Last week we started talking about preparing a seminar in special conditions: breathtaking settings in Japan and the Philippines, but time-constraints, lack of internet-connection, and sometimes even a laptop. In this second part we’ll finish the true story of a presentation that still made it, thanks to a simple and flexible method. Step 6 – […]
On the Road – Part 1
Two weeks before GP Ragnarok Judge Conference, you block time to prepare your seminar. But that’s not enough, because this week a) your kid has fever b) your boss assigns you a super-urgent project, or c) you meet the person of your life. Do not despair. You can still make it. Enter: “On the Road™: […]
Conference Policies and Guidelines: October update
The conference guidelines have been updated to reflect some recent changes in our procedures and policies. The main change is that foils now come in kits designed for 50 participants, and each conference can have up to 3 kits. The good news is that each participant now gets 8 foils (instead of 4 or 6) […]
Presentation Design Principles – Part 2
Welcome back! I guess you liked what you have seen! Thank you. And you also remember everything?!? In case you don’t (and there was a LOT of stuff), here is a short recap: – Text slide is pure evil! And has tendency to multiply and grow. So, handle with care – There are 7 rules, […]
Presentation Design Principles – Part 1
I hate writing articles, I really do. I believe text is the worst medium for communicating ideas. It’s boring compared to conversation or video. Also, it’s one-directional without interaction or feedback. The danger being: what makes sense in my head doesn’t necessarily make sense in yours. So what does my rant have to do with […]
Your First Conference
There’s nothing more awesome than a Conference. Conferences are among my favorite kind of judge gatherings. They have all the nice moments, the exchanges, the stories, the dinners, the traveling, without any stressful event to run in the background. They’re like holidays with benefits. Way back in 2008, when Nationals still happened and dinosaurs scoured the lands, […]
Introducing: Conference Dates!
Hello everyone! In a minor update to our blog, we’ve introduced a new functionality with our Conferences Calendar. With so many conferences taking place all over the world it’s easy to lose track of which one is taking place where and when. Hopefully with this calendar things will be much easier. You’ll see it presented […]
Getting the audience on your side
Hi, I’m Thomas Ralph, and I’m a conference seminar facilitator. I’m here to talk about engagement. OK, so why should you care? Well, many of you may have sat through a seminar in the past and wondered why you were there. The facilitator might have been reading his slides (in a boring tone), and you […]
Connecting with the Audience
You have been selected to present a seminar at a Judge Conference, either at a Grand Prix, National Conference,… You have been preparing your topic, and you have everything ready for it: a PowerPoint, some notes in order to remember everything you want to say, a presenters pen and printed handouts for your audience.It’s your turn, so you go […]
Facilitating a Seminar: Avoiding the Common Mistakes (Part 2)
See previous part here As the facilitator hushes the discussion and start summing up the main points of the seminar, you realize your assigned seminar slot is next. You glance over your notes a final time to make sure they are in the proper order, your mind gradually filtering out anything that’s going on up […]