some of our favorite video presentation inspiration and show you some of the different types of presentations you might consider.

When you’re ready to make your own video presentation, head over to  Biteable  for hundreds of brandable templates, video scenes, and workplace-ready animations. With Biteable, making a video presentation is as easy as making a PowerPoint – only a whole lot more fun.

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Types of video presentations

If you’re looking to win over your audience with a presentation, videos are the best way to do it. According to Insivia, viewers retain  95% of a message  when they see it in a video, but only 10% if they have to read on-screen text.

When you’re making your presentation, you could either make your video the whole presentation, or just a part of the whole. Did you know, for example, that you can  embed a video in a Powerpoint document?  Either is possible with our video templates and it can be interesting to mix things up once in a while.

There are four main types of presentations:

• Informative
• Demonstrative
• Inspirational

Picking the right one will ensure you’re onto a winner with your video presentation. For example, if you’re onboarding some new employees, you might choose a video template that’s an informative presentation like this one:

Or, if you want to show off how something works, a demonstration presentation might be what you want to create:

A persuasive presentation would involve creating a video more like this charity infographic example:

And if you want something a little more inspirational, try something like this positive quote video template.

But that’s not all, folks! If you’d like to check out more awesome Biteable video templates, visit our  templates page here .

Creative (and fun!) video presentation ideas

You’ve now picked the type of presentation you need. But how do you get creative with your video?

First of all, it’s important your video is top-notch. Without high-quality graphics and production value, your message may fall by the wayside. Choose online  video presentation software  that’s easy to use and makes great-looking videos. That’s where Biteable comes in.

Whatever the topic of your presentation, your video format and design need to match the overall tone and message.

Delivering a corporate presentation on climate change? A fast-paced, wildly colorful template with upbeat music is going to feel a little off-message.

To identify how to design your presentation, think about the feelings you want to evoke in your audience. Want them to be crying with laughter? Moved to tears? Motivated into taking action? Pinpointing the emotions behind your presentation will help you choose the right template and make the best video possible.

17 great video presentation ideas

Now you’ve nailed down the type of video presentation you want to make, it’s time to master the finer details. Here’s just some of the ways you can make your message sing.

1. Start with a bold statement

A bold statement can capture your audience’s attention right from the get-go. Your statement should offer something slightly unusual and maybe even a little controversial. Something to make people sit up and take notice.

2. Tell a story

One of the best ways to get your audience’s attention is to tell a story – it’ll hit them right in the feels.

A personal, human story works because it the audience can relate to it on a personal level. Think about some stand-out examples of human stories that relate to your business or idea, and tell that story so people will connect with the central character. The bigger the emotion the better: love, longing, overcoming obstacles, things we’ve all had to deal with at some point in our lives.

Think about the  ‘story arc’  – how will you frame your message so the audience immediately empathizes?

If you’re selling trainers, perhaps you’ll talk about someone who’s training for a marathon. If you’re lobbying for women’s rights, perhaps you’ll tell a story of when a passing comment affected you deeply. Maybe you should think back to the decision that started your business, and start your presentation with that.

Here’s a great example of storytelling from one of the world’s top brands:

3. Use music

Music has great power to support and enhance the emotion in a video presentation, and has been proven to sustain an audience’s attention and aid in information retention. Music is used in movies to suggest an emotional state to the viewer, so why not in a video presentation?

Modern, up-tempo music will snap people to attention at the right moment, while slow, minor-key sounds relax the brain, which is useful for reviewing content so it can slip more easily into long-term memory.

It can be a struggle to find good quality  royalty free music , but here at Biteable we have a selection of great royalty free tracks (or you can upload your own if you’re that way inclined).

Music is one of the most critical (and often overlooked) aspects of any presentation. Here’s a good example of a Biteable template where the music does a great job of supporting the message.

4. Visual metaphor

Research has shown that combining pictures and text is one of the best ways to help people engage with and retain information. There’s something about how our brain works that makes text by itself far less memorable, so if you can combine something visual with your message, you’ll keep people’s attention longer and they’ll remember more of your presentation.

Talking to a group of people about taking action on something that scares them? A picture of someone diving or bungee jumping could work. Telling your boss how important that company retreat is next year? Show them an image of happy, relaxed people with their toes in the sand.

It doesn’t have to be obvious and clichéd, either. Closed doors, wide open roads, and lighting a candle all have subconscious messages that you don’t really need to explain. (Whatever you do, just don’t use the ultimate cliche: the overused  ‘water ripple’ .)

5. Use questions

Questions can be a great way to open a presentation, because they encourage the audience to think for themselves. It opens them up to a realm of critical thinking, which is perfect when you’re gonna sock it to them with your impactful message.

‘Did you know 15 billion trees are cut down each year?’

‘Have you ever considered what life would be like if you didn’t have to save money?’

The art of asking questions in a presentation means you can incorporate them into your video as a great lead-in. Combined with some appropriate music, it can really get your audience thinking about the issue, and then you’ll go on to explain exactly what your solution is.

Having a laugh can really do a lot to win over an audience. There’s no need to be too serious, and even if you’re dealing with a heavy topic, lightening the mood can work wonders.

Whether you’re looking to create a funny sales video, an event presentation, or a presentation for an interview — one thing’s for sure, you can’t go wrong by including humor.

7. Repetition

Simple. Effective. Powerful.

Repetition can be used in several ways: by offering several one-word sentences in a row (the repetition is in the rhythm), or by repeating a word or a key phrase several time throughout your presentation.

In his famous Stanford speech in 2005, for example, Steve Jobs concluded by saying  “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”

Repetition is powerful. It drives home your key message and strengthens your position.

8. Motion Graphics

Motion graphics  are basically animation with text as a major component, and is a staple of what we do at Biteable.

When you use moving graphics in a presentation, it instantly captures attention. If your audience is just taking their seats, or are halfway through hearing your story, there’s no doubt they’ll sit up and take notice if you introduce some cool motion graphics, like this Meeting Tips example.

Although they can sometimes feel clichéd, quotes are a great way to impart a message in a presentation. Want your audience to understand something complex? A quote from Einstein should do it. Or would you like to say something meaningful and poetic? A couple of lines of Shakespeare should convey some wisdom.

10. Audio narration

Narration can give a different mood to your presentation, especially if the voice is powerful and the words are heartfelt. Use it to change the tone or pace of your presentation and it will certainly keep your audience hooked if there’s a danger of them losing interest.

11. Go bright with color

Color can have a huge effect on how your video comes across. Don’t be afraid to experiment. The contrasts of black and white can be extremely effective, but you can also grab people’s attention with some carefully-chosen primary and secondary colors, like in our Motion Graphics template.

12. Use illustrations

Illustrations are a great way to communicate information, especially if you’ve got lots to say. Whether you want to create a crowd of people or a cool depiction of some new fancy gadget, illustrations can draw the eye and make your presentation more interesting.

13. Infographics

When you utilize infographics, you can pack in a huge amount of data and information without confusing your audience. Think pie charts, digital numbers, and ascending animated graphs. These can show your audience boring data in an exciting way.

14. Create interesting transitions

The one advantage of video over a standard presentation is that you can do all types of funky things with transitions, like a whip pan transition, when the camera quickly pans between scenes. It’s a bit like a wipe, but much faster. Check out our full article on transitions  here .

15. Make it look cinematic

Adding a cinematic touch can help your audience feel receptive to your message because subconsciously, they will associate these elements with being at the cinema, eating popcorn, and generally having a good time.

16. Go retro

A cool, retro look for your presentation will make it hard to ignore. By going retro, you add a little bit of cheeky style to your message. You don’t need to go  quite as retro as the template below, but taking a step back in time is a sure way to add a little bit of zing to things.

17. End on a meaningful note

Your presentation will only give your audience a lasting impression if you end it right.

It’s important to let the audience know what you want them to do next: to visit a website for more information, to ponder an idea or new direction, or to take action toward a particular goal.

An attention-grabbing visual will work really well here, along with a meaningful end to the music – a change of pace, volume, or pitch.

What’s the takeaway message? A strong CTA (call to action) will ensure your presentation is memorable and much more likely to be talked about.

Video brings your presentation alive

Of course, we’re a little biased here at Biteable, but we’ve also sat through enough mind-numbingly dull presentations to know that video offers a delightful treat for your audience. It brings your message to life in a way no other medium can.

Ready to start crafting your presentation? Check out our range of templates  here .

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Undergraduate Research Center

Creating a video presentation for a virtual conference.

There are many options and resources when it comes to recording video presentations of your research for the virtual conference. This advice is primarily relevant for research posters, powerpoint slides and oral presentations.  The Undergraduate Research Center recommends utilizing any of the recording applications below to make your videos as these are resources available to all participating students currently. Below are general instructions on how to record a video presentation of your research as well as some tips and tricks to help keep in mind when creating content. 

Preparing To Record

• Get familiar with the technology. Learn what your audio and visual resources are and how to best operate them. Explore shortcuts and options in software (PowerPoint, Adobe PDF, etc.) being used to show information will also be helpful. Learning about this beforehand will help in case you experience unexpected technical difficulties while recording.
• Quiet enough to record with minimal interruptions
• Natural lighting or the ability to control lighting to best record in
• Have space to set up and record at eye level
• Be sure to outline your presentation so there is a natural flow as it is delivered. The Undergraduate Research Center recommends video presentations be 5-10 minutes in length for poster presenters and 8-12 minutes for oral session presenters for its conference.  Please check the desired parameters for the virtual conference for which you are preparing.   Having an outline will help maximize the given time.
• Practice your presentation as if you were doing it at an in-person venue. The confidence gained from preparation also translates on video. It will also increase the professionalism of the presentation and enhance its overall quality. 
• Dress for success from head to toe! Video presentations have the potential of reaching audiences all over the world, so it is important to dress accordingly. Business casual is recommended, and even if the camera will not necessarily capture a presenter's lower body it really does help to feel prepared by wearing a complete outfit. 

Ready, Set, Record!

Currently the Undergraduate Research Center recommends designing a recording where there is a main screen presenting a poster or presentation while video of the presenter is visible in a smaller sub-screen (also known as picture in picture format). When recording, be sure to remember:

• Speak clearly and keep water nearby. It is likely you will do multiple takes and pause, so be sure to enunciate and stay hydrated to keep your voice strong. Here are some voice exercises that can also help warm up the vocal chords. 
• If you are sharing space, be sure to let people know you will be recording. If helpful, invite them to be your audience!
• Record your presentation multiple times. This will give you options to pick your final version or even edit  multiple versions together. It is important to take breaks throughout so as to not get too tired. 
• Be yourself! This is your project and could not have been done without you. Let your passion for the research shine and it will also help ease any nerves. 

Don't forget to save your file in the best format. For the URC Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities Conference,  y ou can save your video presentation in one of the following  video formats:  MP4, M4V, MPG, WMV, MOV, AVI, 3GP, FLV, MKV, MTS, VP6, WMA, M4A, AAC, MP2, MP3.  The max length of time for videos is 15 minutes and the size limit for video files is 2GB .   Be sure to check the requested media requirements for other conferences.

Recording Options

Goreact .

GoReact ( GoReact.com ) is a video presentation application exclusively available for 2021 Undergraduate Research Conference presenters. As the hosting platform for the URC conference, there is the ability to record, edit and even add attachments that compliment your presentation. There are also options for group presenters and mobile compatibility, giving students flexible options in recording. GoReact comes with many resources to help presenters create content that audiences can actively participate in. To learn more about recording with GoReact, conference presenters should check their email accounts and also review uploading directions as well. 

GoReact Student Support Library

AggieVideo (also known as Kaltura)

AggieVideo ( https://video.ucdavis.edu/ ) is an application available where you can upload, manage, edit, and share UC Davis video or audio content. Content can be shared publicly with anyone, or privately to select or authorized viewers, making it a great resource for recording presentations. AggieVideo is also compatible with Canvas and Zoom, with more information found at the AggieVideo Knowledge Base . 

To get started with AggieVideo, download Kaltura Capture using these instructions . 

Zoom is a campus resource available to all students and is recommended for recording video presentations. Be sure to check out the official UC Davis Zoom knowledge base for more information.  The application is a great resource for recording group presentations as it allows multiple presenters to participate in the recording all together. Note that the person setting up the recording will be considered the "host", and in primary control of the application unless recording responsibilities are shared. 

Additional information can be found here:  Official Zoom Help Center Recording Tutorial

PowerPoint is great option for presenters who only have audio recording capabilities and/or are looking to incorporate more dynamic details in to their presentation. Recordings can be made over PowerPoint slides individually too, which is a nice option if wanting to break up recording in to sections. To view how to record in PowerPoint, please view this official Microsoft video tutorial .

PowerPoint is part of the Microsoft Office Suite, which the UC Davis community can access using instructions found here . 

Other Resources

• Example 1 (AggieVideo) 
• Example 2 (Zoom group)
• Example 3 
• GoReact Recording Tips
• How to Film a Talking Head
• How to Engage an Audience Through Camera
• Using Zoom to Create eLearning

• Meetings Host beautiful video meetings with no login or downloads
• Embedded Easily add custom video calls to your website or app
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Here’s How to Give the Best Video Presentation of Your Life

Your video presentation doesn’t need to bore your attendees to tears. Here are seven strategies to keep participants engaged and awake.

You’ve been asked to give a video presentation at a virtual conference. You’re excited about the opportunity to share your expertise, but you’re also worried about how you’ll manage to hold interest. 

Let’s face it: It’s notoriously tough to keep people focused during virtual presentations. 

In fact, 67% of workers say they find it easier to be distracted during virtual meetings compared to in-person ones. Even worse? 55% of respondents admit that they’ve checked their emails during those virtual sessions. 

7 tips for video presentations that don’t make eyes glaze over

So, are you doomed to spend an hour talking to a bunch of people who’d rather be elsewhere? Will all of your time spent preparing be wasted as you watch attendees turn off their cameras and do who knows what as you ramble on?

Not quite. Rest assured, there are some tips you can put into play to deliver a compelling video presentation that keeps your virtual event participants on the hook. 

1. Curate the right environment

If you want other people to be totally tuned into the topic you’re presenting, you need to start by creating a non-distracting environment – both for your benefit and your participants’. 

There are a number of different ways to ensure you have the right setting for your virtual presentation, including:

Finding a quiet space where you’ll be free from interruptions (like barking dogs or kids who choose the most inopportune time to come in and ask for fruit snacks).

Cleaning up your background so that you’re the main focus. Taking a few minutes to tidy up is better than turning on a virtual background, as the majority of people prefer to see the actual room behind the speaker. 

Ensuring you have appropriate lighting so that attendees can see your face without shadows and glares. 

Think about it this way: Would you want to deliver an in-person presentation in a dimly-lit room with laundry baskets in the background? We didn’t think so. 

While getting your space ready for a virtual or hybrid event will take a little more work than simply showing up to a well-prepped conference center, it’s well worth the effort to curate an environment that shows you’re ready to get down to business. 

2. Check your technology 

Can you see my screen? Hold on a second, I just need to click over to my slides. Is my audio echoing for anybody else? 

Nothing derails your presentation faster than frustrating technology glitches. They’re annoying for both you and your participants, and unfortunately those delays can mean that you lose the attention and trust of your attendees before you even get to the content of your presentation.

Plus, they immediately slow you down and shake your confidence. They’re tough to bounce back from, especially when you feel frazzled and like you need to rush through certain aspects of your talk in order to make up for that lost time.

For that reason, it’s crucial that you triple-check all of your technology during your presentation rehearsals. And, it’s smart to use a video meeting platform that’s simple and intuitive. Whereby Embedded makes it easy to embed your video meeting directly within the website or app for your virtual conference, so everybody can navigate right to your session without annoying passcodes, waiting rooms, or technology hiccups. 

3. Switch up your format

While there’s a lot of debate over what our actual attention span is (you’ll hear the range of five to 10 minutes cited a lot), there’s no denying that whatever it is, it’s short.

You could present a surefire method to win the lottery, and people are probably still going to start to zone out after a few minutes of you droning on and on. And we don’t blame them – it’s tough to stay focused, particularly in a virtual environment. 

That’s why it’s so helpful to keep switching up the format of your presentation by mixing in various elements like:

Breakout sessions (more on these a little later)

Exercises and games

Questions and open discussions

Videos or demonstrations

This array of formats keeps your content fresh and your attendees on their toes. And it’s far preferable to spending an hour reading from your slides.

4. Leverage storytelling 

Imagine that you’re attending a presentation about the importance of accurate record keeping. 

Do you want to hear a bunch of statistics about why it matters? Or do you want to hear about the time a single spreadsheet error led to a synchronized swimming event being oversold by 10,000 tickets at the 2012 London Olympics?

The latter is far more compelling, isn’t it? And it speaks to the power of incorporating storytelling into your presentations. In fact, researchers have found that stories can cause oxytocin synthesis in our brains. That not only gets us more engaged, but also inspires us to take action. 

So, look for places where you can incorporate anecdotes or real-world examples. Those will hit home with your attendees far more than endless facts and figures. 

5. Remember that your visual aids should be visual

We’ve all sat through presentations where the presenter’s slides were filled with walls of text or bullet points of what they wanted to cover.

Of course, you can (and should) have your own notes to guide you through all of the important points of your presentation – but that doesn’t mean your audience needs to read along with you. Not only is it boring, but one study found that showing audiences the exact same words that were being spoken reduces audience comprehension. 

Your visual aids should be, well, visual . Rather than filling your PowerPoint, Keynote, Prezi, or Google Slides with meaningless text, keep your slide deck interesting with:

Bite-sized statistics or facts

Graphs and charts

Relevant images

Even the occasional funny GIF or meme can keep your audience more engaged with your presentation (not to mention lighten the mood and inspire a little chuckle). 

6. Use breakout sessions to boost engagement 

If you have a particularly large group of attendees or a longer time slot for your virtual presentation, you’ll likely notice more participation and engagement if you break people into small groups – at least for a portion of your session.

There are a number of reasons for that, but much of it is owed to the fact that tighter groups reduce the potential for social loafing – a psychological concept that states that people put in less effort when they’re in groups than they do when they’re on their own, because they assume that other group members will help shoulder the burden.

Whereby makes it easy to start breakout sessions and groups , so you can give people the chance to connect more personally without interrupting the flow of your presentation.  

7. Invite active participation

Breakout groups certainly help people feel like they’re part of the discussion – rather than being preached to for an hour or so. But, there are a few other things you can do to fuel the feeling that virtual attendees are active participants: 

Encourage emoji reactions: Even if your attendees don’t have their own cameras on, emoji reactions give them the opportunity to share how they feel. Believe it or not, the same part of our brain that processes facial expressions also processes emojis. Whereby has live emoji reactions, by the way. 

Periodically stop for questions: While you don’t want tangents to throw your presentation off track, skipping any questions until the end of your talk can make attendees feel unheard and disconnected. Plus, stopping regularly to give people a chance to ask questions as they come up almost always leads to more productive, engaging, and insightful conversations.

Involve attendees in examples and demonstrations: This is tougher to do during a virtual event than an in-person one, but find ways to involve your audience members whenever you can. Have them act out an example scenario or ask them to share something with the group. The more you can work them into your presentation, the more alert they’ll be. 

Is everybody still awake out there?

When one in three people admit they’ve felt drowsy or even dozed off during a work meeting, the last thing you want is for the presentation you worked so hard on to quite literally lull people to sleep. 

While virtual conferences have their benefits, it can admittedly feel more challenging to keep the energy up. 

Fortunately, you can do more than accept the fact that some people will catch a much-needed snooze during your session. Use these strategies, and you’ll create a video presentation that keeps your participants engaged (and, you know, awake). 

Ready to give the best video presentation of your life? Learn how Whereby can help make it happen . 

Other articles you might like.

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5 Science-Backed Tips to Maintain Your Productivity When Working Remotely

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Follow These Rules for Effective Virtual Meetings Every Time

2 mins read | 16 July 2021

How I Host Better, More Productive Meetings with Picture in Picture

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10 Tips For Giving Effective Virtual Presentations

What to know before you go live.

September 26, 2016

Presenting online? Try these suggestions to improve your results. | Illustration by Tricia Seibold

As audiences go global and you need to reach more people through technology (including webinars, conference calls and teleconference), you must consider the challenges to connecting with a virtual audience. Here I pinpoint 10 valuable best practices to ensure you communicate successfully.

1. Be Brief

Audiences begin to lose attention after roughly 10 minutes of hearing from the same presenter. If you have more than 10 minutes of content, use interactive activities to keep your audience engaged (for example, take a poll, give quizzes, or ask audience members for their opinions via chat).

2. Be Simple

Keep slides simple — avoid too many words, graphics and animation features. Less is definitely more!

Light yourself well | Illustration by Tricia Seibold

3. Be a TV Personality

Look straight into your camera, not the screen. Wear clothing that is neutral in color (no plaids or stripes). Light yourself well and from above. Be mindful of what appears behind you in the background. Invest in a good microphone.

4. Be Standing

Even though your audience cannot see you, stand when you present. This allows you to stay focused and use good presentation delivery skills such as belly breathing, vocal variety, and pausing.

5. Be Prepared

Practice delivering your presentation with your technology in advance of your talk. Make sure all of the features of the technology work. Record your practice using the recording feature of your tool. Watch and listen to learn what works and what you can improve.

6. Be Assisted

Have someone available to deal with technical issues and to field email/text questions. Also, if you have multiple remote audience members in one location, be sure to pick one of them to be your “eyes and ears.” Ask them to queue up questions and facilitate discussion on your behalf.

7. Be Specific

Ask pointed questions to avoid too many people answering at once. For example, rather than ask, “Are there any questions?” try “Who has a question about the solution I provided?” Set a ground rule that people state their names prior to speaking.

Imagine your audience | Illustration by Tricia Seibold

8. Be Synchronized

Transitions are critical. You must connect what you just said to what is coming next when you move from point to point. Transitions between topics and slides are good opportunities to get people reengaged to your talk.

9. Be Connected

Imagine your audience even though you can’t see them. You can place pictures of audience members behind your camera so you can look at people as you present.

10. Be Early

Encourage your audience to access your call or webinar in advance of the start time so you can iron out any technical issues in advance and get them familiar with the technology.

Matt Abrahams is a Stanford GSB organizational behavior lecturer, author, and communications coach.

For media inquiries, visit the Newsroom .

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What is video conferencing?

Definition: Video conferencing is an engaging, highly interactive way to host face-to-face virtual meetings for participants in locations all around the world. We will explore what video conferencing is, where it came from, and what to look for in a modern solution.

Once reserved for larger global companies, video conferencing has since exploded in popularity to help individuals and businesses of all sizes stay connected. With an increasingly remote or hybrid workforce, it’s no wonder more and more are relying on this technology to drive collaboration , build better relationships, and enhance productivity.

In fact, a recent study by Dimensional Research found that 57% of respondents expect to be in the office fewer than ten days each month. And 98% believe that future meetings will include remote participants—meaning whether you are in the office or not you will likely need a video conferencing solution.

Given what we know today and where the future of work is headed, it’s safe to say video conferencing is here to stay. Let’s dive in and learn more about what it is, how it works, and how to find the best solution for your business.

Video conferencing definition

Video conferencing—sometimes referred to as a video meeting, virtual meeting , or web conferencing—is a way to bring two or more people together in a virtual setting through live video and audio. Participants connect using video conference software across web, desktop, mobile, or a video system to replicate the feeling of being in the same room.

Video conferencing is an engaging and highly cost-effective approach to meeting with colleagues, customers, partners, or even friends who are spread out across multiple locations. It eliminates the need for travel while still maintaining the ability to see someone face to face. It also offers the interactivity needed to support virtual collaboration with features like screen sharing , digital whiteboarding, team chat, and more.

How does video conferencing work?

Video conferencing connects multiple people virtually through video and audio over an IP network. The key components of video conferencing are readily available to most, making this a popular and viable option for both individuals and businesses. These components include:

• Internet connection: having a reliable, secure, and fast internet connection is recommended for optimal video and audio quality.
• Video conferencing platform: using feature-rich software will deliver the best online meeting experience. The good news is there are many options for free video conferencing software , as well as a range of plans for businesses of all sizes.
• Computer or device: video conferencing software works across desktops, laptops, mobile devices, and video systems, giving you many options for hosting or joining a virtual meeting.
• Video camera: while often built into your device of choice, such as a laptop or mobile device, standalone webcams or video systems can also be used to create an optimized video experience in any space.
• Speakers or phone system: To connect audio to your video conference, you’ll need to leverage your device’s built-in speaker using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or through a dial-in connection via a mobile phone or phone system. Headsets are also highly recommended for keeping background noises at bay.

The evolution of video conferencing

The history of video conference systems begins in the early twentieth century, when research related to technologies like television and radio prompted vendors to explore the possibility of adding live video feeds to these forms of communications. However, the video conferencing solutions developed before the 1990s were impractical as they could only be operated at high expense and with low framerates that produced unrealistic image quality.

With the emergence of the Internet Protocol (IP) suite in the 1990s, video conferencing finally became viable. Participants could chat in real-time using an internet-connected PC, adding an extra dimension to their online interactions.

Continual improvements in internet connectivity since then have allowed for better-quality video, including support for HD (1920x1080 pixels) and higher displays. Laptops, desktops, smartphones, tablets, and dedicated video systems can all be used to connect to a video conference.

Once used primarily by large businesses to keep global employees connected, video conferencing became much more ubiquitous after the pandemic in 2020 which caused a surge in remote work. Even as some people start to get back into an office, many others have either become fully remote or are taking a hybrid work approach by splitting their work hours between home and office. For this reason, video conferencing software is still widely used by companies of all sizes and across all industries, including education, healthcare, finance—even sports.

What are the common use cases for video conferencing?

Video conferencing is commonly used for keeping virtual and remote teams connected. A virtual meeting is the perfect forum for an internal discussion, team collaboration , client-facing presentation, sales demo, and much more. Since the global pandemic, video conferencing is also used for personal and social events like virtual happy hours, baby showers, and even to bring faraway guests into weddings.

Let’s explore some of the most common video conferencing use cases.

One-on-one or team meetings

Frequent communication with teams is more essential now than ever before. While traditional office environments allow for more impromptu meetings with team members, remote teams may begin to feel disconnected without regular interaction with their colleagues and manager. Video conferencing is often used to host weekly team meetings or one-on-ones and is a great way to stay connected while also sharing important company updates or business initiatives.

Job interviews

Nonverbal cues are an important part of the interview process, as hiring managers evaluate interpersonal skills and the cultural fit of a candidate. But interviews are increasingly being held virtually rather than in the office. Video conferencing is a great way to retain the ability to meet face to face in a live setting. It also eliminates the need to travel to the interview, making scheduling much easier for both the hiring team and the candidate.

Sales demos

Gone are the days when traveling to a customer site was the only way to get in front of your prospects. Video conferencing is a more efficient—and often more effective—way to deliver sales presentations and demos. With powerful screen sharing features, you can easily share presentation content or a live demo of your product, giving everyone in the meeting a front-row seat.

Online trainings

Rather than requiring travel—or worse yet, pre-recording a session—video conferencing is an effective way to host internal and external trainings that bring large groups together in real-time. Interactive features let audiences ask questions, respond to polls, and actively participate in the discussions, resulting in more effective training.

Vendor meetings

Regular communication with external partners and vendors is critical for managing projects and operations across the business. However, collaboration across internal and external participants outside your firewall does add an extra layer of security. Video conferencing platforms are particularly useful for these types of vendor communications as they balance function and reliability with robust security and encryption.

What are the benefits of video conferencing?

During the pandemic and the sudden shift to remote work, video conferencing became a necessity, but now businesses are starting to recognize the long-term value it provides. This includes reduced real estate and travel costs, increased workforce productivity, and improvements in employee satisfaction.

Not only do businesses reap the benefits of video conferencing, but employees do as well. With greater flexibility in their schedules, reduced commute times, and overall improvements in their work/life balance, it’s no wonder employees are starting to expect these options from their employers.

A study by Dimensional Research found the following:

• 99% reported benefits to working remotely
• 57% would consider leaving their current employer if forced to fully return to the office
• 47% believe remote work increased their work productivity

Couple this with the finding that 57% expect to be in the office fewer than ten days each month, and it’s clear why video conferencing will be necessary for ensuring employee productivity, motivation and retention.

Reduce operational costs

By drastically reducing the need to travel for meetings or customer visits, video conferencing has enabled businesses to realize extensive cost savings.

In addition, with the rise of remote or hybrid work models enabled by collaboration tools, the need for large headquarter campuses or satellite offices has decreased. Office reduction or consolidation is another significant source of operational cost savings for businesses.

Build stronger relationships

Video is a powerful and efficient tool for breaking down physical barriers between remote teams and building stronger relationships with colleagues. People who turn on their video as part of their online meetings have reported significant benefits. They are 2.4 times more likely to say it’s easier to collaborate with their peers and 2.6 times more likely to say they’ve experienced increased empathy from colleagues. When it comes to effective team collaboration in a virtual meeting, the research is clear: turn on your video.

Include anyone, anywhere

Perhaps one of the most exciting benefits of video conferencing is the ability to reach more corners of the globe in real-time. Not only can you expand your visibility to customers and prospects in new regions, but you can also easily bring together your global teams.

Features like real-time translation , for example, provide the opportunity for people in any geography or language to actively participate in virtual meetings.

Video conferencing features to look for

Video conferencing software has become more and more sophisticated over the years with functionality that creates an experience that’s often better than being in the same room. Let’s explore some of the basic video conferencing features, as well as the more advanced features that help take your collaboration to the next level.

HD Video and Audio

High-quality video and crystal-clear audio connections are foundational to having a great online meeting experience. Advanced features include the ability to automatically optimize video and audio quality, even from poor networks, so everyone can fully participate.

Screen Sharing

Rich content and desktop screen sharing help keep everyone on the same page. It’s great for delivering presentations, brainstorming sessions, or co-editing in real-time. Immersive screen sharing features can even overlay your video stream on your presentation, so your audience can easily see both you and your content at the same time.

Background Noise Removal

With so many people working from home or in noisy places like coffee shops or airports, noise removal is critical for getting rid of all those distracting background sounds. The most advanced video conferencing solutions also give you more control, allowing you to optimize the clarity of just your voice or multiple voices, should you be in the room with other meeting participants.

Virtual Backgrounds

Video conferencing solutions also give you the control to change your background, either with available background themes, by blurring your background, or by uploading your own image. A virtual background is especially useful when your background is less than ideal, and ensures meeting participants stay focused on you—not what’s behind you.

Recording and Transcription

Often, not all participants may be available to join a meeting time you have set. Not to worry! Video conferencing software enables you to record your meetings in easy-to-share MP4 format and provides automatic transcripts that can be sent out to all participants to review post-meeting.

Closed Captioning and Real-Time Translations

With closed captioning, anyone who is in a location that makes it hard to hear can still follow along in a virtual meeting. More advanced video conferencing solutions also include real-time translations that remove language barriers and allow everyone around the world to participate.

Calendar Integrations

Many video conferences are scheduled in advance, so integrations with popular calendar systems like Google or Outlook make it easy to maintain your schedule and see the schedule of your colleagues. Simply create a new meeting invitation in your calendar, click to add in your video conference details, and send. It can all be done without leaving your calendar.

Polling & Q&A

Interactive features like polling and Q&A encourage full audience engagement and allow everyone to actively participate, even in larger video conferences.

What happens in your meeting should stay in your meeting. Video conferencing platforms should offer strong encryption, data compliance, and advanced privacy settings—so you can keep your data secure and avoid unwanted “video-bombers.”

AI Assistant

The more sophisticated video conferencing solutions on the market offer AI-powered features that help make your meetings more productive. With just your voice, you can have an AI meeting assistant take notes, identify key highlights, and follow up on action items.

How to choose the best video conferencing platform

There are a lot of video conferencing solutions on the market today, but not all are created equal. The right solution should be easy to use, intelligent, scalable, and most of all, secure. Here are a few questions to consider as you identify a best-in-class vendor.

Does the solution scale?

Whether you’re a business of one or thousands, you need a solution that can grow with you. Find one that can meet your needs today and scale to meet your potential needs tomorrow.

Webex has cost-effective plans for your small business—whether you need meetings, calling, or a combination of both—as well as a rich free plan to get you started. We also offer more customized enterprise plans tailored for you as you grow.

Is the solution secure?

Security should be at the core of your video conferencing solution. It should never be your responsibility to opt-out of sharing data or change meeting settings to be protected. Nor should your user data ever be sold to third parties. At Webex, we believe strongly in these principles and build security into the platform from the ground up so you can rest easy knowing you’re protected.

How reliable is the platform?

The video conferencing solution you use for happy hours and social events doesn’t necessarily need to be top-notch. But if you have a big business meeting or client presentation, you need to choose a solution you can count on. That’s why the performance and reliability of your video conferencing platform are so critical.

Webex is built on the backbone of Cisco, making it a highly reliable choice when it comes to performance. The solution also automatically optimizes for high-quality video and audio on any network, whether you’re working in an office, at home, or on the go.

Does it provide an easy-to-use experience for you and your attendees?

Ease of use is arguably one of the most attractive qualities of a video conferencing solution. Done right, it provides a seamless experience that lets you focus on the conversation at hand, not the technology!

Webex is designed with a clean, easy-to-use interface that makes it simple to collaborate across any device. With one button to push, you and your attendees can start or join a meeting in seconds. And with industry-leading AI and voice features, you don’t even have to lift a finger to take meeting notes or record your meeting.

Is it easy to administer and manage?

Ongoing administration, management, and analytics are a necessary part of your video conferencing platform. With Webex, you can be up and running in minutes, with a solution that’s easy to manage and administer in one place.

Evaluating vendors

When it comes time to evaluate vendors, leveraging virtual meeting solutions that are "good enough" just won’t cut it when you need to stay securely connected at home, in the office, and on the go.

The Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Meeting Solutions is a great resource to look at as you research the top video conferencing vendors. Gartner recently named Cisco a Meeting Solutions Leader for the fifteenth time. You can read more about it here .

Learn more about video conferencing

18 video conferencing statistics

Remote work is on the rise. With the growing need to stay in touch with and manage distributed workforces, organizations have greatly ramped their use of video conferencing solutions. This trend is clearly reflected in recent video conferencing statistics.

For effective team collaboration, turn your video on (the data says so)

When you turn your video on, you ensure you don’t miss any important nonverbal cues and can hopefully connect with people more deeply. In this sense, video conferencing provides a better chance to understand and be understood by others.

The future of video conferencing

Modern video conferencing must be engaging, intelligent, and inclusive. Here's how Webex turns those ideals into reality.

• Webex Suite
• Video Messaging
• Whiteboarding
• Cloud Contact Center
• Room Devices
• Desk Devices
• Digital Whiteboards
• Room Accessories
• Hybrid Work
• Remote Work
• Interoperability
• Return to the office
• Frontline Workers
• Sustainability
• Help Center
• Webex Community
• Product Essentials
• Watch Webinars
• Accessibility
• Webex Customer Advocacy Program
• Contact Support
• Contact Sales
• Webex Merch Store

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Go hybrid with Prezi

It’s a new world. Are you ready? Here’s how Prezi helps your team thrive in today’s hybrid workplace.

Prezi Video explained

We’ve compiled these quick, easy-to-follow tutorials to make you a Prezi Video master in no time.

The science

Learn to grab their attention and keep it with presentation advice from the pros.

Create moving, zooming presentations that grab attention and keep it.

Appear right alongside your content while presenting to your audience.

Make stunning interactive charts, reports, maps, infographics, and more.

Prezi Video for virtual conferences

Make your conference stand out.

We’ve created eye-catching video presentations for business professionals and global educators at some of the biggest virtual conferences happening today. Prezi Video allows speakers to bring any content — including PPTs and Prezi presentations — onto their video screen and interact with it as they present, eliminating the need to screen share. We’d love to do the same for your upcoming conference, at no cost.

Below are a few ways we could work together and promote your conference — as well as testimonials from speakers who have used Prezi Video for their sessions.

Prezi Video has appeared at

...and more.

What Prezi Video can provide for your virtual conference

Custom-branded templates for your virtual conference.

Use Prezi Video to promote your conference across your social channels (and our ~736,000 followers as well).

Free 6-month Prezi Video Premium upgrades for all speakers

Speakers can download our desktop app and record videos in 1080p; they can also livestream their Prezi videos using their favorite video conferencing tool, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Webex, and more.

Custom-designed video presentations for keynote speakers

Our award-winning presentation design team can work with your keynote speakers to bring their content to life in Prezi Video.

Prezi Video training sessions for your team/speakers

We will work directly with your event team and speakers to ensure their sessions run smoothly on the big day.

Promotion to our audience

Your speakers’ Prezi videos may appear in email campaigns (audience of ~600,000), blog (~175K visits/month), Video Gallery (up to 100K visits/month), and more.

Additional Speakers

Add one (or more) top-rated virtual keynote speakers from Prezi to your speaker lineup (per their availability) providing insights and actionable tips about hybrid meetings, presenting, video communications, storytelling, and more.

Please email us at [email protected] if you would like to learn more.

When we help speakers standout, events standout.

Keynote speaker Brian Fanzo created a dedicated Prezi landing page after receiving so many inbound requests about the tool he was using. On his site, Brian says he has already delivered 30+ Prezi Video presentations in the last 60 days. The page also features social media reviews about his presentations and he even shares 4 ways you can easily leverage Prezi Video. You can view a clip from Brian’s session at Content Marketing World 2020 below.

@prezi is a technology sleeper. I was such a huge fan of their platform in 2012-14. To discover the way they have their movement overlay on video is insane! Hat tip to @iSocialFanz #remotework #remotelearning #virtualevent #vx pic.twitter.com/c0Cy6UeuUM — Rabbi Michael Cohen (@TheTechRabbi) May 5, 2020

Everyone is loving @iSocialFanz presentation at #eventhack2020 right now. pic.twitter.com/2OZUnNND4O — 🗣Nick Borelli💡 (@NickBorelli) April 15, 2020

Digital futurist, keynote speaker, and virtual event host @CMWorld 2020

Here are just a few speakers we’ve worked with to create beautiful Prezi videos

Virtual conferences.

Keynote Speaker + Message Strategist @CMWorld 2020

I've always believed that it's the combination of presenter and visuals that has the most impact. When it comes to virtual speaking, though, so often the audience has to choose which one they want to see. Prezi Video has solved that problem for me, and in the most audience and speaker-friendly way. I get the benefit of brand-reinforcing visuals that support what I say, and the audience gets the best of both worlds.

CMO, Uberflip @CMWorld 2020

Standing out when presenting is hard enough normally - but when right now every day feels like a webinar as we live on Zoom - we need to break out. Using Prezi Video allows me to stand out so my audience leans in on my ideas. I love that I can combine my passion and expression with my content on the same video screen vs needing to choose whether my content or my face is the main focus. I always say experience wins and Prezi creates a great experience.

Marketing & Innovation Strategist + Global Keynote Speaker @B2B Ignite USA 2020

When I wanted my presentations to stand out, I turned to Prezi. When the world went virtual, Prezi Video became my go-to presentation platform. I wanted a way to capture the attention of my audiences and give them the same “wow” factor that my Prezi presentation did. As a speaker who focuses on innovation and creativity, the industry standards couldn’t deliver the experience I wanted. Prezi makes creating captivating presentations intuitive, and stories flow naturally. One of the first questions I’m asked is, ‘What did you use to create your presentation, it’s amazing!'

CEO, 97th Floor @CMWorld 2020

Prezi was a great format for my presentation, especially in a remote environment. Prezi Video helped my content stand out without significantly increasing production costs and, more importantly, allowed me to better connect with the audience and hold their attention. I'm looking forward to building my next presentation using the Prezi platform.

Inbound Marketing Manager, Lucid

Creating pre-recorded speaking sessions that are actually engaging has been such a challenge. Prezi made this so much easier with full-view video and engaging presentations.

Owner, Smart CRO @CMWorld 2020

Prezi Video gave my conference presentation a unique flair. Being able to have the content of the presentation on the screen with my face made the entire presentation more cohesive, and made the slides less distracting and MUCH more engaging. Such a cool platform.

Global Growth Evangelist, Salesforce

“When it came time to present the latest update to my annual Future of Sales presentation, I knew I wanted to do something different - to help bring life to the presentation and stand out in the virtual world we now live in. Prezi Video allowed me to seamlessly integrate beautiful visuals on the same screen as my face, creating a unique and engaging experience for my audience. I’ve already gotten feedback from multiple people asking how they can use Prezi Video to do something similar with their content.”

In a sea of presentation sameness, Prezi Video stands OUT. It's by far the easiest way to add spice to whatever you're presenting. With Prezi Video, you don't need to be an AV warlock to make your presentations amazing. Highly recommended! -- Jay Baer , a Hall of Fame keynote speaker and certified virtual presenter

Customized a Prezi Next presentation and then converted it to Prezi Video as the video becomes the background. This can be used to create the desired emotional connection needed to maintain audience attention and drive interactivity within virtual events. -- Brian Fanzo , a virtual keynote speaker and digital futurist

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The Covid-19 pandemic has entirely changed the scenario of presentations, replacing face-to-face and in-person meetings, events, and conferences with online video interactions.

Nowadays, presenting to people over a webcam (without their physical presence) is a whole new ball game that, as yet, has only been mastered by a few. If you are someone whose heart pounds, whose mind goes blank and palms get sweaty merely at the thought of addressing a large audience over Zoom, Skype, or other virtual presentation platforms, you are doomed to virtual presentation panic.

According to experts, by 2025, the relationship between people and technology will deepen as we will rely more on digital connections for social interactions, commercial transactions, healthcare, education, and work.

In this era of ‘tele-everything,’ most activities from job interviews to team meetings to business collaborations are happening through video conferencing. Amidst this, if you fail to master the art of presenting effectively over video, you may lose many lucrative opportunities.

Here, we bring you a few tips to calm your nerves, overcome the debilitating nervousness, and enthrall an audience with your impeccable video presentation skills. Read on!

1. Practice, Refine, and Improve

Lack of preparedness is one of the reasons that contribute to the overwhelming feeling of stress. Stumbling a bit while delivering a presentation over video is quite normal, even for skilled presenters who have always presented on the stage in a room full of the audience. Well, getting rid of the fear of presenting over video conferencing is not a hard nut to crack! By practicing more often in front of your family members, friends, and closest colleagues, you can look calm and confident on camera. With continuous rehearsals, you can convert the nightmare of presenting virtually into a beautiful reality.

Below are a few more benefits of practicing extensively for your talk ahead of time:

You learn to manage your time efficiently.

You become more familiar with your presentation.

You get to know the areas where you need to work - gestures, voice pace, pronunciation, or any other.

You get plenty of time to work on feedback, re-organize your thoughts, and polish your speech with the right words.

2. Be Authentic

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

When you present over a webcam, all eyes are on you. Being in the limelight not at all means that you will have to act. Be true to who you are and let your personality shine through for communicating authentically and making a lasting on the audience’s mind.

Consider the fact that the audience doesn’t remember the facts and figures once the presentation is over; however, they remember how you presented the information and how those stats impacted them. Thus, while presenting, speak with your heart, head, and core.

Watch this video to learn how to make your communication authentic: Authenticity: Leading and Speaking with Your Head, Heart and Core | Erin Weed .

3. Channel Your Nervousness into Positive Energy

According to research by Boston University, in an attempt to conceal (or suppress) your feelings of anxiety from viewers, you actually end up increasing your nervousness and making things worse.

Instead of suppressing your anxiety, transform it into excitement. Leverage the power of the mind-body connection and innovative thoughts to positively influence the physical responses of your body. Instead of seeing video conferencing as a challenge, take it as an opportunity to make your own unique identity.

Pro Tip: Deep inhalations, a brisk walk, and light stretching before the presentation will increase the adrenaline in your body, filling you with enthusiasm and energy - the much-needed elements for a great performance.

4. Pay Heed to Your Gestures and Facial Expressions

One of the best strategies to build meaningful connections with your audience is to scan their expressions as they listen to your talk and respond to them with the appropriate gesture.

" Smiling actually relaxes the body. Physiologically, smiling emits endorphins in the brain that calms the nerves, creates a pleasant attitude, and promotes a sense of well being ," says Darlene Price, the author of Well Said! Presentations and Conversations That Get Results.

Further, make sure your facial expressions are in accord with other aspects, such as the story you are narrating and your tone of voice. With the right gestures and sincere emotions, you can convey your passion and make a huge difference, compelling your audience to believe in your ideas.

Increase Your Vocal Power

“Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with a deeper meaning.” - Maya Angelou

An audience may refuse to accept your idea merely because the tone of voice in which it has been presented or expressed is not empathetic to them. No matter how well-researched information you have included in your slides, and how beautiful the words you have chosen, if you don’t utter them with the right emotions, your entire efforts will be in vain.

The quality of your vocal tone matters a lot, specifically when you present virtually. If you want to speak at your vocal peak, perform the following vocal warm-ups a few hours before the presentation:

• Tongue Twisters
• Breathing Exercises
• Body Stretches

The Final Takeaway

In comparison to audio-only presentations, video presentations provide better opportunities to create a stronger sense of engagement with your intended audience. But at the same time, keeping the viewers hooked till the end of the slideshow when delivering speech through video conferencing is the biggest challenge as they are not physically present. So, if you don’t want your audience to check their social media, type text messages on their mobiles, and read emails when you talk, then you should not delay in learning and honing the skills of presenting online.

I hope the above-mentioned presentation tips will help you in acing your next video conferencing session! If you find this article insightful, do share it on your social media handles.

About the Author

Ashish Arora is Co-Founder of SketchBubble, a leading provider of result-driven, professionally built PowerPoint templates .

Travelling the world to gather new creative ideas, he has been working in the digital marketing space since 2007 and has a passion for designing presentations.

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Virtual conference guide: Everything you need to know

From event content to virtual event technology and ROI goals, learn how to pull off your best virtual conference yet.

Conventional conferences simply won’t cut it in today’s bifurcated virtual vs. IRL landscape. It’s no secret more and more professionals are going hybrid mode — whether that’s their working style or the kinds of events they attend. According to research, the virtual events global market was worth $114.12 billion in 2021. Between now and 2030, it’s projected to grow at an annual clip of 21.4% . 

Virtual events aren’t a flash in the pan, so how do you organize and execute a meaningful (and tech hiccup-free) online event? We’ll show you the ropes.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through planning your event content, choosing your technology, developing key performance indicators (KPIs), and more. Whether you’re looking to hold a virtual town hall , an online training session, or even a digital happy hour, bookmark this guide for all your virtual conference questions and curiosities.

What is a virtual conference?

A virtual conference is an immersive online gathering with multiple experiences that all focus on one main topic. From speakers to networking events, virtual conference sessions expand on the event theme and tell participants a story. Virtual conferences can also bring people together in a community setting and foster comradery among participants.

The goal of virtual conferences is to immerse audiences in the content while giving them the option to decide how they want to participate in the experience. For example, one way attendees can participate is through custom schedule tracks, which empower audience members to create their own single- or multi-day schedule of events. They can either select from several different line-up options or choose their own adventure with a DIY schedule.

During virtual conferences, event organizers also encourage engagement using a variety of tools and techniques, like polling, live Q&A , chat, using an event app, and 1:1 chat experiences.

Five types of virtual conferences

When most people think of virtual conferences, they imagine a string of webinars — but that’s barely scratching the surface. Let’s take a look at some of the most common types of virtual conferences existing today.

1. Virtual town halls and live streams

Virtual town halls , also known as “all-hands meetings,” are live streamed company-wide events where an organization’s leadership team(s) share high-level updates and other pertinent company information.

2. Webinars

Although you wouldn’t use the terms “virtual conference” and “webinar” interchangeably, a webinar is a type of virtual conference. 

Webinars usually focus on one topic and are typically used for in-depth knowledge sharing and professional growth.

Webinars tend to have limited options for audience interaction, as presenters mainly use Q&As and polls to connect with attendees. And although the audience interaction may be limited, webinars do give attendees a chance to share common interests and career goals and exchange social networking information with each other.

3. Hybrid events

Hybrid events are single events that include both in-person and online experiences.

You may be a good candidate to have a hybrid virtual conference if your company holds simultaneous events at multiple locations, or has both in-person and remote staff members. If you have a live studio audience or are holding an on-demand event, you may also benefit from a hybrid format.

According to research, 47% of event professionals say that hybrid events can connect “internationally dispersed” attendees.

With both in-person and online experiences available, hybrid events allow for a broad spectrum of unique attendee experiences.

4. Virtual trainings and workshops

Virtual training sessions and workshops are events where employees learn about a new skill or product functionality to become more proficient in their roles.

And virtual and remote work is only becoming more ubiquitous. More than 40 million American workers are expected to be fully remote by 2025 , so it’s important to get comfortable with presenting online training sooner than later.

5. Virtual networking and other virtual events

Virtual networking is any online activity or event that helps people make connections and engage with others, typically in a professional setting.

These events help colleagues learn about each other’s experiences and perspectives. Networking connections can also lead to potential business partnerships.

The benefits of holding a virtual conference

Before you can decide whether or not a virtual conference is the right type of event for your organization, you should know the benefits of holding one.

The best part about virtual events is that attendees from around the world can participate without leaving the comfort of their homes. Streaming sessions can also be recorded and repurposed into other marketing content or on demand content for years to come, increasing engagement long after your conference ends.

Other benefits of virtual conferences include:

• Flexible hosting 
• Increased reach
• Wide speaker pool
• Evergreen content creation
• Detailed audience data and metrics
• Engagement integrations like questionnaires and polls 
• Fewer logistics than in-person conferences

Virtual conference platforms can also offer event management features that continuously collect engagement data, so you can form deeper insights about your audience and their experiences than you would at an in-person event. This audience data will ultimately help you host better virtual conferences in the future.

Your virtual conference planning playbook

Every virtual conference is unique, but there are elements that every digital event should include. Read on to learn what you need to do before, during, and after your virtual event.

🏁 Before the event

Virtual conferences are less complicated to plan than in-person ones, but they still involve some preparation. Here are seven considerations to make prior to your virtual conference.

1. Know your event budget

The first consideration you should make when planning a virtual conference is your budget. Plan out how much you’re able to spend on your virtual conference activities, marketing, software, and hardware, and share the information with relevant company stakeholders. 

There are a few things that can help you put on an amazing virtual conference, but that may drive up your event budget. Work with your team to determine if you need — and how you will implement — the following (optional) virtual conference components:

• Content that requires a lot of editing (e.g., adding in graphics, sound design, etc.)
• Speaker coaching — just because you’re a leader doesn’t mean you’re an extrovert!
• Backdrops, green screens, etc.
• Hosts for breakout sessions
• Event security

Your virtual event budget will also help you set internal expectations, determine technological needs, and plan out whether or not you can (or want to) earn revenue from the conference.

2. Select the right tech

To launch a great virtual event, you’ll need to assess your technology to make sure you have everything required to go live. There are several tools that can help you live stream your virtual conference, but you’ll need to think strategically about how the experience will look and feel for your audience. To help you choose the right virtual platform, try putting yourself in the mindset of your participants.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• How would you picture a best-in-class attendee journey?
• What does your event content look like?
• How will attendees interact with speakers and each other?
• How should sponsors access the event? 
• How seamless is it for speakers to join their sessions?

Along with thinking from your audience’s perspective, you also need a tool that will make the process of planning and hosting a virtual conference easier for your team.

We recommend looking for features that include:

• Attendee registration and tracking
• Event registration and brand customization tools
• Customizable email templates
• A centralized and easy-to-access virtual platform hub
• Audience engagement options (think polls, surveys, chat, Q&A, etc.)
• Browser-based production tools with custom layouts
• Media libraries or storage
• On-demand viewing

Shopping for a virtual event platform? We analyzed six of today’s top players for you in this guide .

3. Consider your virtual conference length 

Do you have a lot of content? Have you held successful, multi-day events packed with virtual sessions and programs? That’s great — but if you want to create a virtual conference experience that holds your audience’s attention, we suggest trimming down your run time to focus on the “greatest hits” of your agenda instead.

According to a recent Vimeo study, 70% of respondents believe a webinar should be an hour or less. Webinars are just one type of conference, but this “hour” benchmark is a good standard rule for all event sessions.

If you still feel strongly about hosting a virtual conference with sessions longer than an hour (and you have data from your other events that prove it works for your audience), we hear you. Just keep in mind that audience expectations have changed in the past few years. It’s important to consider attendees’ digital fatigue   when selecting your virtual conference format.

You may want to consider a pre-recorded conference video. Pre-recorded sessions may not have been considered a mainstay in the past, but they have now become a successful strategy for many event organizers. Attendees have more freedom to watch your conference at their convenience, leading to better quality experiences for both parties.

4. Create and choose your virtual conference content

We’ve recently seen an increase in pre-recorded videos made exclusively for virtual conferences. And with good reason — they add a nice touch to your scheduled programming, offer plenty of opportunities for rewatching after the conference is over, and may even offer more opportunities for creative expression than live videos do.

The catch is that pre-recorded video content for conferences takes time and a production budget to create. However, we unequivocally believe video is the way to go when it comes to choosing your conference content. 

Although tools like traditional slides are great for informative sessions, people just prefer video. 83% of people prefer watching video to learn new informational or instructional content than accessing it via audio or text only. 

Video conference content provides a showcase for your exciting speakers, business partners, and favorite clients in a way that a flat image file simply cannot. You can also add presentation elements to your pre-recorded or live streamed video — like graphics, slide shows, and interstitial content like sponsorship messaging.

If you’re still not sure what kind of virtual conference content to use, look at your audience’s behavior and use that information to choose the conference content that is best suited for them. For example, if your presentation is text-heavy and you notice low click-through rates or low survey participation after the event, you can infer that your conference material likely needs content tweaks. In this case, you could add more visual elements to tailor your content to meet audience preferences.

5. Determine your registration process for attendees

The main detail to keep in mind as you plan your virtual conference is to not forget who you’re planning the event for — your audience! Your attendees need to know 3 big pieces of information: 

• What your virtual conference is about 
• When it takes place
• How and where to register for it

Along with identifying your target audience, determine where you’re going to host your online registration — will it be on your own website or a third-party website? Are you going to use a form or landing page? Whatever registration location you pick, include all virtual conference information on that page so your audience can easily tune in on the day of your event.

6. Decide how to market your virtual conference

Once you create a registration page, create a marketing plan to promote your virtual conference to your audience.

First, determine the answers to the following questions to help you nail down the target audience you will promote event registration to:

• Where do your audience members work (industry/types of companies, size of businesses, etc.)?
• What topics are your audience members passionate about?
• What is the age range of your audience?
• From where will your audience members watch your virtual conference?
• Is there a particular speaker your audience wants to hear from?

Most (if not all) of the promotion for your online conference is going to be digital — like email campaigns, social media posts, and blog articles on your website.

Create a marketing campaign and send messages to remind participants one week before the event, one day before the event, the morning of the event, and at the start of the event. 

You should also send “I’m sorry we missed you” emails to no-show participants or attendee follow-up emails with the live streamed video link once the evergreen version of the content is ready. 

Use your organization’s social profiles and blog to publish pre- and/or post-event content. Just make sure each marketing component has a call to action that leads to the virtual conference sign-up.

7. Establish event KPIs

Virtual conference platforms automatically capture event metrics — including registrations, attendance, audience engagement, average time viewing content, and more.

But what data do you need, really?

We have a few key performance indicators you should consider tracking at your next event:

• Attendee registration vs. attendance: Many attendees sign up for a virtual event to watch it later. In fact, 68% of attendees say they would rewatch content from events they’d attended. So, before you even set the date, determine if the total number of  registrations (both live and rewatch) or just live attendance is an indicator of event success.
• Attendee satisfaction: Send a pre-conference survey to learn what your audience wants so you can deliver exactly that. The same goes for post-conference satisfaction. While your virtual conference is fresh in their minds, send a pre-scheduled, post-conference survey within three business days or so.
• Content engagement: Along with typical real-time virtual conference engagement features — like chats, polling, and Q&As — make sure you offer networking opportunities, too. After all, conferences are where business connections and exciting new opportunities take place — create virtual spaces to support these conversations.

If you’ve done a virtual conference before, great! The KPIs for previous events can serve as a benchmark. However, if you are starting from scratch and need help figuring out how to host a virtual conference, don’t worry. Take some time to determine the type of KPIs that will best help you analyze your event — think about both video metrics and in-person metrics (like attendance).

Now that you’re familiar with pre-event practices, let’s move on to what you should do on the day of the event.

⏳ During the event

Your virtual conference agenda and content are ready, and your audience is prepared — now what? Here are the five considerations we think you should make during your virtual conference.

Provide upgraded interaction opportunities  

So you have a chat box? Wonderful! Attendees can provide Q&A submissions? Excellent! But can your attendees connect with each other? Can they interact with sponsors? Are attendees at home able to be part of the virtual conference?

To really immerse your audience and increase engagement, make it a point to bring willing participants on screen. These face-to-face interactions go beyond the basic chat experience and promote networking.

An easy way to improve engagement, especially for sponsors, is to create a few digital breakout sessions during the event for attendees to access at their leisure. Not only do breakout rooms help individuals connect one on one, but they can also be sponsored, run by, or attended by your partners. Sponsored sessions can help your business partners increase their visibility, as well. 

Bottom line, do your best to create open spaces and let attendees choose how to take part. 

Engage the audience with quality speakers

Did you know that 64% of participants agree that seeing high-quality featured conference speakers encourages them to sign up for events? But what is a quality speaker, really ?

You can have a speaker from a great company with a great title — but if they can’t deliver an electrifying session, there’s a chance you’ll lose your audience. Charisma and confidence are key to keeping up that good ol’ attendee engagement.

When you go virtual, the hope is that your conference will create a uniform experience no matter how diverse your speakers’ subject matter is. Much like watching back-to-back news segments or a movie with scene after scene, virtual conferences must bring each speaker’s content together into one cohesive storyline. And instead of being a lecture hall’s length away from the speaker on stage, the story is now front and center on a computer screen. Your team is responsible for shaping each moment so that the whole event comes together beautifully.

Have an event support team in place

This may come as a shock to some, but virtual conferences are not just a plug-and-play situation. In many cases, they require a production team to support remote speakers and attendee bandwidth and run as a television show would.  

How do you know if you’ll need an event production team? Ask yourself:

• Do I plan to include video as part of, or in between, sessions?
• Do I have remote keynote speakers that are sharing a presentation?
• Do I plan to mix live and pre-recorded content?
• Do I plan to play music and/or include graphics of any kind on screen?
• Do I need microphones? More than one camera? A teleprompter?
• Do I need someone on standby to troubleshoot live streaming?

If you answered yes to these basic virtual questions, then we strongly suggest you invest in a live production team . An event production team can help you set up, troubleshoot, rehearse, and back up your event technology.

Offer VIP experiences for early registrants

Offering VIP experiences for virtual conference guests is much different than it would be for in-person events. You can’t offer reserved parking, front-row seating, or an open bar — but you can offer virtual perks, like opportunities to connect with speakers.

Another “VIP experience” you can offer for those who register early is a discounted ticket price — use this discounted price point within your marketing messaging.

You can also offer early registrants access to a “VIP area” breakout room where they can network with other attendees in a small group.

Host virtual networking opportunities

Both VIP and general attendees alike can benefit from networking opportunities at your virtual conference.

In these networking sessions, hosts should stay present and move conversations along by providing questions and prompts for your guests. It’s also helpful to manage networking expectations by providing a full event schedule with each session’s start and stop times.

Now that you know how to successfully execute your virtual event, discover how to finish strong with post-event practices.

✅ After the event 

Congratulations, you produced a successful live stream event! But the work isn’t finished quite yet — here are our three post-event considerations for your next virtual conference.

See how your event measured up to KPIs 

The event ended, and the audience seemed to enjoy it. Now what?

If you want to make an even better virtual conference next time (and if you’re reading this, we know you do!), it’s time to see how your event stacked up against the KPIs you established prior to the event. 

Note how many virtual conference registrations you had, along with how many people actually attended. You should also determine the percentage of attendees who pre-registered. Track your data for each KPI you set for the event.

Follow up for feedback

Proactively solicit feedback from all participants with a post-event survey . We suggest moving away from feelings-based questions (e.g., “Did you enjoy the event?”) and leaning into practical, nitty-gritty details about how the process was for them.

For example, if your goal is to get more sign-ups or event registrations , consider asking questions related to their registration experience. Was the overall email communication to access the virtual platform easy to follow? These questions may seem technical, but they’re key for measuring the success of your virtual tools.

You can also ask event participants what generally needs improvement. As seasoned event professionals, we may naturally resist changing aspects of programs for our own reasons. But with virtual conferences and today’s unique attendee profiles, acting on feedback is essential. Be open to change, and follow the advice offered by event participants to make your future conferences even better.

Repurpose content with on-demand viewing

One of the best parts of virtual conferences is that they live on! Unlike in-person events — where the experience is one and done — content from your virtual conference can be rewatched and repurposed for years to come.

Along with giving participants links to rewatch the event, repurpose your conference material in future event marketing and other types of content — like ebooks, white papers, case studies, and more.

Not sure what’s worth resharing? Take a look at the data and feedback from attendees. When assessed side by side, these two invaluable sources of information will paint a clear picture of what worked, what didn’t, and what your audiences truly loved.

Choose the best virtual event platform for your conference

No matter what type of online conference you’re hosting, you’ll likely benefit from a user-friendly live streaming tool. Vimeo’s virtual conference platform not only helps you seamlessly pre-build your event but also helps you turn your sessions into evergreen content.

Launch your next virtual conference with Vimeo

Simple yet mighty 💪.

Vimeo Events has everything you need to produce high-quality, impactful virtual events.

Alysha Parker

Alysha Parker is a Virtual Project Director at Lively Worldwide. She also hosts her own podcast and is passionate about live marketing. Her experience ranges from managing various in-person live events to creating virtual immersive experiences.

Alysha is a contributing writer. Vimeo commissions pieces from a variety of experts to provide a range of insights to our readers, and the views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author. All content and any external links are provided for informational purposes only.

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How to Make a Video Presentation With Audio in 8 Steps

Written by: Orana Velarde

Wondering how to make a video presentation with audio?

You're in the right place.

In this guide, we’ll cover the 8 steps to creating video presentations with voiceovers, pictures and music. We've also included tips for powerful presentations to help you get maximum results.

Here’s a short selection of 8 interactive presentation templates you can edit, share and download with Visme. View more templates below:

Jump to your desired section in the table of contents below.

8 Steps to Creating a Video Presentation

What is a video presentation, what makes a good video presentation, step #1: plan and strategize, step #2: organize your content, step #3: log in to visme and choose a template, step #4: input your content into the slides, step #5: add animations and transitions, step #6: add audio to your presentation, step #7: review and edit, step #8: download and share.

A video presentation is a presentation that can be shared and viewed as a video. Technically, for a presentation to be a video presentation, it must be an MP4 or MOV file type.

A video presentation can be shared online on YouTube, Vimeo and other social media platforms . The best part of a video presentation with audio is that you can share it widely without the need of being there to present the information in person.

Even a live presentation can be improved with a video slideshow. Simply give a live introduction during your webinar or summit, and then play your video presentation to the audience.

A video presentation becomes even more valuable and high-quality when you add audio to it. For example, adding a music clip or a narrated voiceover can do wonders to help you get your message across and leave a lasting impact.

Check out this "2021 Year in Review" video presentation we created at Visme.

Made with Visme Presentation Maker

Make your own video presentation in Visme! Create Now

A good video presentation will capture your audience’s attention until the very end.

When it comes to creating a video presentation, there is no definite checklist as to what constitutes a good video presentation. But there are some things you can do to make sure that yours is good enough to keep the viewer engaged.

For example:

• Think of your presentation as a video from the very beginning.
• Take the time to create an outline or storyboard of your slides.
• Make sure the information flows from one slide, or scene, to another.
• Preview your presentation as you put it together, making sure it flows well.
• Add animations and motion graphics only if they bring visual value.
• Stay balanced with animations and transitions throughout the scenes.
• Tell a story to improve content retention.

Using the tips above, you’re well on your way to creating a video presentation that is sure to make an impact.

Ready? Let’s get started with a step-by-step tutorial!

If you prefer watching over reading, here's a short video tutorial on how to create engaging presentations in Visme.

For any successful project to be a success, including your new video presentation, you must plan and strategize. You and your team need to know the purpose of the video presentation before you even start putting together content or visuals.

Because you need to know the reason, the why, behind the project. That way, the creation process will reflect those goals and take you in the right direction faster.

For example, if you want to create an explainer video about your new product line, do you want the goal to be brand awareness or sales, or both?

If it’s sales, then the messaging and visuals must be created for that purpose. If it’s awareness, then you can take a different approach at how to portray the new product line.

If you want both, then you can do a bit of both and tell a story about the product that explains how it’s made and how it will improve your customers' lives.

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Questions to ask before you create a video presentation.

Here are the most important questions to ask yourself and your team before you create a video presentation:

• Why do you need a video presentation?
• Who will watch this video presentation and where?
• What are you planning to convey?
• What story are you telling?
• Who do you want to convince, of what?
• How would you like the audience to feel when seeing your video presentation?
• Will it be in-house and private or public for the world to see?
• How can your company or brand sound like an expert in the topic?
• Do you want the audience to engage when they are done watching?
• Do you need a voiceover or maybe a music track will be enough?
• Is it necessary to hire voice talent or maybe a presenter you can film?
• Will you need to write a video script or not?

Write down a list of goals for your video presentation and make sure they are on-hand during every step of the process. Use these goal-setting worksheets and templates to get started.

Every person involved in the creation of the video needs to know about the purpose, goal and plan at all times — from stakeholders and designers to content creators, marketers and social media managers.

Here's a sample plan template you can use to keep up with your project goals, target audience, tactics and more. Share it with your team to help everyone stay on the same page.

Customize this template and make it your own! Edit and Download

Now that your team is on board and you know the purpose of your video presentation, it’s time to get organized.

This is a step with more value than you can imagine. In fact, it should be an un-skippable step to every visual project you create, along with the first step of planning and strategizing.

Start by organizing all the content for the presentation into a folder on your desktop. Include all the graphics, photos, video clips, audio bites and any brand assets. Create a document with all the written content and make notes on what the audio will be.

• For a voiceover, draft a script.
• For music, choose the perfect track.

Altnertiavely you can work smarter by using AI voice generator for your voiceovers or use Visme AI writer to craft a script if you're pressed for time.

With the written content, draft a simple outline or storyboard. For a video presentation, in particular, you should try a storyboard.

This step is especially important if you have stakeholders invested in seeing the final product and want to see the process.

How to create a storyboard in Visme.

It's easy! Use one of the Visme storyboard templates to put one together.

Remember, storyboards don’t need to be too detailed. The purpose of making one is to give an idea of what will be created. Don’t invest too much time in trying to perfect it.

Here are some templates to get you started.

Microwave Lunch TVC Storyboard

Tree Plantation Program Storyboard

Real Estate Business Customer Journey Storyboard

Art Therapy Storyboard

Mobile App Pros and Cons Storyboard

Web Development Storyboard

Create your storyboard View more templates

It’ll be easier to create a storyboard once you’ve already created the outline. The slide layout for a video presentation is much like the layout of a regular presentation.

For example, here is a broad outline for a regular presentation with sections:

• Slide1: Title and Subtitle
• Slide 2: Introduction - Table of Contents
• Slides 3: Section 1 Title
• Slides 4-7: Section 1 content
• Slide 8: Section 2 Title
• Slide 9-11: Section 2 content
• Slide 12: Summary or Review
• Slide 13: Conclusion and Closing

If your presentation doesn’t have defined sections to separate the content in, choose a good flow from one slide to another . For example:

• Chronological Order
• Problem and Solution
• Before and After
• Hero’s Journey progression

Browse presentation templates in Visme! Create Now

Now that you have a good idea of the purpose of your video, an outline or even a storyboard, it’s time to put it all together.

Log in to your Visme account and select a starting point for your video presentation. This could be:

• One of the four presentation themes with hundreds of slides and layouts to mix and match.
• A full-scale pre-designed presentation template with animation effects.
• One of our animated video templates.
• A previously created and imported PowerPoint presentation.
• An existing Visme slideshow without animation, video or audio.

Use your outline or storyboard to set up your slide order in the editor. Make sure you have all the slides you need to fit your content.

Now, it’s time to add the content to your slides. If you are starting with a blank canvas, you can use content blocks to help you layout the content in balanced compositions.

When adding the content to your slides, remember that people don’t want to read slides on videos. Keep the text to a minimum and use more visuals instead.

If you’ll be using a voice over for the online video presentation, then you’ll need hardly any text on the slides apart from titles and section titles.

For complementary visuals like images and backgrounds, look through the library on the left side menu of your editor. It’s also likely that you have a selection of images from your company that you want to use in your slides. Upload them to your library.

Add some uniqueness to your images by placing them inside frames or cropping them to fit next to colored shapes and sections.

For backgrounds, you have lots of choices — from full colors to gradients to animated and video backgrounds. Try photographs with filters for a subtle background that doesn’t compete with the foreground elements.

You can also add videos inside your video presentation, either uploaded or with a link to YouTube, Vimeo or Wistia. We suggest you use short videos in this case so that your final project isn’t excessively long.

Do you know how to make a video presentation that is impactful and fun to watch?

Just add animations and moving elements!

Visme comes with built-in with the following animated assets:

• Animated icons
• Shapes and lines
• Animated illustrations
• Animated characters
• Special effects
• Animated gestures
• Animated charts and data widgets

It’s time to bring it all to life and go from regular static presentation to video presentation.

At this point, you might already have some animated elements in your slides, maybe some animated icons or animated characters. Before you go ahead and animate anything else, review all the transitions between slides.

It’s important to understand that the animated elements, embedded or background videos, and audio you use must all match the transition between slides.

This is the magic sauce for transforming a normal presentation into a video presentation.

Let’s look at all the animation and transition options in your Visme dashboard and how you can use them to your advantage.

Animated characters, icons, illustrations and special effects.

All these elements have options to select the number of repetitions of their action and the speed. The higher number of repetitions you choose, the longer it will take to finish its action. The speed will make the action faster or slower. You can toggle both to find the perfect combination.

The completed action of any of these animated elements will override a timed transition. The transition will wait until the animation is finished to go ahead and start. You can adjust the final length of your animated elements by previewing your slide and taking note of its length.

Additionally, you can customize the poses that the characters portray and also the color of their clothes and skin. These deep customization options will help you stay on brand when creating your video presentations.

Stock videos and video backgrounds.

Videos you add from the editor or import from your computer have the option to trim to a desired length, loop or autoplay.

Alternatively, use video as a background. Stretch it to fit the entire slide and position it behind all the other content. The edit settings are the same as a regular video.

Visme offers a large selection of quality video clips to use as backgrounds or as complementary visuals. it's also easy to upload your own video to the library.

Animated backgrounds.

These loop on their own and are ruled by the transition settings. Animated backgrounds stand out so make sure you are keeping a balance with the elements in the foreground.

Manual animations.

Animations can be added to everything on your slide, including the videos and animated icons. You can tweak the settings to control when elements enter and exit the slide.

There are lots of options for these animations and you can time them using the animation settings. Try to keep animations on the same slide to a minimum so they're not distracting.

Smooth transitions.

Transitions can be added slide by slide or to the entire presentation at once. If you don’t go into the transitions menu at all, Visme will apply a staggered enter from the side that already looks great for presentations that you have to click on to continue to the next slide.

For video presentations, you’ll need to edit your transitions to happen automatically according to what is going on in your slide.

In general, you can make the transition happen after a specific number of seconds but if you have an animated element or audio clip that lasts longer, the transition won’t happen until the longest one has finished its action.

For slides with added video, make the transition happen either when the video ends or at a calculated time after the video has ended. Both are available options in the transition settings.

Transitions can be set in different styles, slide from the side top or bottom, or a simple fade or zoom. For a balanced composition, use the same style of transition throughout.

But if you want to get creative, use different transitions to design a more creative flow. Just make sure you don’t go overboard.

In the section above, we already talked a little about how audio works together with the transitions for a seamless video experience.

Now, let’s take a look at how to add audio inside Visme.

As you work on your video presentation, you might feel the need to work on animations, transitions and audio at the same time so that it all fits together in the best way possible.

To add audio to your presentation in Visme, you have several options:

Adding audio in the background.

Adding audio to each slide., tweaking the audio inside video clips., adding a voice over or narration..

To add a background sound clip, click on the top-left hamburger menu and select “Publish Settings”. This is where you can tweak your project's main settings. Click on the third tab "Sound."

Toggle background music on to release a dropdown that shows the options inside the editor or any .mp3 file you’ve added to your library.

Adjust the volume of this clip and choose if it will loop, fade in or fade out. You can also choose if the background audio will play at a specific point in time.

Any background audio will play under all other audio or video you add to the presentation. So make sure these are balanced and make sense together.

Inside the editor, you have the option of adding individual audio clips to each slide.

Choose from any inside the editor or upload your own. You’ll have the option to trim the length of the audio, its volume and if it loops or fades in and out.

Similar to the background audio, you can choose to start at a specific time during that slide’s progression.

When you add a video file that has audio in it, you can choose to keep the audio or turn it off. The option is inside the video settings in the “muted” tab.

You can add voiceovers to your video presentation in three different ways;

• A track in the background
• An imported clip to each slide
• Recorded over every slide using the Visme voiceover recording feature

Whichever you choose, remember to calculate all the play lengths along with the transitions so that everything flows well.

Now it’s time to review everything and make sure it’s perfect.

First up, do some proofreading of your text to fix any typos or grammatical issues. Make sure all the text is in the correct font and size to stay on brand and maintain a visual hierarchy.

Use the Present button and watch the entire video presentation from start to finish. Take notes along the way of things you notice that need a fix or edit.

If you want to see what the final project will look like to your audience, download a video version and watch it on your video player. Once again, take note of any necessary edits.

You’re done! That was easy, wasn’t it?

It’s time to share your video presentation with its intended audience. Click on the download button and select the MP4 file option.

If your video is especially long or full of features, it will take a bit longer to download. We’ll send you an email when it’s ready so you don’t have to watch the progress bar.

Go get a coffee or take a break for a job well done!

Once downloaded, upload your video to YouTube, Facebook or any of your favorite social media platforms.

If you created the video as part of a larger Visme project, upload it back into your editor. Use your video as part of an interactive report, or for your website, landing pages or email campaigns.

Ready to Create Your Video Presentation with Audio?

Are you ready to create your video presentation with audio? Visme offers all you need to create professional-looking video presentations with audio for any purpose and industry.

With plenty of ready-made presentation templates , you don't need video editing experience. And, since Visme is a web-based app, it doesn't matter if you use a Mac or PC computer.

Video presentations with audio are great for projects like:

• Annual reports
• Explainer videos
• Sales pitches
• E-learning courses
• Pitch decks
• Informational reports
• Advertising
• Explanations
• School reports
• Medical reports

If you’re still doubting if you know how to make a video presentation, just remember to follow the steps in this guide and use the tips in the first section to guide you through the process.

Don’t forget that the ultimate goal for your video presentation with audio is to leave a powerful, lasting impact on your audience.

Sign up for our presentation software and get started right away. Make simple video presentations or rich, interactive and memorable video presentations with audio, animations, characters, links, embedded content and other exclusive features.

Create beautiful presentations faster with Visme.

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About the Author

Orana is a multi-faceted creative. She is a content writer, artist, and designer. She travels the world with her family and is currently in Istanbul. Find out more about her work at oranavelarde.com

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• November 2019

Best Practices for Video Presentations

Virtual presentations, such as webinars or video conferences, can pose unique challenges. Give a successful presentation no matter the distance between you and your audience with help from this guide.

Technical presentations can be difficult to master, as the speaker must present complex information in a limited amount of time. Many presentations now occur using video conferencing tools, such as webinars or virtual meetings. Webinars are usually formatted to show a series of graphics or slides accompanied by your voice. Video conferences that take place using tools like Skype may only show your talking head on the screen, with no opportunity for graphics (unless you provide supplementary material via email).

If the presentation takes place virtually, the audience is often required to view technical graphics without being able to see the presenter at the same time. In such cases, the audience misses out on the presenter’s nonverbal cues. Therefore, presenters must add all of the necessary information into the presentation itself or the accompanying verbal description.

In cases where the presenter is visible onscreen, poor display resolution or Internet connectivity may muddle or eliminate nonverbal cues. The combination of verbal and nonverbal cues is critical for clear and complete communication. Adding to the challenge are conference room screens that are inadequately sized for virtual group learning or discussions. Presenters can overcome these challenges and give great technical presentations by focusing on the graphics and voice-over.

The four rules of technical graphics

Technical graphics can either clarify or confuse. Follow these four rules to ensure your graphics do the former:

• Rule 1. Show the necessary information and little more ( i.e., avoid “chart-junk”) (1)
• Rule 2. Use one graphic per idea and no more than one graphic every one to two minutes
• Rule 3. Ensure every graphic answers “what?” and “so what?”
• Rule 4. Use the right graphic.

Consider the graphic in Figure 1a , which at first appears attractive, but violates Rule 1. It leaves out important information, contains extraneous material, and is misleading. The chart is missing critical information, such as the units of the vertical axis ( e.g., dollars, units sold) and the year of sales the chart represents. The chart uses a distinct perspective and colors, but the design does not add any necessary information. Without an expositive caption in addition to the title, the point of the graph is unclear. Furthermore, the figure is misleading, depicting a stable rate of expanding sales, which is not the case.

▲ Figure 1. These bar graphs are intended to show the 2018 sales revenue to illustrate the fact that sales growth is declining. Although a and b present the same data in similar formats, b provides more information.

Figure 1b contains the same information, but without all the extraneous visuals that carry no information, i.e., colors and 3D shapes. Figure 1b makes it clear that sales growth is beginning to wane. It reveals the true trend because the vertical axis includes zero (every bar graph should), which eliminates the visual exaggeration of Figure 1a . While Figure 1b is not as visually stimulating, it communicates the main point — sales growth is declining in 2018.

While Rule 1 assures that your graph is relevant, Rule 2 and Rule 3 keep the presentation on track and focused. Rule 4 advises using the right graph, as each type of graph is best suited to a particular application ( Table 1 ) (2) .

A graph that is good for one thing may be bad for another. Consider the synchronized line charts of Figure 2 , which show operating data for a furnace. The graph follows the four rules. The colors serve a purpose, distinguishing the various charts (Rule 1). The graphic fulfills its intention according to the caption, which states that NOx remains below its maximum permitted limit (Rule 2). It is reasonable to presume that the audience understands the legal and moral ramifications of remaining in legal compliance (Rule 3). The chart also shows how several factors vary with time, which is a strength of line charts (Rule 4).

▲ Figure 2. According to the caption, the intent of these line charts is to show that NOx remains below the permit limit of 100 ppm under normal operating conditions ( i.e., temperature and oxygen percentage).

But, what if you want to show how NOx is affected by temperature and oxygen concentration? Line charts are not as effective at displaying this relationship. Instead, you should use a surface or contour plot ( Figure 3 ). While Figure 3 includes both surface and contour plots for the same data, only one graphic is needed. The contour graph (left) is best if you want your audience to ascertain the exact values of temperature, oxygen, and NOx. However, if you are concerned with highlighting a trend, the surface plot is the better option (right). If your main goal is to show that NOx emissions are in compliance, Figure 2 best serves this purpose.

▲ Figure 3. Both of these plots show how NOx fluctuates with temperature and oxygen. The contour plot (left) shows the data values, while the surface plot (right) better depicts the overall trend.

Guidance for the accompanying voice-over. No matter how great your graphics may be, they will require an accompanying verbal description. In a body of text, such as what you are reading, there is no opportunity for additional clarification, so every graphic must be able to stand on its own. In a presentation, graphics should still follow the four rules, but can be accompanied with an oral description. Even so, it is still prudent to include a title and caption for all graphics. Including all of the necessary information in the visual is helpful for those with hearing impairments and those who cannot hear you due to poor room acoustics. It can also be beneficial for anyone who wants to review the slides after the presentation.

Tips for the presentation

Fear of public speaking is a common anxiety, but the more familiar you get with doing it, the less anxious you will feel. Rehearsing is a good way to feel more prepared, but that may not be enough for you. Consider joining an organization such as Toastmasters International (3), which provides its members the opportunity to practice public speaking and receive constructive feedback.

My fear of public speaking abated when I began to perform in community theater. For me, it was easier to present someone else’s words. These experiences teach you that no one dies from a less-than-perfect presentation and nearly everyone in the audience is on your side.

Focus on being authentic. Some people like to start with a related and humorous anecdote, but being yourself is more important than being funny or witty. Wit and charm will come naturally if you feel like yourself.

Radio hosts convey 100% of their message verbally, and they can serve as a source of inspiration as you formulate your voice-over style. If you listen closely, you will notice they never use stall words, e.g., ums and ahs. If you catch yourself at a loss for words, stop, think, and then speak. For help with visual presentations, observe television newscasters. Watch their posture, facial expressions, and general demeanor, which are obviously important when your audience can see you, but are also important when you are not on screen. Voice and physicality are connected. Your chest should be up and shoulders back to allow your voice to project. Your facial expressions and gestures enhance the expression of your voice. Preparation and rehearsal will make for a genuinely confident presentation.

For online videos, the quality of the videography is also important. Consider lighting, color balance, angle, and frame. Depending on the formality of your presentation, you may want to hire a professional videographer, allowing you to focus on the content and the delivery.

What to do if you flub

The big day has come, you present, and it goes perfectly. Or, so you would hope. If not, keep in mind that nearly all learning is based on failure and discomfort, and you should consider any flubs your friend, rather than your foe. If you are less than perfect, you will get better. Over time, you will notice that your presentations have become less forced, more natural, and maybe even fun.

Literature Cited

• Tufte, E. R., “The Visual Display of Quantitative Information,” Graphics Press, Cheshire, CT (2001).
• Cleveland, W. S., “The Elements of Graphing Data,” Hobart Press, Summit, NJ (1994).
• “Toastmasters International,” www.toastmasters.org (accessed June 28, 2019).

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How to Present over Video

19 online lessons

Practice exercises

CPD Accredited

Digital certificate

• 2 hours of learning

Course Outcomes

• Know how to design and deliver successful and memorable video presentations
• Increase your confidence communicating online and feel more comfortable speaking in front of a virtual audience - whether it's 2 people, 20, or 200
• Use body language, eye contact, and hand gestures to enhance your message
• Connect, engage, and persuade your audience remotely with effective storytelling
• Optimize your delivery with the right tech setup
• Easily identify areas for improvement via mock video-conferencing exercises with instant feedback

Practice what you learn

In this course, you'll learn the fundamentals of presenting virtually and then practice what you learn in a realistic online video conferencing exercise.

Through online classes, you'll learn how to create and design an engaging presentation, set up the tech to look your best, use hand gestures and storytelling to enhance your message, and more.

After learning the theory, you'll have the unique opportunity to practice, improve and build your confidence in the virtual presentation exercise.

resentations over video require a unique skill set for delivery compared to in-person presentations and meetings. For example, you have to adapt to a lack of audience feedback and body language cues that you'd otherwise have from a real-life audience.

Deliver effective virtual presentations

Practice with exercises

Improve with feedback

Course content.

Practice Exercises

How do the exercises work.

Practice your virtual presenting skills on a webpage that looks and feels like a video conferencing platform - no additional download required.  Upload your own slides  into the exercise for the most realistic practice.

While delivering your speech, your voice and delivery will be analyzed, providing  instant feedback  when you've finished on aspects such as hesitation words, audience perception and confidence.

You can also  practice thinking on your feet and answering questions  from the virtual audience throughout your presentation or when you've finished speaking. You can even load in your own custom questions for a more targeted Q&A session.

Practice video presentations in the VirtualSpeech practice exercise. Answer audience questions, receive instant feedback on your performance, and watch yourself present on a video recording to identify areas for improvement.

Enable distractions  while you present to really test your skills, such as mobile phones ringing and loud background noise.

Review the recorded audio and video to identify areas for improvement and  track your progress  with automated feedback, prompts, quizzes, and self-evaluation.

Impromptu practice

When you enroll on this course, you'll also receive access to an impromptu exercise. Test your impromptu abilities by speaking to random images for 30 seconds each. You'll then receive feedback on your performance.

This exercise is at the start of the course and gives you a chance to warm up for the course.

Features in the practice exercises

The exercise is full of features to give you realistic presentation practice. Here are some of the popular ones:

Answer Questions

Speech analysis, record the presentation.

"VirtualSpeech helps to fully prepare you for virtual meetings and improves your communication skills in realistic exercises."

What's included in this course:

• 4 case studies
• 2 practice exercises
• All exercise features
• Quizzes and assessment
• Earn a digital course certificate
• Flexible, self-led format
• Access to updated content

CEU - Continuing Education Units

2Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

CPD Credits / Hours: 2

Certificate No:

This course

12 months access to this course

Pay in Euros

Access all courses

(per month), frequently asked questions.

You can access the classes through the VirtualSpeech website, on any standard web browser such as Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.

The practice exercises can be completed online or in virtual reality (if you have a VR headset).

When you enroll in the course, you'll get 24/7 access to the course (including tutorial videos, case studies, practice exercises, VR, and more) through the VirtualSpeech website and in VR.

Both the online classes and exercises run in your browser, no additional software or download is required.

If you have a VR headset, you can also access the practice exercises in VR. Here's a list of our recommended VR headsets .

The online exercises have been tested across multiple browsers and run smoothly on Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Edge.

We accept payment via Credit Card, Debit Card or PayPal directly through the VirtualSpeech site. If you'd like to pay with an Invoice or using another payment method, please contact us.

Yes you can. After pressing the 'Buy Now' button on this page, select the number of users (maximum is 25).

After the payment, you'll be made course admin and can add users to the course from the admin dashboard.

Yes, when you've completed this course, we'll send you a Certificate of Achievement, which you can share in the Certifications section of your LinkedIn profile, on printed resumes, CVs, or other documents.

If the course does not meet your expectations, you can get a full refund within 7 days of purchasing the course.

Home Blog Business Conference Presentation Slides: A Guide for Success

Conference Presentation Slides: A Guide for Success

In our experience, a common error when preparing a conference presentation is using designs that heavily rely on bullet points and massive chunks of text. A potential reason behind this slide design mistake is aiming to include as much information as possible in just one slide. In the end, slides become a sort of teleprompter for the speaker, and the audience recalls boredom instead of an informative experience.

As part of our mission to help presenters deliver their message effectively, we have summarized what makes a good conference presentation slide, as well as tips on how to design a successful conference slide.

Table of Contents

What is a conference presentation

Common mistakes presenters make when creating conference presentation slides, how can a well-crafted conference presentation help your professional life, how to start a conference presentation, how to end a conference presentation, tailoring your message to different audiences, visualizing data effectively, engaging with your audience, designing for impact, mastering slide transitions and animation, handling time constraints, incorporating multimedia elements, post-presentation engagement, crisis management during presentations, sustainability and green presentations, measuring presentation success, 13 tips to create stellar conference presentations, final thoughts.

The Britannica Dictionary defines conferences as 

A formal meeting in which many people gather in order to talk about ideas or problems related to a particular topic (such as medicine or business), usually for several days.

We can then define conference presentations as the combination of a speaker, a slide deck , and the required hardware to introduce an idea or topic in a conference setting. Some characteristics differentiate conference presentations from other formats.

Time-restricted

Conference presentations are bounded by a 15-30 minute time limit, which the event’s moderators establish. These restrictions are applied to allow a crowded agenda to be met on time, and it is common to count with over 10 speakers on the same day.

To that time limit, we have to add the time required for switching between speakers, which implies loading a new slide deck to the streaming platform, microphone testing, lighting effects, etc. Say it is around 10-15 minutes extra, so depending on the number of speakers per day during the event, the time available to deliver a presentation, plus the questions & answers time.

Delivery format

Conferences can be delivered in live event format or via webinars. Since this article is mainly intended to live event conferences, we will only mention that the requirements for webinars are as follows:

• Voice-over or, best, speaker layover the presentation slides so the speaker interacts with the audience.
• Quality graphics.
• Not abusing the amount of information to introduce per slide.

On the other hand, live event conferences will differ depending on the category under which they fall. Academic conferences have a structure in which there’s a previous poster session; then speakers start delivering their talks, then after 4-5 speakers, we have a coffee break. Those pauses help the AV crew to check the equipment, and they also become an opportunity for researchers to expand their network contacts. 

Business conferences are usually more dynamic. Some presenters opt not to use slide decks, giving a powerful speech instead, as they feel much more comfortable that way. Other speakers at business conferences adopt videos to summarize their ideas and then proceed to speak.

Overall, the format guidelines are sent to speakers before the event. Adapt your presentation style to meet the requirements of moderators so you can maximize the effect of your message.

The audience

Unlike other presentation settings, conferences gather a knowledgeable audience on the discussed topics. It is imperative to consider this, as tone, delivery format, information to include, and more depend on this sole factor. Moreover, the audience will participate in your presentation at the last minute, as it is a common practice to hold a Q&A session. 

Mistake #1 – Massive chunks of text

Do you intend your audience to read your slides instead of being seduced by your presentation? Presenters often add large amounts of text to each slide since they need help deciding which data to exclude. Another excuse for this practice is so the audience remembers the content exposed.

Research indicates images are much better retained than words, a phenomenon known as the Picture Superiority Effect ; therefore, opt to avoid this tendency and work into creating compelling graphics.

Mistake #2 – Not creating contrast between data and graphics

Have you tried to read a slide from 4 rows behind the presenter and not get a single number? This can happen if the presenter is not careful to work with the appropriate contrast between the color of the typeface and the background. Particularly if serif fonts are used.

Use online tools such as WebAIM’s Contrast Checker to make your slides legible for your audience. Creating an overlay with a white or black transparent tint can also help when you place text above images.

Mistake #3 – Not rehearsing the presentation

This is a sin in conference presentations, as when you don’t practice the content you intend to deliver, you don’t have a measure of how much time it is actually going to take. 

PowerPoint’s rehearse timing feature can help a great deal, as you can record yourself practising the presentation and observe areas for improvement. Remember, conference presentations are time-limited , don’t disrespect fellow speakers by overlapping their scheduled slot or, worse, have moderators trim your presentation after several warnings.

Mistake #4 – Lacking hierarchy for the presented content

Looking at a slide and not knowing where the main point is discouraging for the audience, especially if you introduce several pieces of content under the same slide. Instead, opt to create a hierarchy that comprehends both text and images. It helps to arrange the content according to your narrative, and we’ll see more on this later on.

Consider your conference presentation as your introduction card in the professional world. Maybe you have a broad network of colleagues, but be certain there are plenty of people out there that have yet to learn about who you are and the work you produce.

Conferences help businesspeople and academics alike to introduce the results of months of research on a specific topic in front of a knowledgeable audience. It is different from a product launch as you don’t need to present a “completed product” but rather your views or advances, in other words, your contribution with valuable insights to the field.

Putting dedication into your conference presentation, from the slide deck design to presentation skills , is definitely worth the effort. The audience can get valuable references from the quality of work you are able to produce, often leading to potential partnerships. In business conferences, securing an investor deal can happen after a powerful presentation that drives the audience to perceive your work as the very best thing that’s about to be launched. It is all about how your body language reflects your intent, how well-explained the concepts are, and the emotional impact you can drive from it.

There are multiple ways on how to start a presentation for a conference, but overall, we can recap a good approach as follows.

Present a fact

Nothing grabs the interest of an audience quicker than introducing an interesting fact during the first 30 seconds of your presentation. The said fact has to be pivotal to the content your conference presentation will discuss later on, but as an ice-breaker, it is a strategy worth applying from time to time.

Ask a question

The main point when starting a conference presentation is to make an impact on the audience. We cannot think of a better way to engage with the audience than to ask them a question relevant to your work or research. It grabs the viewer’s interest for the potential feedback you shall give to those answers received.

Use powerful graphics

The value of visual presentations cannot be neglected in conferences. Sometimes an image makes a bigger impact than a lengthy speech, hence why you should consider starting your conference presentation with a photo or visual element that speaks for itself.

For more tips and insights on how to start a presentation , we invite you to check this article.

Just as important as starting the presentation, the closure you give to your conference presentation matters a lot. This is the opportunity in which you can add your personal experience on the topic and reflect upon it with the audience or smoothly transition between the presentation and your Q&A session.

Below are some quick tips on how to end a presentation for a conference event.

End the presentation with a quote

Give your audience something to ruminate about with the help of a quote tailored to the topic you were discussing. There are plenty of resources for finding suitable quotes, and a great method for this is to design your penultimate slide with an image or black background plus a quote. Follow this with a final “thank you” slide.

Consider a video

If we say a video whose length is shorter than 1 minute, this is a fantastic resource to summarize the intent of your conference presentation. 

If you get the two-minute warning and you feel far off from finishing your presentation, first, don’t fret. Try to give a good closure when presenting in a conference without rushing information, as the audience wouldn’t get any concept clear that way. Mention that the information you presented will be available for further reading at the event’s platform site or your company’s digital business card , and proceed to your closure phase for the presentation.

It is better to miss some of the components of the conference than to get kicked out after several warnings for exceeding the allotted time.

Tailoring your conference presentation to suit your audience is crucial to delivering an impactful talk. Different audiences have varying levels of expertise, interests, and expectations. By customizing your content, tone, and examples, you can enhance the relevance and engagement of your presentation.

Understanding Audience Backgrounds and Expectations

Before crafting your presentation, research your audience’s backgrounds and interests. Are they professionals in your field, students, or a mix of both? Are they familiar with the topic, or must you provide more context? Understanding these factors will help you pitch your content correctly and avoid overwhelming or boring your audience.

Adapting Language and Tone for Relevance

Use language that resonates with your audience. Avoid jargon or technical terms that might confuse those unfamiliar with your field. Conversely, don’t oversimplify if your audience consists of experts. Adjust your tone to match the event’s formality and your listeners’ preferences.

Customizing Examples and Case Studies

Incorporate case studies, examples, and anecdotes that your audience can relate to. If you’re speaking to professionals, use real-world scenarios from their industry. For a more general audience, choose examples that are universally relatable. This personal touch makes your content relatable and memorable.

Effectively presenting data is essential for conveying complex information to your audience. Visualizations can help simplify intricate concepts and make your points more digestible.

Choosing the Right Data Representation

Select the appropriate type of graph or chart to illustrate your data. Bar graphs, pie charts, line charts, and scatter plots each serve specific purposes. Choose the one that best supports your message and ensures clarity.

Designing Graphs and Charts for Clarity

Ensure your graphs and charts are easily read. Use clear labels, appropriate color contrasts, and consistent scales. Avoid clutter and simplify the design to highlight the most important data points.

Incorporating Annotations and Explanations

Add annotations or callouts to your graphs to emphasize key findings. Explain the significance of each data point to guide your audience’s understanding. Utilize visual cues, such as arrows and labels, to direct attention.

Engaging your audience is a fundamental skill for a successful presentation for conference. Captivate their attention, encourage participation, and foster a positive connection.

Establishing Eye Contact and Body Language

Maintain eye contact with different audience parts to create a sense of connection. Effective body language, such as confident posture and expressive gestures, enhances your presence on stage.

Encouraging Participation and Interaction

Involve your audience through questions, polls, or interactive activities. Encourage them to share their thoughts or experiences related to your topic. This engagement fosters a more dynamic and memorable presentation.

Using Humor and Engaging Stories

Incorporate humor and relatable anecdotes to make your presentation more enjoyable. Well-timed jokes or personal stories can create a rapport with your audience and make your content more memorable.

The design of your conference presentation slides plays a crucial role in capturing and retaining your audience’s attention. Thoughtful design can amplify your message and reinforce key points. Take a look at these suggestions to boost the performance of your conference presentation slides, or create an entire slide deck in minutes by using SlideModel’s AI Presentation Maker from text .

Creating Memorable Opening Slides

Craft an opening slide that piques the audience’s curiosity and sets the tone for your presentation. Use an engaging visual, thought-provoking quote, or intriguing question to grab their attention from the start.

Using Visual Hierarchy for Emphasis

Employ visual hierarchy to guide your audience’s focus. Highlight key points with larger fonts, bold colors, or strategic placement. Organize information logically to enhance comprehension.

Designing a Powerful Closing Slide

End your presentation with a compelling closing slide that reinforces your main message. Summarize your key points, offer a memorable takeaway, or invite the audience to take action. Use visuals that resonate and leave a lasting impression.

Slide transitions and animations can enhance the flow of your presentation and emphasize important content. However, their use requires careful consideration to avoid distractions or confusion.

Enhancing Flow with Transitions

Select slide transitions that smoothly guide the audience from one point to the next. Avoid overly flashy transitions that detract from your content. Choose options that enhance, rather than disrupt, the presentation’s rhythm.

Using Animation to Highlight Points

Animate elements on your slides to draw attention to specific information. Animate text, images, or graphs to appear as you discuss them, helping the audience follow your narrative more effectively.

Avoiding Overuse of Effects

While animation can be engaging, avoid excessive use that might overwhelm or distract the audience. Maintain a balance between animated elements and static content for a polished presentation.

Effective time management is crucial for delivering a concise and impactful conference presentation within the allocated time frame.

Structuring for Short vs. Long Presentations

Adapt your content and pacing based on the duration of your presentation. Clearly outline the main points for shorter talks, and delve into more depth for longer sessions. Ensure your message aligns with the time available.

Prioritizing Key Information

Identify the core information you want your audience to take away. Focus on conveying these essential points, and be prepared to trim or elaborate on supporting details based on the available time.

Practicing Time Management

Rehearse your presentation while timing yourself to ensure you stay within the allocated time. Adjust your delivery speed to match your time limit, allowing for smooth transitions and adequate Q&A time.

Multimedia elements, such as videos, audio clips, and live demonstrations, can enrich your presentation and provide a dynamic experience for your audience.

Integrating Videos and Audio Clips

Use videos and audio clips strategically to reinforce your points or provide real-world examples. Ensure that the multimedia content is of high quality and directly supports your narrative.

Showcasing Live Demonstrations

Live demonstrations can engage the audience by showcasing practical applications of your topic. Practice the demonstration beforehand to ensure it runs smoothly and aligns with your message.

Using Hyperlinks for Additional Resources

Incorporate hyperlinks into your presentation to direct the audience to additional resources, references, or related content. This allows interested attendees to explore the topic further after the presentation.

Engaging with your audience after your presentation can extend the impact of your talk and foster valuable connections.

Leveraging Post-Presentation Materials

Make your presentation slides and related materials available to attendees after the event. Share them through email, a website, or a conference platform, allowing interested individuals to review the content.

Sharing Slides and Handouts

Provide downloadable versions of your slides and any handouts you used during the presentation. This helps attendees revisit key points and share the information with colleagues.

Networking and Following Up

Utilize networking opportunities during and after the conference to connect with attendees who are interested in your topic. Exchange contact information and follow up with personalized messages to continue the conversation.

Preparing for unexpected challenges during your presenting at a conference can help you maintain professionalism and composure, ensuring a seamless delivery.

Dealing with Technical Glitches

Technical issues can occur, from projector malfunctions to software crashes. Stay calm and have a backup plan, such as having your slides available on multiple devices or using printed handouts.

Handling Unexpected Interruptions

Interruptions, such as questions from the audience or unforeseen disruptions, are a normal part of live presentations. Address them politely, stay adaptable, and seamlessly return to your prepared content.

Staying Calm and Professional

Maintain a composed demeanor regardless of unexpected situations. Your ability to handle challenges gracefully reflects your professionalism and dedication to delivering a successful presentation.

Creating environmentally friendly presentations demonstrates your commitment to sustainability and responsible practices.

Designing Eco-Friendly Slides

Minimize the use of resources by designing slides with efficient layouts, avoiding unnecessary graphics or animations, and using eco-friendly color schemes.

Reducing Paper and Material Waste

Promote a paperless approach by encouraging attendees to access digital materials rather than printing handouts. If print materials are necessary, consider using recycled paper.

Promoting Sustainable Practices

Advocate for sustainability during your presentation by discussing relevant initiatives, practices, or innovations that align with environmentally conscious values.

Measuring the success of your conference presentation goes beyond the applause and immediate feedback. It involves assessing the impact of your presentation on your audience, goals, and growth as a presenter.

Collecting Audience Feedback

After presenting at a conference, gather feedback from attendees. Provide feedback forms or online surveys to capture their thoughts on the content, delivery, and visuals. Analyzing their feedback can reveal areas for improvement and give insights into audience preferences.

Evaluating Key Performance Metrics

Consider objective metrics such as audience engagement, participation, and post-presentation interactions. Did attendees ask questions? Did your content spark discussions? Tracking these metrics can help you gauge the effectiveness of your presentation in conveying your message.

Continuous Improvement Strategies

Use the feedback and insights gathered to enhance your future presentations. Identify strengths to build upon and weaknesses to address. Continuously refine your presentation skills , design choices, and content to create even more impactful presentations in the future.

Tip #1 – Exhibit a single idea per slide

Just one slide per concept, avoiding large text blocks. If you can compile the idea with an image, it’s better that way.

Research shows that people’s attention span is limited ; therefore, redirect your efforts in what concerns presentation slides so your ideas become crystal clear for the spectators.

Tip #2 – Avoid jargon whenever possible

Using complex terms does not directly imply you fully understand the concept you are about to discuss. In spite of your work being presented to a knowledgeable audience, avoid jargon as much as possible because you run the risk of people not understanding what you are saying.

Instead, opt to rehearse your presentation in front of a not-knowledgeable audience to measure the jargon volume you are adding to it. Technical terms are obviously expected in a conference situation, but archaic terms or purely jargon can be easily trimmed this way.

Tip #3 – Replace bulleted listings with structured layouts or diagrams

Bullet points are attention grabbers for the audience. People tend to instantly check what’s written in them, in contrast to waiting for you to introduce the point itself. 

Using bullet points as a way to expose elements of your presentation should be restricted. Opt for limiting the bullet points to non-avoidable facts to list or crucial information. 

Tip #4 – Customize presentation templates

Using presentation templates is a great idea to save time in design decisions. These pre-made slide decks are entirely customizable; however, many users fall into using them as they come, exposing themselves to design inconsistencies (especially with images) or that another presenter had the same idea (it is extremely rare, but it can happen).

Learning how to properly change color themes in PowerPoint is an advantageous asset. We also recommend you use your own images or royalty-free images selected by you rather than sticking to the ones included in a template.

Tip #5 – Displaying charts

Graphs and charts comprise around 80% of the information in most business and academic conferences. Since data visualization is important, avoid common pitfalls such as using 3D effects in bar charts. Depending on the audience’s point of view, those 3D effects can make the data hard to read or get an accurate interpretation of what it represents.

Tip #6 – Using images in the background

Use some of the images you were planning to expose as background for the slides – again, not all of them but relevant slides.

Be careful when placing text above the slides if they have a background image, as accessibility problems may arise due to contrast. Instead, apply an extra color layer above the image with reduced opacity – black or white, depending on the image and text requirements. This makes the text more legible for the audience, and you can use your images without any inconvenience.

Tip #7 – Embrace negative space

Negative space is a concept seen in design situations. If we consider positive space as the designed area, meaning the objects, shapes, etc., that are “your design,” negative space can be defined as the surrounding area. If we work on a white canvas, negative space is the remaining white area surrounding your design.

The main advantage of using negative space appropriately is to let your designs breathe. Stuffing charts, images and text makes it hard to get a proper understanding of what’s going on in the slide. Apply the “less is more” motto to your conference presentation slides, and embrace negative space as your new design asset.

Tip #8 – Use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation

You would be surprised to see how many typos can be seen in slides at professional gatherings. Whereas typos can often pass by as a humor-relief moment, grammatical or awful spelling mistakes make you look unprofessional. 

Take 5 extra minutes before submitting your slide deck to proofread the grammar, spelling, and punctuation. If in doubt, browse dictionaries for complex technical words.

Tip #10 – Use an appropriate presentation style

The format of the conference will undoubtedly require its own presentation style. By this we mean that it is different from delivering a conference presentation in front of a live audience as a webinar conference. The interaction with the audience is different, the demands for the Q&A session will be different, and also during webinars the audience is closely looking at your slides.

Tip #11 – Control your speaking tone

Another huge mistake when delivering a conference presentation is to speak with a monotonous tone. The message you transmit to your attendees is that you simply do not care about your work. If you believe you fall into this category, get feedback from others: try pitching to them, and afterward, consider how you talk. 

Practicing breathing exercises can help to articulate your speech skills, especially if anxiety hinders your presentation performance.

Tip #12 – On eye contact and note reading

In order to connect with your audience, it is imperative to make eye contact. Not stare, but look at your spectators from time to time as the talk is directed at them.

If you struggle on this point, a good tip we can provide is to act like you’re looking at your viewers. Pick a good point a few centimeters above your viewer and direct your speech there. They will believe you are communicating directly with them. Shift your head slightly on the upcoming slide or bullet and choose a new location.

Regarding note reading, while it is an acceptable practice to check your notes, do not make the entire talk a lecture in which you simply read your notes to the audience. This goes hand-by-hand with the speaking tone in terms of demonstrating interest in the work you do. Practice as often as you need before the event to avoid constantly reading your notes. Reading a paragraph or two is okay, but not the entire presentation.

Tip #13 – Be ready for the Q&A session

Despite it being a requirement in most conference events, not all presenters get ready for the Q&A session. It is a part of the conference presentation itself, so you should pace your speech to give enough time for the audience to ask 1-3 questions and get a proper answer.

Don’t be lengthy or overbearing in replying to each question, as you may run out of time. It is preferable to give a general opinion and then reach the interested person with your contact information to discuss the topic in detail.

Observing what others do at conference events is good practice for learning a tip or two for improving your own work. As we have seen throughout this article, conference presentation slides have specific requirements to become a tool in your presentation rather than a mixture of information without order.

Employ these tips and suggestions to craft your upcoming conference presentation without any hurdles. Best of luck!

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Top 20 Tips for Presenting at International Conferences

Presenting at international conferences is an integral aspect of scientific communication. It helps enhance researcher’s career prospects. Attending good conferences can be the best way of learning about new developments in a research field. However, for early-stage researchers, identifying the right conference, addressing larger audiences , and explaining their study in an effective and time-bound manner, can sometimes be daunting tasks. Moreover, with the increase in the number of predatory conferences, researchers should look for warning signs to distinguish between a predatory and a legitimate conference.

If researchers utilize this opportunity well, they can open doors to effective networking and future collaborations. Check out the handy checklist below to make your presentation experience at international conferences worthwhile!

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15 Best Tips for Presenting at a Conference

Published on 18 Nov 2021

Presenting at a conference is an important part of a researcher’s life: it allows you to share all the work you’ve been doing for months or years.

At the same time, it also exposes some intimate aspects of yourself to the outside world, like your thought process, your level of knowledge on a topic, or your ability to structure ideas.

I personally found myself frightened about presenting on multiple occasions. I remember my first seminar at the beginning of my master's degree in biochemistry. Coming from a bachelor in ecology, I felt like an imposter in the new department and was scared others would judge my level of knowledge or the quality of my presentation. Of course, these were only negative projections I was making in my mind, but they reflect the stressful vibe one can feel when preparing to give a talk.

On the positive side, a successful presentation leads to a better understanding of your work by the audience. This generates insightful discussions that can provide ideas about what the next steps of your research should be or clues to solve roadblocks.

It also leaves a good impression on the work done at your lab which can attract new collaborators. Also, getting your work noticed, especially at large conferences, can lead to your publications being more cited. If you’re a student, you can be rewarded with a presentation prize that will boost your curriculum when applying for scholarships.

Above all, learning to communicate, especially to the general public, is a valued skill.

So how can you nail your next presentation? There are no magic pills, but in this article, we’ll share some important tips to help you deliver the best presentation at your next event.

1- Do not start by working on your slides

It is very easy to get lost in your slides if you do not plan first. That is why you need to outline your key ideas and the order in which you want to present them BEFORE jumping into building slides in PowerPoint (or another platform).

You can start with bullet points, a flowchart, or something similar. The crucial part here is to make sure you are laying out the information and not just throwing it on the slides as they come to your mind. It is easy to get lost if you just keep adding slide after slide without any concern for length and/or connections between the information.

You can use sticky notes, paper planners, online flowchart generators, or other tools to help you in the layout phase.

Then, equally important to the key ideas is how you tie all of that content together. You should plan a logical transition and a progression between each idea. This will help you define a common thread and establish the flow of your presentation. Ultimately, it will help the audience capture the message you’re sharing.

In summary, knowing what you want to talk about is key. So before working on your slide deck and your handouts, develop this layout that highlights and connects the information you want to share.

2- Have a duration in mind

You’ll have a limited amount of time to get your message across, so you have to plan your presentation around that time frame. If you have 15 minutes to present your work, plan a presentation that lasts slightly less than that time limit.

Another tip for presentations is to use a timer while presenting to ensure you don’t go overtime.

A lot of people do not plan their time wisely and end up skipping slides in their presentation or going overtime. And guess what? Your audience knows when you skip content because you ran out of time. It comes off as unprofessional and may affect the way people see your work. So take your time preparing your presentation around your time constraints.

If your initial mockup is longer than what it should be, start by analyzing what information could be deleted or ways to get the information across using fewer words. 

It’s often just a matter of focusing on the details that matter the most. Don’t explain all the details of the methodology or the results if it doesn’t add to the story. Keep that for smaller group discussions or during the Q&A period. 

3- Use visuals to your advantage

Visuals are a must in any presentation. Whether it is an image, a chart, a graphic, or a video, visuals help with interpretation and can be an effective way to get your message across or grab the audience's attention.

Just because you’re presenting at an academic conference, it doesn’t mean you can’t use images, videos, or even gifs to help get the message across.

Most people deal better with visuals than words , especially when the information is heavy with data and numbers. But even with visuals, remember to keep it simple. The whole purpose of using visual aids is to help your audience understand the message and not to confuse them with too much information. 

If you’re presenting figures or graphs, remember to use the pointer to highlight the key points while you explain your slide. This is something that is easy to forget when the stress level is high, but it can be a good way to stay grounded and focused on the presentation.

4- Know your audience

In any academic conference, knowing your audience puts you one step closer to delivering an effective presentation. Do your research when starting to prepare your presentation.

Skimming the proceedings of past editions of a conference can reveal past participant lists and their profile. Different conferences have different proportions of undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, or principal investigators. Knowing the proportions of each category can indicate the level of knowledge on certain topics and if you need to spend time explaining certain areas so they understand the rest of the presentation or not.

If you find the abstracts, the Powerpoints, or the recordings of talks from previous editions, it can also help you adjust the depth in which you can go when explaining certain concepts.

Do not fall under the trap of assuming your audience knows nothing about your research subject. If they are at your research conference, it is most likely that they possess knowledge of (and interest in) what you are talking about. So, skip the basics that everyone knows if you feel you can.

Use jargon that is easily understood by the community at large and make sure you define less common abbreviations.

Knowing your audience is not always an easy task. If you’re not sure if your audience is familiar with a specific topic, don't be afraid to ask them! It will make everyone feel more involved and you will get their attention for the rest of the presentation. The bottom line, adapt your message to the audience.

5- Practice, practice, and practice again

No one should know your presentation better than you. When preparing for a particular conference, rehearse your talking points out loud and make sure you feel 100% comfortable with the information laid out on your slides. 

In addition, make sure the key ideas and the logical transition between them are crystal clear. One of the worst things that can happen to presenters is getting lost in their own presentation. 

You should practice your speech out loud to become familiar with the words as this will help your tone and confidence. When you sound confident, people are keener to listen to what you are saying.

One additional common but useful tip is to record yourself while practicing. It will help you know where you're lacking and what needs to be improved. 

 For example, some people tend to talk really fast or jump on sentences while others tend to ignore full stops. No matter what the issues are, recording yourself is a great tactic to find and address them.

6- Present it to a friend or colleague

Outside of practicing it out loud on your own, practice it in front of your colleagues. It will give you an experience that will resemble the real presentation the most.

While you present, notice their facial expressions. They can reveal parts of your presentation that are unclear. Tell them not to interrupt you during the presentation, but tell them to note down their suggestions or questions for the end. Make sure to use a timer to measure how you’re doing on time.

Some people like to present to someone completely detached from the topic. The idea is that if people who are not completely familiar with the subject can follow your presentation, people in the field should be able to easily follow it as well. 

No matter which option you choose, this exercise will help if you have difficulties speaking in public. Do not be afraid of doing these multiple times before your presentation and always ask for honest feedback. The more you practice, the more confident and more fluent you will be.

During my Ph.D., we often presented to our lab members and went through a Q&A section. Not only was it a good opportunity to practice the presenting skills, but it was also a moment to discuss specific aspects and prepare for potential questions. I remember in some instances, the feedback led to reshuffling the ideas completely in a way that made more sense.

7- Appearances matter

Even though people are coming to your presentation because they are interested in your research, appearances matter. The way you speak, how you interact with your audience, and even what you wear, make an impact. Make sure you wear comfortable clothes. 

 If you’re presenting at an online event, make sure the lighting comes from in front of you and not from behind or it will make your face appear darker. Not seeing a presenter clearly can distract the audience and decrease attention.

Also make sure there isn’t anything distracting in the background, like television or someone walking. The best background is usually solid-colored walls.

8- Sleep and eat well before the event

Get a good night of sleep the night before the event. You will feel well-rested and ready to tackle the presentation. It can be tempting to practice your slides and go over your presentation late at night, but it is sometimes better to get a good night's sleep.

In addition, make sure to eat well. You don’t want to feel dizzy or be occupied thinking about food when you should be thinking about the presentation.

Lastly, have a bottle of water close to you while you’re presenting. That will allow you to take pauses when needed and give your audience time to absorb the information after you jump into the next slide or argument.

9- Have a backup

If you have your presentation stored on a hard drive, make sure to have an extra copy on the cloud and vice-versa. Hard drives can break and technical difficulties can occur with cloud storage, so always have a backup just in case. 

Depending on the guidelines of the event, you can also send a copy of your presentation to the organizer and/or colleague. Send yourself a copy of the presentation by email as well.

A lot of people also have a paper copy of their presentation. That’s the last case alternative but also nice to have. If you are in a poster presentation, this may be harder to achieve.

If you have videos in your presentation, check out if the platform and/or venue can display that, especially the audio (if it’s important). Not all software or places have the necessary (or compatible) technology to display your presentation as they should.

10- Use body language

Body language has an essential role in presentations, especially online ones. Make sure you use body language the right way, otherwise it can be distracting for your audience. That includes fidgeting, repeatedly fixing your hair or clothes, among other things.

In academic conferences, the presentations are usually heavy on the information and data side, so it is important that presenters take advantage of tone of voice, gestures, and other body language resources to get their point across.

It is best to keep eye contact with people in the audience. This way, they will feel you are talking TO them and not AT them. But make sure to alternate and not stare at one single person throughout the whole presentation. 

Be aware of your posture and if you have any notes, make sure to either hold them or have them at eyesight. It is common to have notecards during a conference talk, but it is important to know your presentation and not depend on the notes.

11- Encourage your audience to interact with you

A big part of your presentation is for you to talk about your research. People are there to listen to you and absorb information, but they are also there to make the most out of the experience, and that includes engaging and asking questions.

Prepare yourself to answer questions from the audience. It is impossible to cover everything in a short presentation, so try to cover as much as possible and if there are questions you think will arise from the audience, prepare to answer them.

Depending on the type of presentation and what’s expected, you can keep questions for the end or allow questions during the presentation.

If there is a question that you do not have the answer to, it’s ok to say it. It’s better to offer to look more into it and get back to them rather than trying to improvise an answer. Provide your contact information in the final slide or at the end of your presentation. Some participants can reach out to you if they have any questions, suggestions, or opportunities that could be beneficial to you.

If you are giving an online presentation, invite participants to ask a question through the conference platform or website. For example, Fourwaves has a built-in Q&A section on each presentation page where presenters and participants can interact.

12- Structure your presentation and let your audience know

Let your audience know what you will be covering in your presentation. Have a clear outline of the topics and make sure to have this journey clear so the audience understands where you are taking them.

You can start the presentation by highlighting the key messages, but don’t forget to have a summary at the end (your conclusion), where you reiterate the main points of your presentation.

13- Pay attention to design

Adhere to the following basic design principles when building your slides. Avoid distracting colors and mixing more than 2 colors in each slide. If you use a light background, you should use a dark font and vice-versa. Make sure the font size is also big enough and that you are not stuffing too much information into a slide.

A good rule of thumb for your slides is to have about 5 bullet points on each one and give enough time for people to read through them if they need to. Most of the information should be coming out of your mouth and not described in the slides. The slides are just a summary (the bullet points) of what you will cover.

If you are adding visuals, make sure they are big enough so people can see them and they are not covering any information.

14- Take other presentations as an example

You have probably been part of dozens and dozens of presentations in a lifetime. Is there something you liked a lot in those or something you hated? If yes, write it down. If it is positive, strive to replicate that in your presentation. If it is negative, discard it.

If you are taking part in an annual event, you may be able to access presentations from the years before and draw conclusions from there. You can also look for similar poster presentations or templates and get inspiration from those.

Keep in mind that every person has a presentation style. Learn the basic guidelines and find what works best for you.

15- Rely on storytelling

Storytelling is relying on stories (narrative) to talk about something (e.g. personal anecdotes, metaphors, comparisons, etc.). People rely on stories for mnemonic purposes and most of the time, it is easier to remember a story or an analogy than it is to remember a specific situation.

No matter what the topic is, analogies make it easier for people to understand facts. Whenever possible, try to use a metaphor or a comparison

Bonus tip - Remember to stop and breathe during your presentation

It’s normal to feel stressed even if you’re super well prepared and that you know your topic inside out.

Make sure to take the time to pause in between slides and to take a good slow deep breath. It will help you stay focused throughout the presentation.

Practice this during your rehearsals. Not talking for 3-4 seconds can seem long for you, but your audience will appreciate it and it will help you feel calmer.

At the core, preparing for a conference presentation is no different than preparing for any type of public speaking assignment. You need to understand the topic very well, research and practice what you are going to say, and know your audience, among other things.  

Most of all, remember: no one is born with great presentation skills, so give yourself room to improve.

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