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PresentationsGoneAwry

In the past few months I've seen several presentations (one training class and two technical talks) get run off the rails due to mysterious technical difficulties. "Technical Difficulties" are nothing new--we've had them as long as we've had technology, but as technology has gotten less visible, the difficulies have gotten stranger.

These presentations went awry when something hijacked the remote control gadget that the presenters were using to remotely contol their PowerPoint presentations. The presenter would be talking and gesturing at the screen (without holding the remote control), and PowerPoint would start randomly moving forward or backward. Eventually, they'd notice, and try to wrestle the presentation back under control, only to have it move out from under them a few moments later.

In once case, we found that a presentation had gone out of control at the same time in the room next door. An invisible tug-of-war was going on between remote control devices. We never did figure out what caused the other two.

Two of the presenters handled the situation with poise and humor. The third nearly lost it.

I'm curious. How have you seen presentations go awry lately, and how have the presenters handled it? If you present, how do you prepare for and handle the odd things that can happen to you?

--DaveSmith 2006.05.31

I recently had something similar happen to me when giving a presentation using ppt. I understand now it was probably due to static electricity. I responded by making a joke out of it the first and second time -- then I jumped up on the 'stage', hid the remote under the lecturn, and proceeded to advance slides using the computer instead of the remote. That seemed to work. I didn't get upset, although by the third time I was becoming a bit annoyed. It would have been better not to use ppt, I know, but that seemed like more trouble than it was worth, when working with someone else who wants slides, for a conference that demands slides... It all worked out in the end, although I was restricted from moving about for the last part of the presentation.

DianeGibson 2006.06.01

PS I am right now buried in boring work, so I am taking time to read - and even answer - threads on this site. A rare event for me... although the timing may not be the best, the need is definate.

I was at a conference. My computer would not sync with the projector. I tried for a few minutes before the talk. It just didn't work. OK. I told everyone I was not going to use my computer. They had handouts. I came out from behind the table and started to talk.

A few minutes into my presentation, there was a bunch of murmuring from the audience. I asked, "Is there something I should know about?" One of the guys said, "That guy is messing with your computer." I turned around, and the AV guy had turned on the projector again, and was trying the magic PC buttons to make the presentation show on the projector. (I have a Mac, so I have no idea what that magic is.)

I asked him to stop. He said, "I almost have it." I said, "No, really, I'm happy doing this. I don't need the projector." He said, "No, I almost have it." I said, "Please stop and look at me." He ignored me. I turned up the volume. "PLEASE STOP NOW." That got his attention. This time when I asked him to go away he did. The audience applauded. I did a little ad-lib on influence, negotiation, and command-and-control--and continued with my presentation.

I'm comfortable enough with my material, that I don't care if things go wrong electronically. I can always speak without electronic backup. Because for me, that's what the electronics are--backup. I may not have quite the flow that I have with my slides, because they help me remember the flow. But I have yet to completely forget everything I know :-) So I can be comfortable speaking without backup.

And now that I try to integrate an experience into every presentation, that's what people remember most. I rarely need electronics to lead the experience. -- JohannaRothman 2006.06.05

I understand that Paganini used to arrange for one of his violin strings to break in the middle of a concert piece, so he could show off by instantly transposing the piece to three strings. I'm sort of like that--I love the challenge. - JerryWeinberg 2006.06.08

I think the most painful technology failure I witnessed involved a presenter who wouldn't let go.

Right after she was introduced, she hit the remote to move past the title slide of her presentation. The remoe didn't function, and her slide turned a funny color.

Rather than move on, she complained about the equipment. She went on complaining and trying different buttons on her remote.

After about 5 minutes I spoke up and offered that we all had handouts, and could follow along that way. "No," she said, "this should work!" She continued fussing with her remote and complaining about the equipment, the venue, and the AV support.

After a few more minutes,I offered again. Several others in the audience seconded my suggestion. I think we all wanted her to succeed. But she wanted her technology to work.

By this time it was like watching a science experiment.

After 15 minutes, the presenter finally gave up fussing and complaining. She appeared frazzled and frustrated, and it didn't help her presentation.

I ran into her some time later, and she was still complaining. She hadn't received a favorable response to her ill-fated talk; she ascribed the low evalutation to the technology failure.

EstherDerby 07062006