Speaker Briefings
Speaker Briefing
Our priority is your event’s success! Getting your speakers familiarised with the process beforehand and giving them the opportunity to ask questions, should they have any, will ensure that your event runs smoothly. This guide will take you through all of the essentials, however, if at any time you have any queries, please get in touch.
Speaker Technical Checks
Video: It is important to check that the speaker has a good enough connection. If you see pixelation and a lag between audio and video (lip sync issues) then they do not have a strong enough internet connection.
Audio: Get the speaker to speak and check that the volume is appropriate. If the audio feed is broken or garbled, then there is probably an issue with the speaker’s internet. Using a purpose-built microphone will provide better quality than an in-built microphone.
Important! Remind the speakers that they must keep their video and screenshare on for the duration or until the stream technician says that it’s clear.
Speaker Zoom Etiquette
- Please arrive on time (15 minutes prior to the start of the live session).
- Please ensure you are logged into the Zoom call using first and last name, so that the host can admit you.
- Your stream technician will greet you on arrival and check camera positioning, audio and lighting.
- You will be managing your slide deck and screenshare, or alternatively, one person from your team of presenters, should you be presenting with others.
Speaker Presenting Etiquette
- Try to position yourself in a well-lit room. Be aware of windows providing natural light. If the window is behind you, this will cause silhouetting; if it’s to one side, you will be unevenly lit. It’s also worth being aware of variable daylight - if the sun is going in and out of the clouds frequently then it is advisable to shut the curtains or blinds and try to use artificial lights instead.
- Use lamps/desk lamps to light your face but try to avoid strong glares i.e. close lighting on your face. You can experiment by pointing light sources at bright walls to reflect ambient light, therefore softening the lighting.
- If you are using a green screen or any other printed background, this too needs to be lit as evenly as possible and with no shadows.
- Try to avoid the camera level being too low or too high especially if using your laptop. We suggest you raise your laptop using a stack of books or anything that is available to shoot at eye level.
- Eye-line is important too. Try to look directly at the camera as much as possible; not meeting your viewer’s eye-line can be distracting and not as engaging for the audience. We appreciate that this can be especially difficult if reading a script.
- If you are filming without a green screen, try to make sure your background is clutter-free. A plain wall is always best. Make sure your background is as movement-free as possible – screens, people, animals etc. – as these can be distracting.
- Switch off devices or turn to silent.
- Try to wear plain coloured clothing.
Audience Engagement
Q&A
If the speaker/panel are taking questions from the audience, then you will need to confirm if the questions will be moderated and if so, by whom.
It is also important to see an example of what this looks like from an audience and speaker point of view on the platform. This video is a great place to start.
Live Polling
Please ensure that your speakers are aware that there is a 10 – 15 second latency on the stream. The best way to stage-manage live polling is to first ask the audience to take part (encourage the speaker to direct the audience to the correct button) and then move onto another related point, or discuss the poll, before coming back to the live poll once the results start to come in. This video will give you more detail on this.
If they are screensharing, it’s a good idea to explain how the speaker can also see the polling results, as shown in this video.