plan for the presentation

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How to Plan a Presentation

Last Updated: October 8, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 230,468 times.

Presentation planning is a useful and necessary skill in the professional world as well as school. Whether you need to sell a product, or get a passing grade in your class, planning a presentation takes time and dedication. You will want to figure out the best way to construct your material, considering your audience and your presentation's message. From there, work on building your slides and materials. Assemble information in a logical order that best illustrates your point. Practice your presentation regularly before delivering it. This can help you figure out any information that should be cut or restructured.

Assembling Your Best Material

• Write down your most important points. See if you notice a key point emerging. If your audience were to take away one thing from this presentation, what would it be?
• Don't just bombard your audience with facts. Think about what these facts do for your audience. What's the point you're trying to make with the information?

• Are you trying to sell them a product, introduce them to a new idea, alter their way of thinking?
• Think about the kind of people in your audience. Do you have a tougher crowd, or do you have a group of enthusiastic people excited about what you're going to say?

• For example, if you're talking to a company about recycling program, you might discuss how corporate pollution contributes to global warming and how recycling can help the company save money. You wouldn't discuss the melting ice caps as a key point.
• Melting ice caps are a valid concern, but they are a fact or a supporting point.

• Add clarity to your argument by explaining anything the audience may not understand. For example: a brief overview of pollution's effect on climate change.
• Add authority by making connections with existing research, studies, and information. For example, you could mention the consensus in the scientific community that global warming is manmade and cite a few studies.
• Add color to your argument through visuals, like pictures and videos. For instance, you could show a chart of the amount of waste an average corporation produces in one month.

Finding a Trajectory for the Presentation

• Include the basics of introducing yourself. You can say something like, "I'm Clara Thompson from Clean Water Action, and I would like to address your company today."
• Get your audience's attention with a question or a fact. For example, you could ask: "Have you ever passed a body of water covered in green sludge and wondered how this happened? The answer may surprise you."
• You don’t have to write your presentation in chronological order. If you want to work on your main points first and save the introduction for last, you can.

• For example, you're trying to get the corporation to alter their recycling program. Start by overviewing the vast amount of corporate pollution in the world.
• Explain the consequences of this. Show how pollution contributes to climate change, then show what the corporation can do through changes in their policies.

• Common linking statements include things like, "Another important issue...," "Based on this data, you can now see..." and, "This brings me to my main point..."
• For example, "Now that I've shown you the effects of corporate pollution, this brings me to my main point. What can you do to stop it?"

• If you have any graphs or diagrams that will help illustrate your point, use them. Physically seeing information can help make your point more clear.
• You should also see if there are any videos you can include. A brief video of someone succinctly explaining an issue can shake things up a bit.
• Pictures are also nice. Each slide should have a picture related to the topic at hand.
• Make sure not to overuse graphics or visuals. Too many could be overwhelming or distracting for your audience.

• You only need one slide. Recap what your point was. Begin with something like, "As you can see..." and then briefly repeat your main point.
• A visual can help as well. Try adding one last visual aid that sums up your point. A graph or diagram would work well here.

Practicing Your Presentation

• If you're taking longer, cut some information out. You do not want to talk fast to include all information, as this can make you difficult to understand.
• For accuracy, talk in your regular voice. Do not speak too fast or too slow. You want to make sure you can fit in all information talking at a normal rate.

• Are any facts extraneous? It's great to illustrate the effects of global warming, but do you really need five examples of environmental decay? Try to cut it down to two or three.

• You should sound enthusiastic when presenting. Talk without hesitance, and don't use filler words, like "um" or "uh."
• Don't jump between topics. Use your linking sentences, and say things like, "And this brings me to the following..."
• Watch the time. Make sure your presentation isn't going on for too long.
• Watch yourself give the presentation in a mirror so you can correct any distracting movements or gestures.

• Don’t read the information off of your visuals since it could affect your engagement between yourself and the audience.

How Should You End a Presentation?

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.ncsl.org/legislators-staff/legislative-staff/legislative-staff-coordinating-committee/tips-for-making-effective-powerpoint-presentations.aspx
• ↑ https://www.comm.pitt.edu/oral-comm-lab/audience-analysis
• ↑ https://columbiacollege-ca.libguides.com/presentations/planning
• ↑ https://extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/documents/10551/partsofapresentation.pdf
• ↑ https://emedia.rmit.edu.au/learninglab/sites/default/files/Oral_presentations_signalling_2014_Accessible.pdf
• ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-conclude-a-presentation
• ↑ https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studyingeffectively/preparing/presentations/delivering.aspx
• ↑ https://www.gvsu.edu/ours/oral-presentation-tips-30.htm

About This Article

To plan your presentation, start by spending 5 to 10% of your time summarizing your research and linking it to a main point. A good way to start is with a key question or fact. Then, follow this summary with your research and work, which should take up 60 to 70% of the presentation. This is the body of your presentation, and should be made up of 3 key ideas which lead to your main point. Keep reading for our reviewer’s tips on how to organize the body of your presentation! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Blog Beginner Guides How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

Written by: Krystle Wong Jul 20, 2023

A top-notch presentation possesses the power to drive action. From winning stakeholders over and conveying a powerful message to securing funding — your secret weapon lies within the realm of creating an effective presentation .  

Being an excellent presenter isn’t confined to the boardroom. Whether you’re delivering a presentation at work, pursuing an academic career, involved in a non-profit organization or even a student, nailing the presentation game is a game-changer.

In this article, I’ll cover the top qualities of compelling presentations and walk you through a step-by-step guide on how to give a good presentation. Here’s a little tip to kick things off: for a headstart, check out Venngage’s collection of free presentation templates . They are fully customizable, and the best part is you don’t need professional design skills to make them shine!

These valuable presentation tips cater to individuals from diverse professional backgrounds, encompassing business professionals, sales and marketing teams, educators, trainers, students, researchers, non-profit organizations, public speakers and presenters. 

No matter your field or role, these tips for presenting will equip you with the skills to deliver effective presentations that leave a lasting impression on any audience.

Click to jump ahead:

What are the 10 qualities of a good presentation?

Step-by-step guide on how to prepare an effective presentation, 9 effective techniques to deliver a memorable presentation, faqs on making a good presentation, how to create a presentation with venngage in 5 steps.

When it comes to giving an engaging presentation that leaves a lasting impression, it’s not just about the content — it’s also about how you deliver it. Wondering what makes a good presentation? Well, the best presentations I’ve seen consistently exhibit these 10 qualities:

1. Clear structure

No one likes to get lost in a maze of information. Organize your thoughts into a logical flow, complete with an introduction, main points and a solid conclusion. A structured presentation helps your audience follow along effortlessly, leaving them with a sense of satisfaction at the end.

Regardless of your presentation style , a quality presentation starts with a clear roadmap. Browse through Venngage’s template library and select a presentation template that aligns with your content and presentation goals. Here’s a good presentation example template with a logical layout that includes sections for the introduction, main points, supporting information and a conclusion: 

2. Engaging opening

Hook your audience right from the start with an attention-grabbing statement, a fascinating question or maybe even a captivating anecdote. Set the stage for a killer presentation!

The opening moments of your presentation hold immense power – check out these 15 ways to start a presentation to set the stage and captivate your audience.

3. Relevant content

Make sure your content aligns with their interests and needs. Your audience is there for a reason, and that’s to get valuable insights. Avoid fluff and get straight to the point, your audience will be genuinely excited.

4. Effective visual aids

Picture this: a slide with walls of text and tiny charts, yawn! Visual aids should be just that—aiding your presentation. Opt for clear and visually appealing slides, engaging images and informative charts that add value and help reinforce your message.

With Venngage, visualizing data takes no effort at all. You can import data from CSV or Google Sheets seamlessly and create stunning charts, graphs and icon stories effortlessly to showcase your data in a captivating and impactful way.

5. Clear and concise communication

Keep your language simple, and avoid jargon or complicated terms. Communicate your ideas clearly, so your audience can easily grasp and retain the information being conveyed. This can prevent confusion and enhance the overall effectiveness of the message. 

6. Engaging delivery

Spice up your presentation with a sprinkle of enthusiasm! Maintain eye contact, use expressive gestures and vary your tone of voice to keep your audience glued to the edge of their seats. A touch of charisma goes a long way!

7. Interaction and audience engagement

Turn your presentation into an interactive experience — encourage questions, foster discussions and maybe even throw in a fun activity. Engaged audiences are more likely to remember and embrace your message.

Transform your slides into an interactive presentation with Venngage’s dynamic features like pop-ups, clickable icons and animated elements. Engage your audience with interactive content that lets them explore and interact with your presentation for a truly immersive experience.

8. Effective storytelling

Who doesn’t love a good story? Weaving relevant anecdotes, case studies or even a personal story into your presentation can captivate your audience and create a lasting impact. Stories build connections and make your message memorable.

A great presentation background is also essential as it sets the tone, creates visual interest and reinforces your message. Enhance the overall aesthetics of your presentation with these 15 presentation background examples and captivate your audience’s attention.

9. Well-timed pacing

Pace your presentation thoughtfully with well-designed presentation slides, neither rushing through nor dragging it out. Respect your audience’s time and ensure you cover all the essential points without losing their interest.

10. Strong conclusion

Last impressions linger! Summarize your main points and leave your audience with a clear takeaway. End your presentation with a bang , a call to action or an inspiring thought that resonates long after the conclusion.

In-person presentations aside, acing a virtual presentation is of paramount importance in today’s digital world. Check out this guide to learn how you can adapt your in-person presentations into virtual presentations . 

Preparing an effective presentation starts with laying a strong foundation that goes beyond just creating slides and notes. One of the quickest and best ways to make a presentation would be with the help of a good presentation software . 

Otherwise, let me walk you to how to prepare for a presentation step by step and unlock the secrets of crafting a professional presentation that sets you apart.

1. Understand the audience and their needs

Before you dive into preparing your masterpiece, take a moment to get to know your target audience. Tailor your presentation to meet their needs and expectations , and you’ll have them hooked from the start!

2. Conduct thorough research on the topic

Time to hit the books (or the internet)! Don’t skimp on the research with your presentation materials — dive deep into the subject matter and gather valuable insights . The more you know, the more confident you’ll feel in delivering your presentation.

3. Organize the content with a clear structure

No one wants to stumble through a chaotic mess of information. Outline your presentation with a clear and logical flow. Start with a captivating introduction, follow up with main points that build on each other and wrap it up with a powerful conclusion that leaves a lasting impression.

Delivering an effective business presentation hinges on captivating your audience, and Venngage’s professionally designed business presentation templates are tailor-made for this purpose. With thoughtfully structured layouts, these templates enhance your message’s clarity and coherence, ensuring a memorable and engaging experience for your audience members.

Don’t want to build your presentation layout from scratch? pick from these 5 foolproof presentation layout ideas that won’t go wrong. 

4. Develop visually appealing and supportive visual aids

Spice up your presentation with eye-catching visuals! Create slides that complement your message, not overshadow it. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words, but that doesn’t mean you need to overload your slides with text.

Well-chosen designs create a cohesive and professional look, capturing your audience’s attention and enhancing the overall effectiveness of your message. Here’s a list of carefully curated PowerPoint presentation templates and great background graphics that will significantly influence the visual appeal and engagement of your presentation.

5. Practice, practice and practice

Practice makes perfect — rehearse your presentation and arrive early to your presentation to help overcome stage fright. Familiarity with your material will boost your presentation skills and help you handle curveballs with ease.

6. Seek feedback and make necessary adjustments

Don’t be afraid to ask for help and seek feedback from friends and colleagues. Constructive criticism can help you identify blind spots and fine-tune your presentation to perfection.

With Venngage’s real-time collaboration feature , receiving feedback and editing your presentation is a seamless process. Group members can access and work on the presentation simultaneously and edit content side by side in real-time. Changes will be reflected immediately to the entire team, promoting seamless teamwork.

7. Prepare for potential technical or logistical issues

Prepare for the unexpected by checking your equipment, internet connection and any other potential hiccups. If you’re worried that you’ll miss out on any important points, you could always have note cards prepared. Remember to remain focused and rehearse potential answers to anticipated questions.

8. Fine-tune and polish your presentation

As the big day approaches, give your presentation one last shine. Review your talking points, practice how to present a presentation and make any final tweaks. Deep breaths — you’re on the brink of delivering a successful presentation!

In competitive environments, persuasive presentations set individuals and organizations apart. To brush up on your presentation skills, read these guides on how to make a persuasive presentation and tips to presenting effectively . 

Whether you’re an experienced presenter or a novice, the right techniques will let your presentation skills soar to new heights!

From public speaking hacks to interactive elements and storytelling prowess, these 9 effective presentation techniques will empower you to leave a lasting impression on your audience and make your presentations unforgettable.

1. Confidence and positive body language

Positive body language instantly captivates your audience, making them believe in your message as much as you do. Strengthen your stage presence and own that stage like it’s your second home! Stand tall, shoulders back and exude confidence. 

2. Eye contact with the audience

Break down that invisible barrier and connect with your audience through their eyes. Maintaining eye contact when giving a presentation builds trust and shows that you’re present and engaged with them.

3. Effective use of hand gestures and movement

A little movement goes a long way! Emphasize key points with purposeful gestures and don’t be afraid to walk around the stage. Your energy will be contagious!

4. Utilize storytelling techniques

Weave the magic of storytelling into your presentation. Share relatable anecdotes, inspiring success stories or even personal experiences that tug at the heartstrings of your audience. Adjust your pitch, pace and volume to match the emotions and intensity of the story. Varying your speaking voice adds depth and enhances your stage presence.

5. Incorporate multimedia elements

Spice up your presentation with a dash of visual pizzazz! Use slides, images and video clips to add depth and clarity to your message. Just remember, less is more—don’t overwhelm them with information overload. 

Turn your presentations into an interactive party! Involve your audience with questions, polls or group activities. When they actively participate, they become invested in your presentation’s success. Bring your design to life with animated elements. Venngage allows you to apply animations to icons, images and text to create dynamic and engaging visual content.

6. Utilize humor strategically

Laughter is the best medicine—and a fantastic presentation enhancer! A well-placed joke or lighthearted moment can break the ice and create a warm atmosphere , making your audience more receptive to your message.

7. Practice active listening and respond to feedback

Be attentive to your audience’s reactions and feedback. If they have questions or concerns, address them with genuine interest and respect. Your responsiveness builds rapport and shows that you genuinely care about their experience.

8. Apply the 10-20-30 rule

Apply the 10-20-30 presentation rule and keep it short, sweet and impactful! Stick to ten slides, deliver your presentation within 20 minutes and use a 30-point font to ensure clarity and focus. Less is more, and your audience will thank you for it!

9. Implement the 5-5-5 rule

Simplicity is key. Limit each slide to five bullet points, with only five words per bullet point and allow each slide to remain visible for about five seconds. This rule keeps your presentation concise and prevents information overload.

Simple presentations are more engaging because they are easier to follow. Summarize your presentations and keep them simple with Venngage’s gallery of simple presentation templates and ensure that your message is delivered effectively across your audience.

1. How to start a presentation?

To kick off your presentation effectively, begin with an attention-grabbing statement or a powerful quote. Introduce yourself, establish credibility and clearly state the purpose and relevance of your presentation.

2. How to end a presentation?

For a strong conclusion, summarize your talking points and key takeaways. End with a compelling call to action or a thought-provoking question and remember to thank your audience and invite any final questions or interactions.

3. How to make a presentation interactive?

To make your presentation interactive, encourage questions and discussion throughout your talk. Utilize multimedia elements like videos or images and consider including polls, quizzes or group activities to actively involve your audience.

In need of inspiration for your next presentation? I’ve got your back! Pick from these 120+ presentation ideas, topics and examples to get started. 

Creating a stunning presentation with Venngage is a breeze with our user-friendly drag-and-drop editor and professionally designed templates for all your communication needs. 

Here’s how to make a presentation in just 5 simple steps with the help of Venngage:

Step 1: Sign up for Venngage for free using your email, Gmail or Facebook account or simply log in to access your account. 

Step 2: Pick a design from our selection of free presentation templates (they’re all created by our expert in-house designers).

Step 3: Make the template your own by customizing it to fit your content and branding. With Venngage’s intuitive drag-and-drop editor, you can easily modify text, change colors and adjust the layout to create a unique and eye-catching design.

Step 4: Elevate your presentation by incorporating captivating visuals. You can upload your images or choose from Venngage’s vast library of high-quality photos, icons and illustrations. 

Step 5: Upgrade to a premium or business account to export your presentation in PDF and print it for in-person presentations or share it digitally for free!

By following these five simple steps, you’ll have a professionally designed and visually engaging presentation ready in no time. With Venngage’s user-friendly platform, your presentation is sure to make a lasting impression. So, let your creativity flow and get ready to shine in your next presentation!

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How Do You Prepare a Good Presentation in 2024 in 12+ Practical Steps? (+ Expert Tips)

There's nothing more nerve-wracking than having a big presentation coming up and feeling unprepared. Public speaking can be difficult. Not feeling ready makes it even more of a trial. Learn the essential steps for presentation preparation.

If you want to calm those nerves and wow your audience, then it's a good idea to understand the basics of creating attention-getting presentations.  

In this guide, I'll share 12+ presentation preparation tips that'll walk you through how to prepare for a presentation from start to finish. So, you can feel confident when preparing to give a presentation .

Find Premium Presentation Slides on Envato Elements

One way to save time in the presentation preparation phase is to use a premium template to design your slides. This will help you feel secure about how your presentation looks, even if design skills aren't your core strength.

A great place to find templates when preparing to give a presentation is Envato Elements. This marketplace has a great offer you can grab today. Download as many premium PowerPoint presentation templates as you want, all for one low price.

This offer includes other items you can use to make your presentations stand out, like stock photos, graphics, icons, and more. 

The great thing about using premium design elements for your presentations is that they're well supported by the creators, are compatible with major software and apps, and are kept up to date .

Get More PowerPoint Presentation Templates on GraphicRiver

Envato Elements is an excellent resource if you've got plenty of presentations to do. But if you need a single presentation template for one-off use, try GraphicRiver. 

GraphicRiver is a great option if you prefer to pay as you go, and choose a single PowerPoint presentation template each time you need to create a new presentation.

How to Prepare a Good Presentation Step by Step in 2024 (+ Expert Quotes)

Now, let's look at  some of the key steps in preparing a presentation, covering everything from topic selection to delivery, so you understand how to develop a presentation :

1. Choose the Right Topic

One of the most important presentation preparation tips is to pick the right topic for your presentation . You've got a few choices that'll give you a head start on wowing your audience. For example, you can:

• Choose a topic you're passionate about. This will make it easy to give an animated and appealing presentation.
• Pick your topic based on your knowledge and skills, so that you can wow your audience with the information you include.
• Do a data-driven presentation based on the latest statistics on a topic of interest, plus your expert opinion or conclusions.
• Select a presentation topic that relates to your business goals, such as reporting on key performance indicators (KPIs) or revenue .

Stephanie Schwab , Marketing Expert, Coach and Consultant, advises:

"Finding the right topic is all about knowing your audience. What's keeping them up at night? What do they really need to hear from you, right now, that will help them in their lives, or their businesses? If you're not sure what they need, ask them - survey them through email, ask your community on social media, talk to your customers directly. Meet your audience where they are and they will come to you again and again."

2. Know Your Audience

Related to that, another important step in presentation preparation is to know your audience . Your presentation plan will be completely different depending on whether audience members are novices or experts in your topic. Understanding who you're presenting to helps you select appropriate data and anecdotes to convey your topic. 

Jared Karol , Speaker, Coach and Group Facilitator, says it's extremely important to think of your audience when preparing your presentation:

"If you can trust that your content and presentation flow is solid, you can give more attention to how your audience is thinking and feeling during and after the presentation. Involve the audience as much as possible. Invite them to be part of the presentation––whether rhetorically by using "we" and/or "you" language––and literally by utilizing chat and poll features, or, depending on the size of the group, allowing verbal interaction. Remember that you are creating an experience, not just delivering content." 

If you're presenting to the C-suite, you'll want to keep your presentation short and focused to avoid wasting their time . Learn more executive presentation preparation tips in the following article:

3. Brainstorm

The next tip in our series of presentation steps is to brainstorm. This can be something you do on your own or with others. Either way,  note down initial ideas and inspiration for your presentation. Use tools like mind mapping to connect related concepts. 

By the end of this process, you'll have a clearer idea of the intended focus of your presentation and can move onto the next stage of your presentation plan.

4. Do Your Research

If you're thinking about how to prepare a great presentation, one of the key elements that separates good business presentations from the rest is research.

Tara Furiani , CEO & Host, Not the HR Lady, says:

"On our show, Not the HR Lady, we are huge proponents of ‘facts’ and call on our audience to fact check us. Presentations must be rooted in more than the theories of the presenter, to be credible. This can take on a lot of different looks. For me, I use and reference a lot of movies, music and pop culture to humorously drive serious points home (like racism, misogyny, bigotry, etc…) and that means finding just the right clip that illustrates your point. Not all ‘research’ has to be academic in nature, but all presentations should call upon someone other than one’s own opinions, for maximum impact and action."

Once you know your topic, you can search for supporting information such as:

• recent news or features
• the latest statistics (taken from reliable sources like .gov and .edu industry reports, and Google Dataset Search )
• relevant quotations

Once you've got that information, you're ready for the next step in presentation preparation.

5. Plan Your Presentation

Now it's time to put your presentation plan together. This is where you bring together ideas from your brainstorm and information from your research and organize them into a rough outline. 

A good way to do this is with headings for different parts of your presentation and bullet points with facts, quotes, and stats. By the end of this process, you'll have a pretty good idea of the content of your slides. That's a crucial part of presentation preparation.

6. Draft/Write Your Presentation

Of course, creating a presentation isn't just about the slides. Use the outline you've created to draft the spoken part of your presentation. It's good to start with an overview of what your presentation will cover. Get it right, and this will whet your audience's appetite and make them pay attention.

Plan your introduction to draw your audience in . Using a story, or an unusual fact or stat can help with this.  Christina Strickland , Vice President of Crackerjack Marketing, says:

"Presentation introductions are a chance to capture your audience’s attention right away. This is a good time to set the tone for the presentation and the meeting in general. Before you head in, know in your own mind the objectives for yourself and for your audience. When you introduce the presentation, begin by laying out the objectives for the audience and then a quick overview of the format and flow. This will help participants know what to expect and the right time to ask questions."

Plan your conclusion, too. It's helpful to know where you're headed so you can steer your presentation the right way.

Use storytelling throughout to keep your audience's attention. Don't be concerned if the final spoken presentation is a little different from your prepared outline. The outline is a guide, but you'll know what you need to include or exclude as you start to polish the actual presentation. 

That's part of the reason you don't always need to create your slides at the outline stage of presentation planning. Instead, update that initial outline based on what your ACTUAL presentation will be. Then it's time for slide preparation (PPT templates, as you'll see, will be a big asset for the next stage).

7. Design Your Presentation Slides

Wondering how to prepare your presentation with minimum hassle? Use a premium presentation template from Envato Elements to get a harmonious design. This means you can focus on your content, rather than worrying about needing graphic design skills . Remember, you can download unlimited PowerPoint presentation templates from Envato Elements, all for one low price.

There are also attractive PowerPoint presentation templates on GraphicRiver , for those preferring a single-use template. So, there's lots of choice.

Here are some other useful presentation preparation tips:

• Don't overdo the font choice . A single heading font and a single body font will be fine for most presentations. 
• Choose your fonts carefully . Some fonts look attractive on your computer but are hard to read.
• Pay attention to font size . You'll need to make sure that even someone who's at the back of the room can read your slides.
• Avoid walls of text . They make slides hard to read and is pretty off-putting. A wall of text is a sure way to lose your audience.
• Make one key point per slide . Have a few supporting bullet points.
• Use charts, graphics, images, and quotes . They can help make your points and keep your audience's attention.

For more presentation creation tips, check out our in-depth PowerPoint tutorial: How to Use PowerPoint (Ultimate Tutorial Guide) .

8. Expect Questions

Once your main presentation is ready, there's one more way to make your presentation great. That's to prepare for questions. As part of your presentation planning, you should:

• Think about what people might ask about your presentation content and be ready with answers.
• Consider how to deliver your presentation to lead people to ask certain questions that you're prepared for.
• Prepare an answer for when you've got no answer so that you're not left floundering.

Christina Strickland says:

"Unexpected questions are bound to happen. Don’t feel like you are required to answer every question that comes up. It’s always good to have a few different responses prepared for different types of questions. Remember, it’s ok to say “That’s a really good question but it’s not really in my area of expertise.”"

9. Practice the Presentation

When you're happy with your slides and have prepared for questions, it's time for some presentation practice. This is where you do a complete run-through of your presentation, with both your presentation script and the slides. 

As you practice, pay attention to anything that doesn't flow, or is hard to say . Edit both your script and your presentation slides to remove these items. You don't want to be stumbling over your words on the day.

Some people prefer to practice alone but consider using a few friends or trusted colleagues as a test audience. It's a good way to make sure your material is clear and easy to understand.

Keep practicing till you feel you know your material inside out. This will help you deliver a polished presentation when it's time. If you're presenting online, Jared Karol suggests:

"The biggest thing to focus on when delivering presentations virtually is the idea of presence over performance. Try to recreate as closely as possible the vibe and feel you would create if you were all in the room together. Yes, prepare and rehearse. Yes, make sure the technology is good to go. And, remember that how you deliver the information is just as important as what information you're delivering. Wherever possible, try to personalize and humanize your presentation. Try to make your audience feel something not just remember something." 

To learn more about presenting in public, read our public speaking guide: 

10. Prepare the Room

When thinking about how to practice for a presentation, there's one element some people overlook: the presentation space .  If it's possible, check it out well before it's time for you to present. 

One thing to pay attention to is the presentation equipment. Whether you're using a laptop and screen, a projector and screen, or some other piece of technology, get familiar with the presentation technology so you can ensure it'll work as expected.

And if you're able to book rehearsal time, take advantage of it. If you do, there won't be any surprises on the day.

Here are a few additional tips for giving an online presentation. 

11. Adjust Slide Design For Virtual Displays

If you're doing a virtual presentation, one of the most important tips for presentation preparation is to adjust the design of your slides. People will tune in from different size screens. So, make sure you don't have any text too near the top, bottom or sides of the slide, or some people won't be able to see it. Stephanie Schwab says:

 "I like to give instructions to the audience on how to get the best view of the presentation; I use Zoom most of the time, so I'll do a quick explanation of how to switch from gallery view to speaker view, and how to slide the screensharing portion bigger or smaller. That way I can have a little bit more confidence that the audience will take in the presentation in the way I want them to see it, and not get distracted by gallery view."

12. Look After Background and Lighting

We've all been on Zoom calls where the speaker is backlit, or where there's something distracting in the background. Avoid both of these so your audience can focus on your presentation. Experiment with the room you're presenting in to find the best lighting or get a ring light or two to ensure your face is always visible. And consider using a virtual background to keep distractions to a minimum. 

Tara Furiani says:

"The differences between presentations online and those that are in-person, are largely dependent on the skill of the facilitator. For example, one who’s engaging, tech savvy and can command a room… should find the presentations in-person or online, pretty much the same. When I present in a live setting, I use far less imagery than I would for an online session, because the focus would be on me. Virtually, I tend to add a touch more visual content, since my face alone should only be looked at for so long. By anyone."

13. Use Interactive Features

When preparing your presentation plan for an online presentation, try interactive features in your delivery platform to keep the audience engaged. Since you won't be able to use - or see body language - here are some tactics to try:

• Include polls.
• Ask questions people can respond to in the chat section.
• Encourage the use of emoji reactions to get the audience involved.

These features are a big advantage of presenting online, says Tara Furiani:

"One shift, I think, that we will miss about online presentations (when in-person becomes the ‘norm’ again) is the ability to know, in the moment, if you are affecting change with people and resonating. Reactions, re-quotes, comments, and questions are delivered to us, while we are presenting, instantaneously… training survey be damned, this is real-time feedback.  We’re going to miss that; I just know it. In real life, save for applause, there aren’t ‘reactions’ to click that appear over the speakers’ head… maybe there should be?"

Presentation Preparation: Online vs In-Person

More conferences and events are being held online, and that's likely to continue. That means going one step further to understand how to develop a presentation to give a virtual audience a great experience. Stephanie Schwab comments:

"A lot of people think that giving an online presentation means you have to show slides the whole time - and I think just the opposite. I might have some slides to backup some of my points, but I'm usually pretty fluid between sharing my screen with a slide and then turning off sharing, so that the online audience can focus on me."

Do you wonder "what is a good presentation for online audiences?" Here are some differences in presentation preparation between online and in-person presentations.

• You can't read the room . When presenting in-person, you can tell if people are engaged because they may lean forward, make eye contact or respond in some way. On a video call, you may not be able to see them properly, and they'll likely be muted to avoid background noise. To make up for this, pause regularly and ask for comments or feedback. 
• You can't rely on body language . An in-person presenter can use physicality for emphasis. That's not possible in the boundaries of a small screen.
• Visual cues are essential . In-person you can gesture or point at a key part of your slides. That's harder on a small screen. So, design your slides with visual cues like arrows and circles to direct your audience to what's most important on any slide. 
• Working technology is more important  for virtual presentations. It's essential to ensure your mic and camera are working properly so you look professional. In contrast, you always have the option of going tech-free in an in-person presentation.
• You handle questions differently . In-person, it's pretty easy to see when someone has a question, especially in a small room. Online, that's much harder, so have someone on hand to keep track of who's raised a hand or typed a question into the chat box.
• Camera position is crucial. In-person, you may not have a camera. Even if you do, you can walk around the room to make eye contact with different people. That's not possible online, so make sure you're looking directly into the camera. That will allow you to make virtual eye contact with every participant. 

Learn More About How to Prepare Your Presentation

Now you know how to prepare a good presentation, but don't stop there. Find even more useful presentation preparation tips in the following guides and tutorials:

Find More Presentation Templates

Are you still looking for the right presentation template? Find great templates for any type of presentation in the following roundups:

Start Your Presentation Preparation

Now, it's your turn to prepare a presentation. You've learned some key presentation steps, including the importance of developing a presentation plan as well as the importance of presentation practice. You're ready to get started.

Don't forget. You can find attractive PowerPoint presentation templates on Envato Elements. And, for one-off use, you can also choose from the presentation templates on GraphicRiver. Check out the best PowerPoint templates available today.

Editorial Note: This post has been updated with contributions from Sharon Hurley Hall . Sharon is a freelance instructor for Envato Tuts+.

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How to Prepare for a Presentation, with Examples

February 15, 2021 - Dom Barnard

This guide covers everything you need to know to prepare for your presentation. including what you need to think about beforehand, during and after the presentation.

1. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse (always aloud)

Once you have your presentation worked out, you will need to practice it, but even though you might think it’s the best way to have a flawless presentation, don’t memorise what you’re going to say.

That might sound like incredibly bad advice, but here’s why:

• If you memorise your speech, you’ll get stuck in thinking you can only deliver your ideas in that way, and that stifles your creativity, and the chance for new thoughts and ways to put things that come up as you speak.

Not only that, but every  audience is different . Sometimes they laugh out loud, sometimes they sit and smile, and you never know which type of audience you’ll have until you’re live.

Practice Presentation Skills

Improve your public speaking and presentation skills by practicing them in realistic environments, with automated feedback on performance. Learn More

If you’re going off a memorised presentation, it’s much more difficult to break away from that to go with the flow on the day, and respond naturally to your audience.

• If you forget your speech in the middle of it, you will be thrown, and you’ll have more chance of complete brain freeze, which really will knock your confidence.
• Memorising your presentation gives you a false sense of security, which could leave you high and dry if something goes wrong. If you’ve only got your memorised speech, for example, what will you do if your PowerPoint freezes or your props break, and you can’t do what you were going to do?

Rehearse in front of colleagues, friends, a mirror, in virtual reality – always aloud. Make sure you spend plenty of time practising your presentation, it will make you feel much more relaxed if you know your material.

Courses where you can rehearse with interactive exercises:

• Essential Public Speaking
• How to Present over Video

Video showing how you can prepare for your presentation using virtual reality.  Learn more about virtual reality training .

2. Memorise your opening line

Do, however, memorise your opening line. If you know how you’re going to begin, you’ll get a strong start and that will build your confidence.

Many speakers and stage actors find that the minute they’ve actually delivered their first line, the nerves are gone and they’re well into their stride.

3. Practise your speech from written notes

Writing your presentation out in your own handwriting will help you clarify your ideas and may well bring you new ones.

• How to Write a Speech to Engage your Audience

4. Practise presentation flow

As well as practising for the ideas and what you want to say, practise how you want your presentation to flow. Think of it almost as a symphony, with high points, slow movements and crescendos. If it’s important, think about how you want your audience to feel, what emotions you want them to have, and when.

5. The power of silence

Don’t be afraid to pause and use the power of silence. A good pause can have a huge emotional impact. It allows people to really absorb what you are saying and react, and it’s vital to pause if you’re using humour so that the next part of your presentation doesn’t get lost underneath people’s laughter.

For more on the ‘Power of the Pause’, watch this short from video Brian Tracy:  The Power of the Pause

• 10 Effective Ways to use Pauses in your Speech

6. Have a backup

There’s nothing worse than the projector dying or finding that your laptop won’t communicate with the projector for some reason. If you know you have a backup, even if it’s only a pre-prepared flip chart, you’ll feel better, and you’ll be more confident.

7. Arrive early

Following on from that, arrive at least half an hour early so you aren’t feeling rushed, and so you have time to check your equipment and get your notes laid out ready to go. That gives you time to breathe and relax before you go on, knowing everything is as set as it can be.

8. Use physical props for a demo

Use physical props, if possible, for a demo. This can make you stand out and be more memorable among all the other speakers who only use PowerPoint, and it can add greatly to the impact of your presentation.

Video showing an example of using physical props during a live demo.

9. Structure your presentation

First, find out how much time you have to present, is it 10 minutes, 15, an hour? Prepare enough material for this time and have a couple of extra slides as backup – we tend to speak much quicker when nervous so you might find you finish your presentation too early. At some large conference events, timings may change on the day, be aware of this have a shorter version of your presentation in mind (i.e. know which slides to skip over).

• How to Structure your Presentation, with Examples
• Examples of Corporate Presentation Structures

10. Prepare for questions

Have a few backup slides for questions you think will arise from your presentation. It is sometime a tactic to explain a section briefly in your speech, so that you get a question about it afterwards. If you don’t understand the question, ask for it to be rephrased.

If there are no questions, it is not an indication how good or bad your presentation was. You many have explain your material extremely well, or simply that people are tired at the end of the day and want to go home.

• Guide for Handling Questions after a Presentation

11. Prepare for where you are presenting

If you can, go to the room you are speaking in before the actual event. It gives you an idea of furniture layout, podium height, location, room size, audience size and lighting. You can then visualise the room while practising and avoid the shock of suddenly being faced with a huge room when you expected a tiny one.

Ask the organiser if you need any particular props, for example a table to help with your live demo.

Additional planning to think about before your presentation:

1. Purpose  – what outcome are we trying to achieve? How can results be measured? What will success look like?

2. Topic  – Novelty? Complexity? Technical?

3. People  – Who should attend? What do they already know? How are they going to help?

4. Timing  – When will it happen and how long will the presentation take?

5. Location  – Where will the presentation be held? Do you have access to the correct facilities for the presentation?

6. Papers  – Who is keeping minutes? Do you need to send out an agenda before the presentation? Background information required?

7. Visual aids  – Is a  projector required ? Boards?

8. Style  – Structure or unstructured, discussion style? How assertive should you be? How should the meeting items be organised?

12. Choose the signals to give to your audience

Before the presentation, think about these 5 topics:

• Eye contact
• Facial gestures
• Body language

Decide how you will use each of these to reinforce your message. Use the table below for help.

Additional courses to help you prepare for your presentation:

• Presentation Skills Training Courses

Example from Steve Jobs

Think about these 10 techniques while you are preparing your presentation..

• Planning in Analog.  Tell a story, create stunning visuals and videos to complement video, use demonstrations and other speakers, keep the audience engaged.
• Creating a Twitter-Friendly Description  Single description sentence, condensed his message into 140 characters.
• Introduce the Enemy  Story needs villains or a problem to be solved. Jobs highlighted IBM and useless mobile phones (during iPhone release) as his villains.
• Focusing on Benefits  Keep reinforcing the benefits of your product, create top 10 lists, understand this is what customers care about.
• Sticking to Rule of Three  Classic Literary technique, things are best remembered and reinforced in threes. Read this article on  Literary Techniques  for more detail.
• Sell Dreams, Not Products  Create a vision people believe in, create a vision which will make people’s lives better
• Create Visual Slides  Use as few words as possible and use colourful graphics on the slide to highlight points.
• Make Numbers Meaningful  Compare large numbers to things people understand.
• Use Plain English  Use easy to say and easy to remember words, keep it simple.
• Large Reveals  Due to Apple secrecy, Jobs was able to deliver unexpected products to the world at his product launches.

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How to Prepare for a Presentation: The Top Tips and Strategies

Master the art of presentation preparation with our detailed tips and strategies on How to Prepare for a Presentation and make an impact. Whether you're a seasoned presenter or just starting out, this resource is packed with essential tips. Read this blog to get an understanding of how you can conquer nerves and command a room.

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Addressing a large audience? Nervous about needing to present for the first time? You don't have to be! All you need to do is learn How to Prepare for a Presentation! Lucky for you, it is pretty simple, and we are here to help.

Presentations are a fundamental in both personal and professional endeavours. The ability to effectively communicate ideas, engaging audiences and crafting well made presentations is truly a valuable skill. 

Whether you need to deliver a business proposal, share the findings of your research or simply giving a speech, a well-crafted presentation will be your friend in need.

If you are looking to learn How to Prepare for a Presentation, you are in the right place. This blog will share insights with you on the tips and strategies for you to learn How to Prepare for a Good Presentation.

Table of Contents  

1) Tips and Strategies on How to Prepare for a Presentation 

      a) Understand your audience 

      b) Define your objective 

      c) Research and gather information 

      d) Organise your content 

      e) Manage your time

      f) Design visual aids   

      g) Practise and rehearse   

      h) Prepare to engage the audience   

      i) Enhance delivery skills  

      j) Manage nervousness and anxiety

     k)  Take inspiration from professional speakers

     l) Utilise technology

    m) Plan to pace your presentation

    n) Have a backup

2) Conclusion

Tips and strategies on How to Prepare for a Presentation

Explore the tips and strategies recommended below to enhance your ability to present well. Make sure to read till the end as every tip and strategy mentioned is extremely valuable to upgrade your Presentation Skills.  

Understand your audience 

Identifying your target audience in a Presentation is crucial for captivating the attention of your listeners. Think about their age characteristics, interests, and previous knowledge concerning the subject. If you have information about your readers’ habits and preferences, you can target them very easily. Understanding your audience involves:

a) Identifying audience demographics: Think about age, sex, degrees, and work history. It will allow you to identify the right kind of tone, the level of technical information and examples for your Presentation.

b) Assessing audience interests: Find out what are the preferences and interests your audience. Do they prefer statistical data or are they attracted to stories and examples? This can help you connect with your audience on a different and deeper level to maintain their attention.

c) Adapting to their knowledge level: Determine how much information the audience already knows. Are they not beginners, intermediate or advanced users? This is useful so that you do not confuse them with complicated ideas or bore them with simple concepts. Adjust your content to their level of knowledge and ability, while still offering value to them.

Define your objective 

It is very important to clarify your goal/intention when developing a Presentation as it contributes to addressing the issue at hand. undefined

a) Set specific goals: Determine the goal that you wish to attain through the Presentation. Does the purpose of a text serve to educate, persuade, or motivate a reader? Objectives will assist you to organise your content and also with the objectives in mind you will be able to direct your delivery to the desired result.

b) Decide on the main message: Determine the central idea or main point of your communication. What message about your product do you want them to take away? This is the main message that you will be using to carry the Presentation and it will help you keep a sense of focus throughout the Presentation.

c) Align objectives with audience needs: How does your audience contribute to the realisation of your objectives? What value will they derived out of your Presentation? You can achieve this by ensuring your plans and expectations meet their needs to improve their participation or help you make a difference.

Research and gather information 

How to Prepare for a Presentation step is to make a lot of research. Good preparation of the presentation also involves finding and collecting necessary information. You may also refer to different Presentation Skills interview questions and answers in order to boost your confidence and to enhance the Presentation Skills. To conduct effective research, you need to cater to the following aspects:

a) Explore diverse sources: Refer strictly to books, journals, websites, and online resources from reliable and respectable sources. Make sure that the material that you are collecting is accurate, current, and appropriate to the subject at hand.

b) Collect data, facts, and examples: Make sure your strong arguments are backed up by evidence. This proof can help enhance your arguments, increase credibility, and deliver crucial insights to your audience. Statistics, case studies, stories, and quotes by experts can be used to add value to your content.

c) Take notes and organise information: When conducting your research remember to write notes that contain important information and key points. Use to categorise your notes by themes, subtopics, and the Presentation structure. This will help you later when you have to structure your work.  

Organise your content 

In order to facilitate the understanding process by the audience, it is crucial to structure the content of a Presentation in a way that it is logical and easy to follow. Effective organisation involves:

a) Creating a logical structure: Plan to organise the information in a clear outline or structure for the Presentation. Open the presentation with an opening that captures attention then move on to section or chapter titles with the main ideas. Finish with a final point or last sentence that ties back to your point.

b) Using headings and subheadings: Subdivide your content into subsections using header levels. These are like road signs that take you along different paths when you want to read different issues or concepts. Headings also makes the task of referring back to a particular section of your speech easy for your audience.

c) Ensuring smooth transitions: Transition will be done by introducing new ideas or concepts from one section to the other. Avoid leaving your Presentation disconnected with the sole use of nouns to connect ideas. This enables your audience to have coherence of your thoughts and avoids unnatural jumps in the argumentation process.

Manage your time  

Keeping track of the time is very important while delivering a presentation. You are only allowed to hold your audience for an allotted time frame, and you need to make sure you get your message across. You can manage your time better by:

a) Wear your watch: It is recommended to wear a watch for all formal gatherings to keep track of time, or in case an attractive individual asks you the time. Check your watch from time to time to be sure you're on track with the time frame.

b) Keep it short: Make sure your presentation is short and effective and not unnecessarily long and confusing. The longer you take to explain the lesser time you have left. 

c) Plan your presentation in phases: Divide you presentation in phases and allot certain amount of time to each section. Practice delivering the presentation in that pace. This will help you be aware if you are on track or not. 

Design visual aids 

Visual aids can enhance the impact and understanding of your Presentation. Consider the following when designing visual aids: 

a) Choose appropriate visuals: Select visual elements that support and reinforce your content. This could include charts, graphs, images, videos, or infographics. Ensure that the visuals are relevant, high-quality, and easy to understand. 

b) Simplify complex information: Visual aids are particularly effective in simplifying complex information. Use visuals to present data, comparisons, or processes in a visually appealing format. This helps your audience grasp complex concepts more readily. 

c) Balance visuals and text: Find the right balance between visuals and text. Avoid overcrowding slides with excessive text, which can overwhelm and distract your audience. Use concise bullet points or keywords to complement the visuals and aid in comprehension. 

Practise and rehearse 

Practise and rehearsal are essential for delivering a confident and polished Presentation. Consider the following when practising: 

a) Rehearse your content: Familiarise yourself with the content and flow of your Presentation. Practise delivering each section, ensuring a smooth transition between ideas. Pay attention to your pacing, articulation, and clarity of speech. 

b) Time your Presentation: Practise timing your Presentation to ensure it fits within the allocated time. This helps you avoid rushing through important points or exceeding the time limit. Adjust your delivery as necessary to ensure a well-paced Presentation. 

c) Seek feedback and refine: Seek feedback from trusted individuals who can provide constructive criticism. Incorporate their suggestions to refine your delivery, eliminate unnecessary filler words, and enhance the overall impact of your Presentation. 

Unlock your full potential as a Presenter with our Presentation Skills Training – join now!

Prepare to engage the audience 

Engaging your audience throughout the Presentation helps maintain their interest and active participation. Consider these strategies and Elements of Presentation to engage your audience effectively: It is also important to understand various elements of presentations. Consider these strategies to engage your audience effectively: 

a) Interactive elements: Incorporate interactive elements such as rhetorical questions, quizzes, or brief activities to encourage audience participation. This stimulates their thinking and keeps them actively engaged in the Presentation. 

b) Address audience concerns: Actively listen to your audience and address their queries or concerns promptly. Encourage questions and create a safe environment for open discussion. This demonstrates your expertise and builds rapport with your audience. 

c) Tell stories and anecdotes: Use relevant stories, anecdotes, or case studies to illustrate your points and captivate your audience. Stories have a powerful impact and make your content more relatable and memorable. 

Enhance delivery skills 

Enhancing your delivery skills is essential for creating an engaging and impactful Presentation. Consider the following to improve your delivery skills:

a) Body language: Pay attention to your body language and use it to convey confidence and authority. Maintain good posture, make purposeful gestures, and establish eye contact with your audience. This non-verbal cue enhances your message. 

b) Tone of voice and pace: Master your tone of voice and adjust it to emphasise key points or create a sense of urgency. Vary your pace to maintain interest and add emphasis where needed. Use pauses effectively to allow important information to sink in. 

c) Use visual aids as support: Visual aids should complement your delivery, not overshadow it. Use them as support to enhance your message rather than relying on them completely. Maintain a balance between your verbal delivery and the visuals. 

Manage nervousness and anxiety 

Managing nervousness and anxiety is crucial for delivering a confident Presentation. Consider the following strategies: 

a) Preparation and practice: Thorough preparation and practice build confidence and reduce anxiety. The more familiar you are with your content, the more at ease you will feel during the Presentation. 

b) Deep breathing and relaxation techniques: Before as well as during the Presentation, practice deep breathing exercises and relaxation techniques to calm your nerves. Focus on slow, deep breaths to regulate your heart rate and promote a sense of calm. 

c) Be early: It is a good idea to be early for your Presentation. This will give you more time to get ready to set up your equipment. When you reach early at the venue, you get plenty of time to work on the finer details of your Presentation.  

d) Visualise success: Visualise yourself delivering a successful Presentation. Imagine the positive outcomes and the impact you will have on your audience. Visualising success helps boost your confidence and reduces anxiety. 

Take inspiration from professional speakers

 A great way to improve your Presentation Skills is to observe other great speakers. Watch videos or attend public speaking workshops to improve you Public Speaking skills.

a) Take notes: when you see a speaker do something you admire, note it down. Taking notes is a great way to retain information. These notes will come in handy while you work on your own presentation. 

b) Pick the right speakers: Pick out the speakers that would inspire you and ones’ that you can resonate with. This will help you connect with the people that inspire you at a human level. This is important as it helps makes your goals seem more and more realistic.

c) Pay attention to tonality: You can learn a lot from a speaker if you observe well enough. Pay attention to the tones the speaker uses while addressing the crowd and try to identify the intent behind every change in tone. 

Utilise technology 

Utilising technology can enhance the effectiveness of your Presentation. Consider the following when incorporating technology: 

a) Choose appropriate tool s: Select Presentation software or tools that suit your needs and style. Familiarise yourself with their features and functionalities, such as slide transitions, animations, or multimedia integration.  

b) Prepare for technical issues: Anticipate potential technical issues and have contingency plans in place. Ensure you have backup files saved on different devices or formats, and familiarise yourself with troubleshooting techniques in case of technical difficulties.  

c) Integrate technology seamlessly: Use technology to enhance your Presentation, not distract from it. Ensure that the technology supports your message and engages your audience effectively. Practice using the technology beforehand to ensure seamless integration into your Presentation. 

Take your Presentations to the next level with our Presenting With Impact Training . 

Plan to pace your Presentation  

Pacing your Presentation effectively ensures that you maintain the interest and engagement of your audience throughout. Consider the following when planning the pace of your Presentation: 

a) Set a realistic timeframe: Determine the allocated time for your Presentation and plan your content accordingly. Be mindful of the time constraints and ensure that your Presentation fits within the given timeframe. Avoid overloading your Presentation with excessive information, which can result in rushing through key points or running out of time. 

b) Structure your content with timing in mind: Divide your Presentation into sections or key points and assign a specific amount of time to each of them. This helps you allocate your time effectively and ensures that you cover all the essential aspects without rushing or dragging on. 

c) Practise timing during rehearsals: Practise your Presentation multiple times while keeping an eye on the clock. Use a stopwatch or timer to simulate the actual Presentation conditions. This allows you to gauge how long each section takes and make adjustments as needed to maintain a smooth and well-paced delivery. 

d) Allow time for interaction and engagement: Incorporate interactive elements, such as questions, discussions, or activities, throughout your Presentation. Plan for these moments by allocating specific time slots. This not only breaks up the monotony but also encourages audience participation and keeps their attention focused. 

e) Be aware of audience cues: Pay attention to the reactions and engagement levels of your audience during the Presentation. Adjust your pace accordingly. If you notice signs of confusion or disinterest, you may need to slow down, provide more context, or clarify certain points. On the other hand, if you see that your audience is highly engaged and responsive, you can maintain a slightly faster pace to keep the energy up. 

f) Use silence effectively: Don't be afraid to use silence as a powerful tool. A well-timed pause can create a solid emotional impact. It lets people really listen to what you are saying and respond in turn.it is essential to pause if you are using humour so that people don't miss the next part of your Presentation while they are laughing. 

g) Practise smooth transitions: Smooth transitions between sections or ideas are crucial for maintaining a good pace. Avoid abrupt jumps or awkward pauses. Practise transitioning between different topics or slides, ensuring that the flow between ideas feels natural and seamless. 

Have a backup  

While you present, the chances of things going south are slim but never nil. It is a good practice to take into account any mishap that may occur and take precautionary measures. Here is a few ways you can be prepared to do damage control:

a) Have a spare copy of your presentation: while it is good practice to send in your presentation before hand by email, it is wise to have a backup copy in a pen drive or a hard disk. This ensures that if the file wont’ open you have a backup option.

b) Carry props: while you can use it alongside your presentation, in case the visual aid of your presentation malfunctions, the show must go on. You can use props to demonstrate the message you wish to get across to retain the audience's attention.

c) Prepare a reference document and make copies: Hand out the reference document of all the topic the presentation covers so if a member of the audience has a hard time following through the can refer to the document for clarification. 

Conclusion 

This blog emphasised on every detail of How to Prepare for a Presentation. The importance of understanding your audience and the clarity one must have in their presentation. Remember to engage your audience, enhance your delivery skills, manage nervousness, utilise technology wisely, and handle Q&A sessions with confidence. Hope we could provide you with all the information you needed to know about How to Prepare for a Presentation!   

Want to master the art of Presentations? Explore our Presentation Skills Courses and elevate your communication prowess!

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are unprepared for a presentation, you are likely to make errors in your delivery, that may end up conveying the wrong message. Besides, it is considered very unprofessional to not prepare for a Presentation.

The 5/5/5 rule is that your presentation should have 5 slides that convey your message, each slide with 5 lines that consist of 5 words in each line. This helps keep the presentation short and simple.

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The Knowledge Academy offers various Presentation Skills Training , including the Presentation Skills Training, Presenting with Impact Training, and Business Writing Course. These courses cater to different skill levels, providing comprehensive insights into Key Elements of Presentation . 

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Giving Presentations

Understanding your assignment, planning your presentation, organizing your presentation, signal words and transition phrases.

• Group Presentations
• Using Presentation Software
• Engaging your Audience
• Finding and Using Images
• Citing Sources
• Overcoming Anxiety

Suggested Books

Learn how to deal with nerves, prepare concise and effective notes, anticipate questions or problems and keep your audience interested.

A Student's Guide to Presentations

Provides tips on presenting individually, in groups, and for job interviews.

Develop Your Presentation Skills

Improve your confidence and nail your presentations with this pocket guide to preparing and delivering them well.

As with any assignment, it's important to first check the assignment requirements before you start planning your presentation. Read over the assignment requirements and make sure you understand the following:

• Is it a group or individual presentation?
• Is there a time limit or requirement? 
• Are you allowed to use videos? If so, how long can videos be? Instructors generally do not want videos to take up a big portion of your presentation, but short videos can help to illustrate a point
• What's the topic you will be presenting on? Do you get to choose? 
• Are you required to prepare a visual component such as a PowerPoint or a poster?
• What is the purpose of the presentation? Are you summarizing an issue to inform your classmates? Are you presenting a paper you wrote? Are you trying to convince them of a particular argument related to an issue? Are you leading discussion on a reading?

A good presentation requires careful planning. In general, you will need to follow these steps to plan a successful presentation:

• Brainstorm and outline: What's your topic? What do you know about the topic? What do you want your audience to know? 
• Research: Use research to support your argument, find examples and statistics, or to learn more about your topic.
• Write an outline . 
• Write a draft.
• Plan any visual aids such as PowerPoint or any activities you want your audience to participate in
• Practice, practice, practice!  Make sure your presentation is not too long, and edit it down as needed.

A good presentation should be well organized, with a beginning, middle and end. 

Beginning :

The beginning of a presentation is very important! This is when you have an opportunity to grab the audience's attention, and set the tone for your presentation.

• Use an attention grabber. Some attention grabbing techniques include: asking a thought-provoking question, showing the audience am intriguing picture, telling a story or use a real life example related to your topic, sharing a shocking statistic related to your topic, sharing a powerful quote, playing a short video
• Introduce yourself and the topic you will be discussing
• Outline what you will be talking about. 
• Discuss your main points in a logical order
• It should be clear to your audience when you are moving from one point to another
• Use examples to support your points

Conclusion:

• Summarize the main points
• Avoid providing new information at this point, but you can state any additional questions that you think your research has led you too
• Use language that lets your audience know that your presentation is coming to an end
• Avoid ending with "that's it!" or apologizing for your presentation
• Thank the audience for listening and invite questions

Using transition and signal phrases throughout your presentation will help keep it organized and ensure your thoughts are communicated clearly. Try using some of the phrases below to introduce ideas and structure your presentation.

Introducing your presentation:

• The topic/question I will be discussing today is...
• This presentation will investigate/examine... 

Providing an outline:

• I want to start by..., then I will... 
• This presentation is divided into [x number] of parts. First I will... then I will..., finally I will conclude by...
• There are [x number] of points I will discuss: A, B, C and D
• Let's begin by looking at... before examining... 

Introducing your main point: 

• A significant issue is...
• A major concern is...
• The central problem is...

Rephrasing your main point:

• In other words...
• Another way to think about the problem is...

Moving to another point:

• Now let's consider...
• I'd like to move on to examine...
• Now, turning to the issue of...

Introducing an example:

• A case in point is...
• Take the case of...
• This is illustrated/demonstrated by...
• An example of this is...

​Introducing images or explaining visuals: 

• This image/diagram illustrates...
• As you can see here...

Introducing and integrating videos:

• We will now watch a short video that illustrates...
• In the video we've just watched, it is important to note that...
• As the video demonstrates...

Conclusions:

• ​ To sum up...
• In conclusion...
• In summary...
• To summarize...
• To conclude...
• Therefore... 

Inviting and Answering Questions:

• I am happy to take questions now.
• That's a very interesting question. In my opinion,...
• Thanks for your question. What my research shows is that...
• That's a relevant question, but it is out of the scope of my research.
• I'm afraid I cannot answer that question, but that's an interesting topic.

The above tips have been adapted from RMIT University Study and Learning Centre's  " Oral Presentations: Signalling and Transition Phrases."

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Plan a Presentation for Success – 8 steps

September 03, 2023

Too many people, when they hear the word presentation, reach for their computer and switch to PowerPoint. That’s because they feel they are making progress by making slides. They pull information together, they lay out slides and admire their handiwork. Only then do they try to tell a story.

This is not the right way to plan a presentation..

“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” Alexander Graham Bell

What to do instead: Plan a presentation using a story, a script and a plan

The process for presentation planning should be more like that of movie making. When you make a movie you only start filming at the end of the planning process. Before filming you have a story, a script and a plan.  It should be the same when you plan a presentation.

The better you plan a presentation, the easier it is to be successful. At first, it may feel frustrating that you are not writing slides. You may spent hours staring into space or doing research. But investing in proper planning will pay back many times over.

In the end by planning your presentation properly you will spend less time writing PowerPoint slides. You will spend less time editing and you will spend less time searching for a way to link the sections of your presentation together. You’ll also discover that practising and rehearsing is easier. You’ll learn these skills in our presentation coaching .

“There are three things that are important for a film. Number one is story, number two is story, number three is story. Good actors can save a bad script and make it bearable, but good actors can’t make a bad script good – they can just make it bearable.” Mark Strickson, TV producer & actor

Your 8 Step Presentation Plan

Let’s explore each of these presentation planning steps, one by one.

1. Start by using the AIM approach in your presentation plan

What is the first step in planning a presentation? AIM is an easy-to-apply first step so that your presentations are easier to prepare.

What typically goes wrong. Most people create presentations without proper planning. They start writing slides before they have decided what they really want to say.

Why is it important to plan a presentation?  Without an effective presentation plan you waste time and energy.   

What to do instead. Use AIM. Start with a blank sheet of paper and write the three letters A.I.M. across the top. In each of these columns start writing what you know about A: Audience , I: Your intent , (or Purpose) and M: your take-away Message .

See the next three paragraphs for more detail on A, I and M.

“Proper planning prevents poor performance” James Baker, former US Secretary of State

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2. Presentation planning : Who’s your audience and what do they need?

Shortcut Summary : Your audience, not you, should be centre of attention in your presentation. The better you understand your audience, the better your talk will be.

What typically goes wrong : When people give presentations about their latest project, they talk about their latest project. If they are reporting quarterly results, they report quarterly results. If they are speaking about their new business, they tell the audience about their new business. If explaining a new piece of regulation, they talk about elements of that regulation.

The problem with this approach is you are not including your audience in your talk. And if you don’t include your audience, your audience will be disengaged.

Why does this matter?  Audiences are selfish. They like being talked about.

What to do instead. Your talk should be about what your subject means for the audience. For example these are good titles for a presentation:

• “What you can learn from our latest project.”
• “Our quarterly results and what they mean for your department next quarter.”
• “How our new business can make you money.”
• “What the new regulations mean for you and your clients”

To do this, you must understand your audience. That means asking questions about them and getting under their skin. For example, some questions you may have could include:

ABOUT BACKGROUND

• Who is coming to this talk?
• What common reference points can I use?
• What experiences have they shared?

ABOUT MOTIVATION

• Why are they coming?
• What problems do they have?
• What do they need and want?
• What will make life easy for them?

ABOUT EXPECTATIONS

• What would they like me to talk about?
• What would victory feel like for them?
• What will make them sit up?

ABOUT CONNECTING

• What can I say that will show them I am on their side?
• What stories will resonate?
• How can I add value?

ABOUT EMOTIONAL POSITION

• What frame of mind will they be in?
• What should I avoid talking about?
• What will make them feel good?
• What can I say at the start to win them over?

ABOUT MAKING IT EASY FOR THEM

• What specific language should I use?
• How should I position what I am talking about for this audience?
• What phrases will resonate?

The more you learn about your audience, the better you know them and the better you can plan your talk for them.

“Designing a presentation without an audience in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it: To Whom It May Concern.” Ken Haemer, presentation designe r

• Before any talk, analyse the audience.
• Research them.
• Make sure you really know them and their needs before you start planning what to say.

3. How to plan a presentation – What are you trying to achieve?

Summary : Decide early the intent or purpose to your talk. This will help you direct your efforts to achieve your goals.

What typically goes wrong : “I’m going to talk about…” is a typical answer to the question “Why are you doing this talk?” But talking about something is of no use to anyone. It is pointless.

For example these are bad intents:

• “I’m talking about our new project”
• “I’m talking about the new regulations”
• “A pitch about our new fund”
• “An introduction to ABCX co”
• “Monthly board report”

Why does this matter? For a talk to work it requires a clear purpose. When you know your purpose you can harness your talk to achieve just that.

What to do instead : Decide your intent. For example, when I asked a Chief Financial Officer recently what was the intent of his presentation, he was clear: he said that he “Wanted to look like the next CEO of this business.” This clear purpose made it easy to help him prepare what he said, how he said it and how he positioned himself.

More examples of a good intent:

• A Lawyer, when giving a talk about new regulations , was clear that she wanted “to help companies use the new regulations to run better, more profitable businesses”.
• An HR director who was introducing a new expense system was clear that her intent was to “get people to use the new system by next month so they can get paid faster and with less effort.’
• A fund manager who was pitching a first time fund to new investors had a clear intent of “getting onto their radar screens and securing a second meeting”
• A company looking for a trade buyer had crystallised their intent into “creating excitement about the potential value of buying this business and demonstrate the risk of others buying it.”
• An accountant at a well known firm had the intent with his monthly board reports to “Get them to recognise the value my team adds.”

Having a clear intent will make it easier for you to plan your presentation. Identifying that intent is also one of the harder parts of planning a talk.

“A talk is a voyage with purpose and it must be charted. The man who starts out going nowhere, generally gets there.” Dale Carnegie

• Be absolutely clear on the intent of your talk.
• Summarise your intent in one line
• Use your intent as your North Star to guide everything you say and how you say it.

4. What’s your one big take-away message?

Summary : Your presentation needs a take-away message . This means one simple message so when someone asks “What was that talk about?” a listener can confidently answer.

What typically goes wrong : Many presentations have titles such as:

• “Quarterly strategy report”
• “Project X”
• “Manufacturing update”
• “Annual results”

These are all topics, not messages

Why does this matter? These titles don’t help the audience. They only tell them something they already know. With a topic title you miss the opportunity of preparing your audience and getting them in the right mindset to be ready for your talk.

What to do instead : Identify a message that summarises your talk that you can use as its title. Keep improving the title until it properly captures what you want to say. For example:

• “Our strategy remains on track”
• “Launching Project X by December could double revenues next year”
• “Manufacturing: three problems we must address”
• “Profits up 5% this year despite Covid headwinds”

Then test your title on other people. Check if it generates the reaction you want.

“If you can’t write your idea on the back of my calling card, you don’t have a clear idea.” David Belasco, theatre producer

Next Steps in planning a presentation

• Decide the title of your talk early.
• Check it generates the reaction you want.
• Use this to build the rest of your talk.
• Re-test your message against A.I.M.

5. How to plan a presentation – What are the three parts of your talk?

Summary : Your brain Is naturally tuned to hearing things in sets of three . If you can break your presentation into three parts then it’s more likely to be a success.

What typically goes wrong : Many presentations are like shopping lists: covering multiple topics and jumping from one idea to the next.

Why does this matter? In the end, a huge amount of information has been transmitted but little has been received.

What to do instead : Less is more in a presentation. Help your audience by giving them a structure. A three part structure is one of the most useful planning shortcuts that you can use.

Once you are completely clear about your intent and your message, start developing a three part structure for your talk. For example, if I wanted to give a talk that shared advice on how to present, I would consider using one of the following structures:

• Mistakes other people make / Tips you can use / How to become a great speaker
• How to define your messages / How to structure your talk / How to deliver your talk
• What bad looks like / what good looks like / what you can do differently

“ In writing and speaking, three is more satisfying than any other number.” Carmine Gallo, author

• Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
• Liberté, égalité, fraternité ;
• A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play;
• Stop, Look and Listen;
• Faster, Higher, Stronger;
• Veni, vidi, vici ;
• “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”
• Find your three part structure early.
• Use the structure to focus your efforts and guide your planning

6 . Presentation planning – What is your story?

Summary: Use a story to underpin your talk. No matter how dry your subject, when you use a story you will make it more memorable and more effective.

What typically goes wrong As an expert, a typical presenter wants to share knowledge.

For example: A few years ago, I helped a lawyer give a talk to investors. This audience consisted of private equity executives who sat on their investee company boards. The subject was the 2006 Companies Act and the Duties and Responsibilities of a Company Director. A dry subject.

In her first draft, she reviewed sections of the Act and highlighted problems that directors may face. For example, “Section 172 of the Act, sets out your overarching duties as a director. You must act in the way you consider, in good faith, would be most likely to promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members as a whole.”

As you can imagine, it was not the most exciting of talks.

Why does this matter? A precise talk may not be an interesting talk. Your job as a presenter is to make the talk interesting and easy for your audience.

What to do instead Find a story that fits what you want to talk about.

For example, for the investor director talk above, we decided to title the talk “How to keep your nose clean and yourself out of jail” Then the talk was based around a series of situations that anyone in the audience might face. She did not refer to any particular section of the Companies Act at all. Her text was:

“Imagine this situation. You turn up for a board meeting. You are a 10% shareholder and you are a director. At that board meeting the CEO announces that the company is near bankrupt and needs more funding. What should you do? Do you absent yourself, having a connected interest. Or do you declare your interest as a shareholder? Or do you carry as normal assuming business as usual?”

By framing it as a story you involve your audience and you make it easier for them to process what you say.

“Sometimes reality is too complex. Stories give it form.” Jean Luc Godard, film director

• Find stories to tell, narratives to bring your facts to life.
• Tell the story behind the numbers.
• The dryer your subject matter, the more important stories become.

7. How to plan your presentation – Have you asked WHY?

Summary : ‘Why’ comes before ‘What’ comes before ‘How’

What typically goes wrong : When a speaker knows a subject well, it is easy for them to assume knowledge and talk about the nuances of what they know. I often describe this as the ‘How’ of a subject.

For example, when speaking about a new engine you have developed, you might say that you made the pistons more accurately, that you mix petrol more precisely and you have added a new technique of managing engine performance.

Why does this matter? This is one of the most common mistakes that experts make when giving talks. They spend too much time explaining HOW something works, rather than explaining WHAT it is they are talking about and WHY it is important.

What to do instead : “We have designed a more efficient car engine that will get 100 miles to the gallon.”

“Start with Why” Simon Sinek

• Ask yourself “So What?” to everything you say
• Check that you are clear why the audience will be interested.
• Imagine someone in the audience asking “What’s in it for me?” (WIIFM)

8. How to plan a presentation – Can you give a 90 second summary of your presentation?

Summary : The best way to plan your presentation is by speaking a c 100-200 word summary of your presentation. This summary will test the rigour of your thinking, the clarity of your ideas and the robustness of your plan.

What typically goes wrong : The average poor presentation meanders from topic to topic and is more like a data dump than a well organised talk. It is rich in information but poor in story, structure and planning. It will be hard to summarise that talk easily.

Why does this matter? Lack of planning = Lack of story = Hard for your audience.

What to do instead : Create a short summary of your talk to test your thinking

• You can use your summary early in your presentation planning to test your ideas.
• If you are working with colleagues you can share your thinking using your summary.
• If you are planning a presentation for someone else, you can share your summary to test their reaction.
• If someone else is preparing your presentation, you can use a summary to check they are on track.

Creating a summary is one of the most powerful ways to plan a presentation and will save you a huge amount of wasted time.

“If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour.” Dianna Booher, Autho r

Next Steps for Presentation Planning

• Test your ideas with a short summary.
• Use a critical audience.
• If it is not tight enough, keep refining your summary.

Summary – how to plan a presentation for success

Start by planning, not by writing. This may feel counter intuitive, but you’ll make progress faster.

How do you plan a presentation for success? Try these steps:

• Use AIM as the first stage of preparing any talk
• A – Audience: Analyse your audience and understand their needs
• I – Intent: Be clear on the single purpose of your talk.
• M – Message: Decide your one take-away message from your talk
• Decide the three parts of your talk
• Create and perfect a 90 second summary of your talk before fleshing it out
• Answer the WHY questions in your talk before the WHAT or HOW questions.
• Imagine your audience asking So What? and What’s in it for me? throughout.
• Check your talk summary against your Audience, Intent and Message.

How to plan a presentation

How to plan a presentation training programme

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How to Give a Killer Presentation

• Chris Anderson

For more than 30 years, the TED conference series has presented enlightening talks that people enjoy watching. In this article, Anderson, TED’s curator, shares five keys to great presentations:

• Frame your story (figure out where to start and where to end).
• Plan your delivery (decide whether to memorize your speech word for word or develop bullet points and then rehearse it—over and over).
• Work on stage presence (but remember that your story matters more than how you stand or whether you’re visibly nervous).
• Plan the multimedia (whatever you do, don’t read from PowerPoint slides).
• Put it together (play to your strengths and be authentic).

According to Anderson, presentations rise or fall on the quality of the idea, the narrative, and the passion of the speaker. It’s about substance—not style. In fact, it’s fairly easy to “coach out” the problems in a talk, but there’s no way to “coach in” the basic story—the presenter has to have the raw material. So if your thinking is not there yet, he advises, decline that invitation to speak. Instead, keep working until you have an idea that’s worth sharing.

Lessons from TED

A little more than a year ago, on a trip to Nairobi, Kenya, some colleagues and I met a 12-year-old Masai boy named Richard Turere, who told us a fascinating story. His family raises livestock on the edge of a vast national park, and one of the biggest challenges is protecting the animals from lions—especially at night. Richard had noticed that placing lamps in a field didn’t deter lion attacks, but when he walked the field with a torch, the lions stayed away. From a young age, he’d been interested in electronics, teaching himself by, for example, taking apart his parents’ radio. He used that experience to devise a system of lights that would turn on and off in sequence—using solar panels, a car battery, and a motorcycle indicator box—and thereby create a sense of movement that he hoped would scare off the lions. He installed the lights, and the lions stopped attacking. Soon villages elsewhere in Kenya began installing Richard’s “lion lights.”

• CA Chris Anderson is the curator of TED.

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Blog > How to structure a good PowerPoint Presentation

How to structure a good PowerPoint Presentation

08.09.21   •  #powerpoint #tips.

When creating presentations, it is particularly important that they are well organized and have a consistent structure.

A logical structure helps the audience to follow you and to remember the core information as best as possible. It is also important for the presenter, as a good presentation structure helps to keep calm, to stay on the topic and to avoid awkward pauses.

But what does such a structure actually look like? Here we show you how to best organize your presentation and what a good structure looks like.

Plan your presentation

Before you start creating your presentation, you should always brainstorm. Think about the topic and write all your ideas down. Then think about the message you want to communicate, what your goal is and what you want your audience to remember at the end.

Think about who your audience is so that you can address them in the best possible way. One possibility is to start your presentation with a few polls to get to know your audience better. Based on the results, you can then adapt your presentation a little. Use the poll function of SlideLizard and have all the answers at a glance. SlideLizard makes it possible to integrate the polls directly into your PowerPoint presentation which helps you to avoid annoying switching between presentation and interaction tool. You can keep an eye on the results while the votes come in and then decide whether you want to share them or not.

• an informative
• an entertaining
• an inspiring
• or a persuasive presentation?

Typical Presentation Structure

The basic structure of a presentation is actually always the same and should consist of:

Introduction

Make sure that the structure of your presentation is not too complicated. The simpler it is, the better the audience can follow.

Personal Introduction

It is best to start your presentation by briefly introducing yourself which helps to build a connection with your audience right away.

Introduce the topic

Then introduce the topic, state the purpose of the presentation and provide a brief outline of the main points you will be addressing.

Mention the length

In the introduction, mention the approximate length of the talk and then also make sure you stick to it.

The introduction should be no longer than two slides and provide a good overview of the topic.

Icebreaker Polls

According to studies, people in the audience only have an average attention span of 10 minutes, which is why it is important to increase their attention right at the beginning and to arouse the audience's interest. You could make a good start with a few icebreaker polls for example. They lighten the mood right at the beginning and you can secure your audience's attention from the start.

For example, you could use SlideLizard to have all the answers at a glance and share them with your audience. In addition, the audience can try out how the polls work and already know how it works if you include more polls in the main part.

Get to know your audience

As mentioned earlier, it is always useful to think about who your audience actually is. Ask them questions at the beginning about how well they already know the topic of your presentation. Use SlideLizard for this so that you have a clear overview about the answers. You can use both single- and multiple-choice questions or also open questions and display their results as a WordCloud in your presentation, for example.

Include a quote

To make the beginning (or the end) of your presentation more exciting, it is always a good idea to include a quote. We have selected some powerful quotes for PowerPoint presentations for you.

Present your topic

The main part of a presentation should explain the topic well, state facts, justify them and give examples. Keep all the promises you made earlier in the introduction.

Length and Structure

The main part should make up about 70% of the presentation and also include a clear structure. Explain your ideas in detail and build them up logically. It should be organized chronologically, by priority or by topic. There should be a smooth transition between the individual issues. However, it is also important to use phrases that make it clear that a new topic is starting. We have listed some useful phrases for presentations here.

Visualize data and statistics and show pictures to underline facts. If you are still looking for good images, we have selected 5 sources of free images for you here.

Focus on the essentials

Focus on what is most important and summarize a bit. You don't have to say everything about a topic because your audience won’t remember everything either. Avoid complicated sentence structure, because if the audience does not understand something, they will not be able to read it again.

Make your presentation interactive

Make your presentation interactive to keep the attention of your audience. Use SlideLizard to include polls in your presentation, where your audience can vote directly from their smartphone and discuss the answers as soon as you received all votes. Here you can also find more tips for increasing audience engagement.

Repeat the main points

The conclusion should contain a summary of the most important key points. Repeat the main points you have made, summarize what the audience should have learned and explain how the new information can help in the future.

Include a Q&A part

Include a Q&A part at the end to make sure you don't leave any questions open. It's a good idea to use tools like SlideLizard for it. Your audience can ask anonymous questions and if there is not enough time, you can give them the answers afterwards. You can read more about the right way to do a question slide in PowerPoint here.

Get Feedback

It is also important to get feedback on your presentation at the end to keep improving. With SlideLizard you can ask your audience for anonymous feedback through star ratings, number ratings or open texts directly after your presentation. You can then export the responses and analyse them later in Excel.

Presentation style

Depending on the type of presentation you give, the structure will always be slightly different. We have selected a few different presentation styles and their structure for you.

Short Presentation

If you are one of many presenters on the day, you will only have a very limited time to present your idea and to convince your audience. It is very important to stand out with your presentation.

So you need to summarize your ideas as briefly as possible and probably should not need more than 3-5 slides.

Problem Solving Presentation

Start your presentation by explaining a problem and giving a short overview of it.

Then go into the problem a little more, providing both intellectual and emotional arguments for the seriousness of the problem. You should spend about the first 25% of your presentation on the problem.

After that, you should spend about 50% of your presentation proposing a solution and explaining it in detail.

In the last 25%, describe what benefits this solution will bring to your audience and ask them to take a simple but relevant action that relates to the problem being discussed.

Tell a Story

A great way to build an emotional connection with the audience is to structure a presentation like a story.

In the introduction, introduce a character who has to deal with a conflict. In the main part, tell how he tries to solve his problem but fails again and again. In the end, he manages to find a solution and wins.

Stories have the power to win customers, align colleagues and motivate employees. They’re the most compelling platform we have for managing imaginations. - Nancy Duarte / HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations

Make a demonstration

Use the demonstration structure to show how a product works. First talk about a need or a problem that has to be solved.

Then explain how the product will help solve the problem and try to convince your audience of the need for your product.

Spend the end clarifying where and when the product can be purchased.

Chronological structure

When you have something historical to tell, it is always good to use a chronological structure. You always have to ask yourself what happens next.

To make it more interesting and exciting, it is a good idea to start by telling the end of something and after that you explain how you got there. This way you make the audience curious and you can gain their attention faster.

Nancy Duarte TED Talk

Nancy Duarte is a speaker and presentation design expert. She gives speeches all over the world, trying to improve the power of public presentations.

In her famous TED Talk "The Secret Structure of Great Talks" she dissects famous speeches such as Steve Jobs' iPhone launch speech and Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech. In doing so, she found out that each presentation is made up of 4 parts:

• What could be
• A moment to remember
• Promise of “New Bliss”

Related articles

About the author.

Helena Reitinger

Helena supports the SlideLizard team in marketing and design. She loves to express her creativity in texts and graphics.

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Slide transitions.

Slide transitions are visual effects which appear in PowerPoint when one slide moves to the next. There are many different transitions, like for example fade and dissolve.

Solution Presentation

A solution has already been found during a solution presentation. The only thing that remains is to find a solution on how to realize the decision.

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14 effective presentation tips to impress your audience

Get your team on prezi – watch this on demand video.

Anete Ezera July 15, 2022

An effective presentation can communicate key ideas and opinions, save time, and contribute to your overall success as a business, but good presentation skills don’t come naturally to everyone. In this blog post, you’ll find 14 effective presentation tips you can implement in your next presentation to make it a success. 

Whether you’re preparing for an important presentation at work or school, or you’re looking for ways to generally improve your presentation skills, you’ll find these presentation tips useful. We’ve gathered a list to help you impress your audience from the get-go. You’ll find tips for creating and presenting your slides, talking in front of an audience, and other effective presentation techniques to help you stand out. 

Most common presentation mistakes

Before we list our top effective presentation tips, let’s explore the most common presentation mistakes. If you’ve made one or more mistakes in this list, you’re not alone. Most people have made at least one mistake. However, what’s important is to be aware of these errors and try avoiding them next time.

#1 A poor start

One of the most common mistakes people make is undermining the importance of the first few minutes or seconds of their presentation. 

Let’s say you’ve practiced your key talking points meticulously and gone over your slides a million times, but when you’re in the spotlight and need to say your first line, do you know exactly what to say to wow the audience? 

The start of your presentation is crucial. Not only because how you start sets the tone for the rest of your presentation, but also because people generally require around 8 seconds to decide whether they find the subject interesting enough to keep listening. Starting your presentation with a captivating intro is even more important than you think. To ensure you start off right, read our guide on how to start your presentation . 

#2 Lack of preparation

Yes, even though it’s clear that you should prepare before giving a presentation, it’s still a common mistake amongst presenters. Preparing content and talking points is an obvious start, but there are other steps that you might be overlooking.

Before you even join a meeting or walk into a room where you’re going to present, consider the technical requirements and get familiar with the equipment. If you’re presenting online, make sure to test-run your presentation and the visual aids you’re going to use. The last thing you want is a broken video link, poor audio, or a weak connection when you’re presenting. 

Also, consider the questions your audience might want to ask you about the topic. Think about how you’d answer those questions, or do even further research to really impress the audience with your answers. 

Explore other ways to prepare for a presentation to feel even more confident when presenting.

#3 Losing track of time

It’s great to feel passionate about your topic. However, you’ll have to consider your audience’s level of interest and knowledge. Some details might seem fascinating to you, and you’d like to talk about them for hours, but for your audience, too much information will drain their energy and lose their attention. 

Therefore, make sure to keep track of time. Also, consider your audience’s interests. A concise presentation is always better than a long one with a ton of information. Plus, you’ll have a higher chance of keeping your audience’s attention throughout the presentation. 

Effective presentation tips

Now that we’ve looked at some of the most common presentation mistakes – let’s dive into effective presentation tips that’ll help you excel in future presentations. 

#1 Tell a story

Stories connect, inspire, and empower people. Telling a story can entice action, help understand an idea, and make people feel connected to the storyteller. It’s also one of the most effective presentation tips. A study by organizational psychologist Peg Neuhauser found that a well-told story is easier to remember than facts, which makes it a highly effective learning technique. 

With that in mind, telling a story when you’re presenting can engage your audience and make it a more memorable experience. You can either share a personal story or a historical event, just make sure to have a clear connection between the story and the topic you’re presenting. 

#2 Work on your body language

Body language can make a huge difference in how your presentation is perceived. It’s one of the presentation tips you definitely shouldn’t overlook. 

Body language says a lot about a person’s confidence level, emotions, state of mind, and even credibility. For the audience, it’s a way to understand what the person is saying and how interested they are in the topic. 

Therefore, work on your body language to better convey the message you’re trying to communicate. Practice in front of a mirror before your presentation and be conscious of your hand gestures and facial expressions. 

#3 Understand your audience

Before crafting your presentation, you must know who you’re speaking to. Understanding the interests, demographics, professional background, and other valuable information of your audience is crucial in making your speech successful. 

If you’re speaking at an event, contact the organizers to get more information about other speakers and the audience. If you’re presenting at work, you may already know your audience fairly well. Use this information to your advantage and create content you know they’ll resonate with.

#4 Use high-quality visuals

What’s one of the most effective presentation techniques? Use of visuals. They play a crucial role in your presentation. However, only high-quality visuals will make a good impression and effectively communicate your message. Use high-quality visuals like images, videos, graphs, maps, and others to really land your point. 

Using visuals is a great way to convey your ideas as they’re easier to process than text. If you’re not sure where to find great visuals, check out our blog post on presentation visuals for five free resources.

P.S. the Prezi library holds a variety of images, videos, GIFs, stickers, and other visuals, including different charts and maps to spice up your presentation. It’s all available in your dashboard .

#5 Use data visualizations

Do you want to showcase statistics or other datasets in your presentation? Use data visualizations to make your data stand out and impress your audience. 

There’s nothing more boring than a bunch of data presented in a flat way. If you want to tell a story with your data, use interactive infographics or slides enriched with eye-catching visuals. Showcasing data will make your ideas appear more trustworthy and credible. 

Prezi Design offers a range of templates to choose from. You can start creating data visualizations from scratch or choose a template and edit the data there. 

#6 Make it engaging with interactive elements

It’s not easy to deliver an engaging presentation. People can easily get distracted or try to multitask, especially in the virtual environment. Sometimes, it’s difficult to focus on the speaker and the written text. Other times, the content just isn’t impressive enough to hold the audience’s attention. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

You can make your presentation more engaging for everyone by including interactive content like graphs and charts. With interactive data visualizations, you’ll make the data discovery process more engaging and exciting for your audience. 

Your audience will be able to hover over data points and click on certain icons or datasets to discover information on their own. Interactive visualizations will make the presentation more memorable and impressive. 

As you can see in the example below, you can discover different data by engaging with the infographic. 

#7 Stay consistent with fonts and color styles

You want your presentation to look visually appealing and highlight essential information. To make that happen, stay consistent with font styles and color schemes throughout your presentation. 

Use one or two fonts max to make the text easy to read and understand. Also, use a carefully selected color scheme that’s not too distracting. If you’re using Prezi Design, you can easily copy and paste styles by right-clicking on your data visualizations and selecting “copy styles.” This makes it easier to stay consistent and saves time when picking matching colors. 

#8 Structure your presentation properly

Before creating your presentation, think about its structure. What’s the main idea you want to convey? Use that as your starting point, and only include information that adds value to the narrative. 

Plan out the first topics carefully to properly introduce your argument. Add the essential information in the middle part of your presentation. Lastly, close your presentation with a summary of the main points and leave your audience with an afterthought. Also, plan when you’re taking questions and for how long. 

For more insight, watch this tutorial on how to structure your presentation:

#9 Practice your public speaking skills

Public speaking may not be your forte, but you can get better with practice. Don’t decline a great opportunity to share your ideas with a larger audience just because you feel nervous speaking in front of a group of people. 

One of the best ways to improve your public speaking skills is to practice in front of your family or friends – people you feel comfortable with. Also, focus on the topic you’re presenting and get excited about the idea you want to convey. This way you’ll appear more confident and feel less nervous about public speaking. 

Explore other public speaking tips from Jessica Chen, the founder, and CEO of Soulcast Media: 

#10 Show your slides next to you on-screen

If you’re presenting on Zoom or in a virtual meeting , think twice before you share your screen. The days of hiding behind slides are over. People want to see and connect with other people, not sit through another run-of-the-mill screen share. To do that, use Prezi Video to showcase all your content right next to you in your video feed. 

As a result, your presentation will look more engaging than a traditional virtual presentation . Also, your audience will have the chance to read your body language and follow along with what you’re saying even better. 

If you already have your slides prepared, don’t worry – you can easily integrate them into Prezi. 

See Prezi Video in action and check out our video templates to get started.

#11 Calm down before presenting

Being in front of an audience can feel nerve-racking. However, there are ways to calm down before presenting that will make you feel more centered and confident. The last thing you want is all your hard work to go to waste just because of stress. 

Try breathing exercises or a five-minute guided meditation before presenting. The trick is to remove all distractions and focus on the present moment so you’re not overthinking right before starting your presentation. Also, be fully prepared and know exactly what to say and when which will help you feel more collected. If you want to discover other ways to feel and look more confident, read how not to be nervous before a presentation . 

#12 Use transitions and animations 

Add movement to your slides with transitions and animations. You’ll make your presentation more visually appealing and engaging. However, be careful not to overwhelm your audience with your choice of transitions and animations. 

Choose a transition that matches your presentation visually and use it throughout your presentation. Consider what animations will be relevant to your audience and select a few to add to your slides. Don’t overdo it. Keep the focus on the message you’re trying to convey, and use animations to only support that message. 

#13 Be enthusiastic 

When you’re in a room with a positive and enthusiastic person, you can’t help but feel uplifted as well. High-energy people have this effect on others. Most importantly, a lot of people tend to mimic people’s behavior and mirror their energy when they feel a connection or relate to them. That’s called the chameleon effect . 

When you’re presenting, you want your audience to feel curious about what you’re presenting. You may also want to leave your audience feeling uplifted, interested to know more, or inspired. To have that effect on others, try to convey those emotions when presenting. Practice your speech, slow down your narration at times, or take a pause after you’ve delivered a statement, and use different presentation techniques to present your project and really drive your points home. 

#14 End your presentation in a memorable way

The first few minutes of your presentation are crucial for captivating your audience’s attention. However, don’t underestimate the importance of ending your presentation as powerfully as you started it. 

The way you end your presentation will play a crucial part in how your audience will remember it. You want to make a memorable impression by closing your presentation with a summarizing statement, a rhetorical question, a call to action, or another impactful way. Discover 10 ways you can end your presentation in our guide.  

There are a lot of factors to consider when creating and delivering a presentation. You want your slides to look professional and visually appealing while conveying your main points. You also want to look and sound confident even if you’re nervous about public speaking. Whatever your concerns may be, remember that preparation is essential. Practice and dedication are the keys to giving a successful presentation . Make sure to follow these effective presentation tips to excel in your future presentations. If you’re interested in creating a captivating presentation with Prezi, contact us to learn more or try it for free . 

Elevating presentations with Prezi AI

Embrace the innovation of Prezi to bring your presentations to life. With its unique platform, Prezi AI offers more than just visually appealing templates; it provides an immersive narrative experience, engaging your audience with a story-driven approach. By integrating Prezi AI , our platform’s capabilities are further enhanced, offering intelligent design suggestions and optimizing content layouts to ensure your presentations are not only beautiful but impactful. This integration is a perfect example of effective presentation techniques in action, using technology to create a more engaging presentation.

Interactive elements: transforming passive listening into active engagement

Prezi revolutionizes the way information is presented by incorporating interactive elements that invite audience participation. With Prezi AI, these features become even more accessible, suggesting ways to make your presentation more engaging through clickable areas, zoomable images, and dynamic visualizations. This level of interaction encourages exploration, making your message more memorable and transforming a standard presentation into an effective presentation.

Adding a personal touch in digital presentation with video

Prezi Video stands out by seamlessly integrating your content alongside your video feed, bridging the gap between traditional presentations and personal engagement. This feature is crucial for those looking to follow presentation tips that emphasize the importance of connecting with your audience on a more personal level. Prezi AI enhances this experience, ensuring your content is displayed in the most effective way possible, making your virtual presentations feel as though you’re directly conversing with your audience.

Mastering presentation artistry with Prezi

The journey to becoming a skilled presenter involves continuously refining your approach and embracing tools that elevate your ability to communicate effectively. Prezi, enriched with Prezi AI, is one such tool that transforms ordinary presentations into captivating experiences. By leveraging these advanced features, you can deliver presentations that are successful, memorable, and truly unforgettable, embodying the essence of tips for presentation mastery.

Whether you’re an experienced speaker or preparing for your first presentation, Prezi equips you with the tools to succeed. Engage your audience, tell compelling stories, and deliver your message with confidence and creativity. Following effective presentation tips and exploring how Prezi AI can transform your next presentation is a step towards mastering the art of impactful communication. Delve into the features and begin your journey to presentation mastery today.

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Presentation Training Institute

A division of bold new directions training, how to plan a presentation: key points to consider before you start.

Great presentations begin with proper planning, which is why presentation planning is an important skill for any professional. Whether you are pitching a product to customers, sharing ideas with colleagues, or giving the keynote speech at an industry conference, the ability to present well will set you apart from others in your field. Planning an effective presentation takes time and dedication, as you will want to figure out the goal of your presentation and how best to convey your message. Consider the following tips for planning a presentation that will capture audience attention, develop their understanding of the topic, and achieve your desired objectives. 

Consider the Goal of Your Presentation

You should always begin planning a presentation with the end goal in mind. Think about what you are trying to accomplish as a result of your presentation. What is the one thing you want the audience to take away? This will be the overall topic of the presentation. Once you know your topic, write down your goals as well as any main points you want to make. Choosing a topic that aligns with your goals is the most important step in the planning process.  

Know the Background of Your Audience

Think about who you will be presenting to and what they hope to gain from your presentation. What previous knowledge do they have about your topic? Are you trying to sell them a product, introduce them to a new idea, or persuade them to act? Think about the people who will be in your audience, including their professional and personal backgrounds. Consider things like age, professional experience, demographics, and interest in the topic, as this information will help you tailor your presentation to better fit your audience. 

Select Your Main Points

Think about three to four main points that best illustrate the theme of your presentation. You should choose points that are most relevant to your topic and be prepared to discuss them in greater detail. Try presenting no more than three to four main points, as it is difficult for audiences to stay engaged if your presentation is too lengthy. A powerful presentation delivers information in a logical, concise, and structured manner.

Choose Supporting Information

The supporting information is what you will say to help the audience better understand your main points. This could be in the form of facts, data, charts, graphs, or even stories. It can be presented as creatively as you like as long as it directly relates to your main points and adds relevant insight.

Develop an Opening and a Conclusion

The introduction to your presentation is critical, as you only have a matter of seconds to capture your audience’s attention. Your introduction should engage the audience while also laying a clear foundation for the presentation. Your conclusion is another important part of the presentation. This is the time when you will remind your audience of your main points, present them with a call to action, and leave them with a lasting impression of your presentation.  

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How can you make a good presentation even more effective?

This page draws on published advice from expert presenters around the world, which will help to take your presentations from merely ‘good’ to ‘great’.

By bringing together advice from a wide range of people, the aim is to cover a whole range of areas.

Whether you are an experienced presenter, or just starting out, there should be ideas here to help you to improve.

1. Show your Passion and Connect with your Audience

It’s hard to be relaxed and be yourself when you’re nervous.

But time and again, the great presenters say that the most important thing is to connect with your audience, and the best way to do that is to let your passion for the subject shine through.

Be honest with the audience about what is important to you and why it matters.

Be enthusiastic and honest, and the audience will respond.

2. Focus on your Audience’s Needs

Your presentation needs to be built around what your audience is going to get out of the presentation.

As you prepare the presentation, you always need to bear in mind what the audience needs and wants to know, not what you can tell them.

While you’re giving the presentation, you also need to remain focused on your audience’s response, and react to that.

You need to make it easy for your audience to understand and respond.

3. Keep it Simple: Concentrate on your Core Message

When planning your presentation, you should always keep in mind the question:

What is the key message (or three key points) for my audience to take away?

You should be able to communicate that key message very briefly.

Some experts recommend a 30-second ‘elevator summary’, others that you can write it on the back of a business card, or say it in no more than 15 words.

Whichever rule you choose, the important thing is to keep your core message focused and brief.

And if what you are planning to say doesn’t contribute to that core message, don’t say it.

4. Smile and Make Eye Contact with your Audience

This sounds very easy, but a surprisingly large number of presenters fail to do it.

If you smile and make eye contact, you are building rapport , which helps the audience to connect with you and your subject. It also helps you to feel less nervous, because you are talking to individuals, not to a great mass of unknown people.

To help you with this, make sure that you don’t turn down all the lights so that only the slide screen is visible. Your audience needs to see you as well as your slides.

5. Start Strongly

The beginning of your presentation is crucial. You need to grab your audience’s attention and hold it.

They will give you a few minutes’ grace in which to entertain them, before they start to switch off if you’re dull. So don’t waste that on explaining who you are. Start by entertaining them.

Try a story (see tip 7 below), or an attention-grabbing (but useful) image on a slide.

6. Remember the 10-20-30 Rule for Slideshows

This is a tip from Guy Kawasaki of Apple. He suggests that slideshows should:

• Contain no more than 10 slides;
• Last no more than 20 minutes; and
• Use a font size of no less than 30 point.

This last is particularly important as it stops you trying to put too much information on any one slide. This whole approach avoids the dreaded ‘Death by PowerPoint’.

As a general rule, slides should be the sideshow to you, the presenter. A good set of slides should be no use without the presenter, and they should definitely contain less, rather than more, information, expressed simply.

If you need to provide more information, create a bespoke handout and give it out after your presentation.

7. Tell Stories

Human beings are programmed to respond to stories.

Stories help us to pay attention, and also to remember things. If you can use stories in your presentation, your audience is more likely to engage and to remember your points afterwards. It is a good idea to start with a story, but there is a wider point too: you need your presentation to act like a story.

Think about what story you are trying to tell your audience, and create your presentation to tell it.

Finding The Story Behind Your Presentation

To effectively tell a story, focus on using at least one of the two most basic storytelling mechanics in your presentation:

Focusing On Characters – People have stories; things, data, and objects do not. So ask yourself “who” is directly involved in your topic that you can use as the focal point of your story.

For example, instead of talking about cars (your company’s products), you could focus on specific characters like:

• The drivers the car is intended for – people looking for speed and adventure
• The engineers who went out of their way to design the most cost-effective car imaginable

A Changing Dynamic – A story needs something to change along the way. So ask yourself “What is not as it should be?” and answer with what you are going to do about it (or what you did about it).

For example…

• Did hazardous road conditions inspire you to build a rugged, all-terrain jeep that any family could afford?
• Did a complicated and confusing food labelling system lead you to establish a colour-coded nutritional index so that anybody could easily understand it?

To see 15 more actionable storytelling tips, see Nuts & Bolts Speed Training’s post on Storytelling Tips .

8. Use your Voice Effectively

The spoken word is actually a pretty inefficient means of communication, because it uses only one of your audience’s five senses. That’s why presenters tend to use visual aids, too. But you can help to make the spoken word better by using your voice effectively.

Varying the speed at which you talk, and emphasising changes in pitch and tone all help to make your voice more interesting and hold your audience’s attention.

For more about this, see our page on Effective Speaking .

9. Use your Body Too

It has been estimated that more than three quarters of communication is non-verbal.

That means that as well as your tone of voice, your body language is crucial to getting your message across. Make sure that you are giving the right messages: body language to avoid includes crossed arms, hands held behind your back or in your pockets, and pacing the stage.

Make your gestures open and confident, and move naturally around the stage, and among the audience too, if possible.

10. Relax, Breathe and Enjoy

If you find presenting difficult, it can be hard to be calm and relaxed about doing it.

One option is to start by concentrating on your breathing. Slow it down, and make sure that you’re breathing fully. Make sure that you continue to pause for breath occasionally during your presentation too.

For more ideas, see our page on Coping with Presentation Nerves .

If you can bring yourself to relax, you will almost certainly present better. If you can actually start to enjoy yourself, your audience will respond to that, and engage better. Your presentations will improve exponentially, and so will your confidence. It’s well worth a try.

Improve your Presentation Skills

Follow our guide to boost your presentation skills learning about preparation, delivery, questions and all other aspects of giving effective presentations.

Start with: What is a Presentation?

Continue to: How to Give a Speech Self Presentation

See also: Five Ways You Can Do Visual Marketing on a Budget Can Presentation Science Improve Your Presentation? Typography – It’s All About the Message in Your Slides

.css-1qrtm5m{display:block;margin-bottom:8px;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5714285714285714;-webkit-letter-spacing:-0.35px;-moz-letter-spacing:-0.35px;-ms-letter-spacing:-0.35px;letter-spacing:-0.35px;font-weight:300;color:#606F7B;}@media (min-width:600px){.css-1qrtm5m{font-size:16px;line-height:1.625;-webkit-letter-spacing:-0.5px;-moz-letter-spacing:-0.5px;-ms-letter-spacing:-0.5px;letter-spacing:-0.5px;}} Best Practices 5 essential preparation steps for a successful presentation

by Tom Rielly • June 15, 2020

Keeping your presentation visuals minimalistic, simple, and clear is just one important step to remember when designing a hit presentation. Leaving nothing to chance, great presenters prove quite methodical as they prepare. Here’s a checklist for everything you need to keep in mind before your next presentation:

1. Choose the right software for your needs

The easiest way to select the right presentation software for you is to simply find the one that is native to your device. For example, if you have a Mac, use Apple Keynote, if you work on Windows, use PowerPoint. Google Slides is recommended if you’re working with someone, as it makes collaboration very easy. Another software option is Prezi: a specialty tool called Prezi that creates a presentation using motion, zoom, and panning across one giant visual space.

2. Organize your files

As you develop your script and visuals, you will need to start assembling all the assets for your slides. Create a unique folder on your computer to hold these items. Keep the folder organized by media type (presentation drafts, photos, videos, scripts) and back them up frequently to the Cloud or external disk. Label each file with a specific descriptive name, e.g. “Susan Johnson singing magpie 2020”, as opposed to “IMG_4043.jpg”, which can make it confusing to find your assets. The more organized you are up front, the easier preparing for your presentation will be.

3. Prepare your presentation materials

Make sure your presentation materials (script, graphics, actual slides) are saved in at least two safe spots (for example, your computer and an external USB drive) and are backed-up frequently. If you are using an online presentation software, such as Google Slides, be sure to also download a copy of your presentation in case the internet connection is unreliable. Having all the individual assets on hand in addition to your presentation slides can be helpful if you experience tech issues before presenting, or if you need to make any last minute changes. Make sure to label your final presentation with the title and your name so it’s easy to find.

4. Practice, practice, practice!

Remember, practice makes perfect. People often run out of time making their presentations and have no time to practice. Most TED speakers practice at least ten times. Neuroscientist Jill-Bolte Taylor gave one of the most successful Talks in TED history with nearly 27 million views. How did she do it? She practiced her Talk over 40 times! By rehearsing multiple times you will naturally memorize your Talk, which means you won’t need note cards when you give your final presentation.

5. Do a final test run

Before presenting, make sure the equipment you need is working properly. It’s generally good practice to rehearse standing on the exact stage with the exact lighting using the exact computer that you will be using in your final presentation.

Here’s a quick checklist of what to look for when testing your equipment:

• If you're not using your own computer, the one provided might be slower and have trouble playing media. If you have videos or other media, make sure they play correctly
• Test the projector to make sure it’s HD
• Make sure images are clear
• Test the sound of any clips you use, as this is what goes wrong most frequently
• If you’re using a mic, test the volume

Don’t let technical issues or other blunders overshadow your presentation. By following these guidelines, and with a little preparation, you can engineer out the problems BEFORE they happen.

Ready to learn more about how to make your presentation even better? Get TED Masterclass and develop your ideas into TED-style talks

© 2024 TED Conferences, LLC. All rights reserved. Please note that the TED Talks Usage policy does not apply to this content and is not subject to our creative commons license.

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Plan the Perfect Presentation for Your Audience With These 5 Tips Business professionals are busy. Make sure they feel like your presentation is worth their time.

By Stacey Hanke Dec 7, 2018

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

No matter if you are giving a presentation to one person or a thousand, proper planning and practice will ensure its success. Business professionals spend their days consumed with meeting madness. One study discovered 71 percent of senior leaders believe meetings are an unproductive waste of their time.

Related: 7 Powerful Public Speaking Tips From One of the Most-Watched TED Talks Speakers

Research says the average business leaders endure 23 hours a week of meetings . With more than half of the workweek spent sitting through presentations, it's easy to see how they can become monotonous.

How can you overcome the innate and overwhelming dread professionals feel when attending yet another presentation? You prepare, plan and practice. Ensure the presentation is catered to the audience's needs and compiled in a way that is captivating and intriguing.

Here are five tips to planning a powerful presentation:

1. Know your audience.

Defining your audience will help you create a presentation best suited to their needs. Understand how your topic is relevant and how it will benefit their needs. Know what they expect to learn and take away from their time with you.

Don't assume the audience thinks like you. Demographic biases can often separate our ways of thinking. The more you know them, the more effective you can make the presentation.

Consider the audience's level of expertise so you don't lose their attention by speaking over their heads or insult them by presenting basic knowledge. Executives may be more eager to learn about how your topic will impact their business growth, projection and prioritization. Mid-level managers will be more interested in learning the hands-on requirements, experience and implementation needs for your ideas.

If you're unfamiliar with the audience, speak to the meeting organizer before you begin planning your presentation. Ask who will be attending and what they hope to learn. If you are presenting to a client or prospect, research the company, leaders and organizational priorities online as much as possible.

Related: 14 Proven Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills

2. Scope the topic.

Content is critical in making your presentation a meaningful use of time. Content must be correct, factual and well-organized. Ideally, you would have the opportunity to understand your content before giving a presentation; however, sometimes we must present on topics outside of our comfort zones. In this case, take time to research everything you can about what you will discuss. Arm yourself with data that supports your message and helps provide answers to the most likely questions.

It's not enough to have historical knowledge of the topic but how that knowledge will benefit the audience. When you understand their needs, you can tailor your research and fact-gathering accordingly.

Ensure your data is factually accurate and easily cited, especially if you are presenting to an audience that is well versed in your presentation topic. Nothing can undermine your credibility more than citing incorrect data as factually accurate.

Related: How to Become a Master Speaker and Presenter

3. Choose the method.

How you deliver a presentation is a critical piece of the message itself. Your goal must be to engage your audience and influence them to act upon what you have to say. Invest time choosing a presentation method that resonates with your audience, maintains their attention and clearly articulates your data.

Your method of giving a presentation must connect with your listeners. Knowing your audience and scoping a topic is essential to earning their attention, and choosing the best delivery method is key to keeping their focus. It's not just about the message itself but the way you deliver the message that impacts others.

Design a captivating visual aid that is sure to hold your audience's attention. Your slides aren't meant to be front and center -- you are. Keep the slides simple so your audience keeps their focus on you rather than on the visual aid.

Your message is more important than the slides. Refrain from using too many bullet points when you can discuss the facts aloud instead. Keep animation to a minimum. You don't want audience members to lose focus and become distracted by the frame swipes, noises and movement. Lastly, less is more. Research shows text is counterproductive to learning . Visuals make a strong impact on listeners, aiding in memory retention. Don't use 10 words if five will do. Keep the data on your slide short, and use powerful images to make an impact.

Related: 3 Tricks to Get People to Actually Listen to Your Presentations

4. Organize the content.

Once you've set up your slides and begin practicing, you may find the content needs reorganization. You may discover information flows better in a different sequence than first thought. Use the slide-sorting feature to change the slide order as necessary. Mindfully considering the sequence and flow of data will also help you remember where everything is throughout the presentation. In case you need to jump ahead to answer a question, you'll have a better idea of where the information is.

5. Protect time.

Nothing can lose an audience's attention quite like that of a presentation running over time. Since professionals spend so much time in meetings, they are likely operating on a tight schedule and have somewhere else to be. When you practice your presentation, time yourself. One rule of thumb is to ensure your presentation can fit within 80 percent of the time allowed. If your presentation has an hour allotted, practice giving it in 45 minutes. This ensures there is adequate time left for questions. It also provides wiggle room in case key personnel are late or conversations run long.

Keep your answers clear and concise. Don't elaborate on a response when it isn't necessary. Brevity ensures time for everyone's questions.

When you prepare for your next presentation, consider the experience your audience desires. Create a presentation that is unique, simple and straightforward. Allow your message to remain in the spotlight with only support from your slides. Mind your time and you'll make such an impact on the audience that they will be influenced to act upon what you have to say.

CEO of Stacey Hanke Inc.

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How to Create a Business Plan Presentation [Plus Templates]

Written by: Masooma Memon

Creating a wow business plan presentation is a myth. Or, is it? The truth is, as long as your business idea is in your head, it’s perfect. But it comes undone as soon as you try to translate it into a presentation.

We get that. We’ve all been there.

But, this shouldn’t stop you from creating the perfect business plan presentation you’ve been dreaming of. After all, dreams come true. And, to help your dream of creating a winning business presentation jump into reality, we’ve created this guide for you.

We’ll cover everything that you have in mind including how many slides does your business idea presentation need, what goes into those slides, and how to create a business plan presentation with Visme.

Here's a short selection of 8 easy-to-edit Business Plan Presentation templates you can edit, share and download with Visme

Along the way, we’ll also show you a series of ready-to-use business plan presentation templates that you can customize to use as your own. See? We did say creating a presentation isn’t rocket science.

Ready to learn how to create a business presentation?

Let’s get started already.

What is a Business Plan Presentation?

We know a business plan as a formal document that includes your business goals, mission, strategy and the rest of the starting-a-business shebang. 

A business plan presentation is all that with added pressure since you’ve to convey the entire information in slides – clearly and concisely. 

Hey executives! Looking to cut design costs?

• Spend less time on presentations and more time strategizing
• Ensure your brand looks and feels visually consistent across all your organization's documents
• Impress clients and stakeholders with boardroom ready presentations

Sign up. It’s free.

Put another way, you don’t have wordy documents to convey your ideas. Instead, you’ll need to be clear about selling your idea to investors by sharing all the important details in an engaging and succinct manner. 

How Many Slides Does Your Business Presentation Need?

Ideally, between 10-12 slides are best. As you plan your presentation’s content and the slides you need to accommodate it, keep in mind the following two rules.

Firstly, Guy Kawasaki’s 10-20-30 rule . Here’s what it’s about.

• 10 slides (or around 10 slides if needed) 
• 20 minutes (the longer your presentation, the great you risk losing your audience’s attention)
• 30 font size (an essential that we’ll look into in the next section) 

Secondly, the 9 minute rule . Although this one’s for salespeople, it helps presenters too. Short and powerful messages leave a far deeper impression than a long, rambling presentation. Besides, you’ve your audience’s attention as well. 

So, make sure you deliver 2-3 slides per minute or try a closer version.

But, hang on. 

What if you need more slides? Say, over 12 slides. 

Over 12 slides is a no-go zone. You can go for 13, but any more and you end up choking your audience with a lot of information. Something called information overload , and you shouldn’t do that. So scale down.

Basics of Creating a Business Plan Presentation

With the recap out of the way, let’s talk about the fundamentals of preparing a business presentation that you need to keep front and center as you plan.

Your message needs to be clear and concise.

This is the heart of any successful presentation — one that makes it a winner. To ensure your message comes off coherently, explain your business idea to yourself.

The stronger your grip on your idea, the better you’d be able to explain it in a few sentences, or paragraphs at most. 

In other words, make sure you can summarize your plans into an elevator pitch. Also, don’t forget, use simple language — can a child understand your business idea? If so, you’re in the right direction. 

The presentation slides need to be easy to read and understand.

If a clear message is the heart of a prizewinning (read: investor winning) presentation, good readability and ease in understanding are the lungs, working to keep your presentation alive and breathing. 

The question now is, how do you go about creating digestible slides? Here are a couple of things that can help.

Choose a font or two that's easy to read.

Garamond, Helvetica and Gill Sans are some of the best fonts to use in a presentation .

And while you’re at it, select a readable font size. 30 points is a good benchmark size to keep in mind like we discussed above. 

Take a look at how well the font size is adjusted in this template. The changing font size also creates a visual flow that navigates viewers’ attention.

Pick a color contrast that’s easy on the eyes.

Know those bright colors that hurt the eye and are hard to look at? Steer away from them. A subtle color combination works best like in the Visme presentation template below.

Use minimal text.

To do so, read each word carefully and ask yourself: can I do just fine without this word? If you find yourself replying in the affirmative to this question, remove the word. In short, make each word earn its keep.

Here’s a template using only as many words as needed to get the message across.

Pay attention to the visual elements in each slide.

The goal is simple: you’ve got to use design elements smartly without over doing them. Sure, you’ve heard a picture is worth a thousand words, but nailing visual components in your presentation can take some effort. 

Put another way, it isn’t about throwing in a bunch of thumbnail images and icons to each slide and calling it a day. Instead, it’s about adding them thoughtfully so they’re impactful rather than extra baggage. 

Check out this template from Visme to get an idea of what we’re talking about here.

On the whole, aim for creating a business plan presentation that’s readable, comprehensible and clutter-free. 

10 Slides You Need in Your Business Plan Presentation

Now that you know how your slides need to look, let’s talk about another important point – your presentation’s slides and what they need to talk about. 

The bare minimum slides you need are 10. Remember, cover only one business aspect per slide.  Here’s what your slides should be about.

Slide 1: The Title Slide

This needs no explanation — it’s your introductory page that should include your business’s name, any slogan that you may have, and a logo as well (if it’s ready). Don’t forget to add your name to the slide. 

Since this is the first slide, it needs to be an impression maker. One way to create such a slide is to rely on a powerful image that showcases your business idea. 

Take, for example, this presentation template by Visme. It pretty much speaks for itself, narrating the business idea is related to social media scheduling.

Looking for the perfect image for your presentation? Grab one from a pool of 700+ free presentation images . 

Slide 2: The Problem Your Business Solves

Dedicate your second slide to diving into the pain point your business solves.  You can use facts to make things convincing. But, there’s nothing that beats a good story. 

Here is an amazing business plan presentation example that does just that.

Image Source

Additionally, make sure you let your design do the talking. For instance, this presentation template uses a few words and pairs them with icons that explain facts.

Slide 3: Your Business’s Solution

Now that you’ve introduced the problem, give the solution. 

This is the part where your story comes to its happy ending. And what’s the happy ending? Your business idea.  

Again, make sure your solution-offering slide isn’t wordy, but digestible. Try a diagram or sketch to explain your idea like here.

Slide 4: Your Pricing Plan

Okay, so investors know you’ve a great idea that you’ve delivered in an even greater story format. They’re impressed. What’s next? Your pricing structure. 

Go on to tell who your customers are, what your revenue sources are going to be, and how much you expect customers to pay for your product/service? 

But, instead of writing it all, present your pricing plans in a simple-to-grasp chart. 

Here’s what I mean.

Slide 5: Business Operations Information

Now is the time you give your audience an inside peep into the operating nuts and bolts of your business. 

Where will your business headquarters be located? What about the staff that runs the show in the background. What equipment will you need? Answer all that in this slide. 

Just make sure you offer all this info in a chart or diagram.

Slide 6: Your Marketing Plan

Next, tell your audience how you plan to market your business. 

Nope, "TV and ads" is not the right answer. Instead, share your marketing plan including the channels you’ll use and how you plan to do so. 

Planning to make a separate marketing presentation? Dig into this guide to create one with free templates.

Slide 7: Industry Overview

In other words, this slide is for competitor analysis. Make sure you keep it clipped and use a positive approach. 

Defaming or bad-mouthing competitors won’t help. What’ll make a difference in your favor though is how well you explain your unique selling proposition (USP) or what makes your business a winner. 

Share this information in a comparison chart or outline the key pointers using bullet points like this template below does.

Slide 8: Financial Projections

Time to pull out the crystal ball that shows the future!

Answer the following in this slide: what financial projections do you’ve for the next 3 years and 5 years to come. Then, explain how you reached those numbers. 

Slide 9: Your Team

Here’s the part when you talk about the key players who’ll help you build your business. 

See how this template intros teammates.

Slide 10: Concluding Slide

This is your last slide. It’s best to close your presentation with your contact details (check out the slide below for an idea) and a sense of urgency.

But why the urgency, you ask? Because you want to tell your audience that now is the right time for your business to enter the market. 

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

How to Design a Business Plan Presentation with Visme

So far, you’ve learned a lot of theory on making a business plan presentation. It’s time to put all that and more into practice. 

Start off with writing your content. And, go on to design your slides next. 

With Visme, you’ve two ways to go about creating your presentation: either start with a template or work from the scratch. 

Have you already started making your presentation in PowerPoint, but only just discovered Visme?  No worries! Nobody’s going to ask you to start over.

Instead, simply follow the steps in here to import your PowerPoint presentation in Visme .  Or, watch this video to understand how do so.

Now, let’s start designing.

Design a Business Plan Presentation Using a Visme Template

1. pick a template.

Visme offers templates in various categories, so you’ll be sure to find a template that fits your business idea. 

For instance, here’s a business presentation template.

Here’s something for those of you with an idea in the finance sector.

Plus, a template for a product idea.

Each of the available templates are editable, which means if there’s something you want to change about it, you can easily do so.

Looking for something that takes creativity to a whole new level? Pick from one of our animated presentation templates.

2. Adjust the Slides

Once you’ve picked your template, click  Add New Slide to bring other slides from the template into your presentation. Pick and choose any and all of the slides you need to use in your business plan presentation.

You can also bring in slides that you've previously saved to your slide library to help customize your presentation even further.

3. Customize the Template

Lastly, customize your template’s font and color. 

If you already haven’t settled on your brand colors, dive into color psychology to pick colors for your presentation that inspire trust.

Take advantage of Dynamic Fields to always keep important data like names, dates and contact information accurate. Once you've customized the fields and assigned values , your data will be pulled in throughout your project.

Alternatively, you can create your presentation from the ground up. How so? 

Let’s show you the steps you need to take. 

Create a Presentation From a Themed-Canvas in Visme

1. log in to visme and pick your theme.

First, log into your Visme account and pull up a blank canvas by clicking Create on the left of your dashboard. 

Pick your theme next. Remember to give this some thought instead of selecting the theme that appeals to you. Ask yourself which theme reflects your business idea and which would suit your audience the best? 

2. Add Details to the Title Slide

Once done, start working on your title slide. You already get a dedicated space for the title and subtitle, so you don’t need to worry about aligning the two correctly. 

If you need to add another line to your first slide, click on the Header & Text on the left. This’ll show you a variety of options to play with. 

Here’s a peek.

3. Beautify with Icons, Illustrations or Images

To replace the icon, click on it and hit Replace Icon on the top of the drawing board. This will show you a variety of icons — choose whichever icon(s) that meet your goals the best. 

You can also cancel the icon options to see other elements to add. Those could be Shapes , Arrows & Lines , and (drum roll, please) Animated Graphics including animated illustrations, gestures, characters and more. 

If you plan to power your first slide with images, select Photos on the extreme left and you’ll get the option to either select images from Visme’s library or upload your own image.

4. Add More Slides

Moving on to the next slide now. Find out the Add New Slide option on the right side of your dashboard. This will get you the following screen.

Say you need an introduction slide now. Click that and you’ll get a variety of intro slides from the theme you’ve selected.

Go on to design your intro slide. Then work on other slides in the same manner. 

If you’re planning to create an animated presentation, don’t forget to check out these quick tips to animate your presentation .  

How to Make Your Business Plan Presentation Memorable

Before we wrap this up, let’s leave you with some bonus tips to make your presentation memorable. This way, investors will be more likely to say ‘yes’ to your idea. 

Make an Interactive Presentation

Undoubtedly, interactivity breathes life into your business idea, helping you stand out. Interested in creating an interactive business presentation?

Here are 17 tips to get you started. You can also take a look at how to create an interactive quiz within your presentation below.

Create engaging interactive content with Visme.

• Add interactive pop-ups and hover effects
• Increase interest and engagement on your design
• Lead your audience to specific content with interactivity

Pay Attention to Your Presentation’s Design

Not only is visual design an important component of any presentation , but it’s also what hooks your audience. It takes about 50 milliseconds for your audience to assess a design’s visual appeal. So, it's best you aim for leaving a visual impression. 

Use a powerful image like this template does.

Or try a color-based design like the one in the presentation template below (not going to play favorites, but this is one of my fav Visme presentation templates).

Visualize Data

Wherever you can, use line charts, Venn diagrams, pie charts, and any of the various chart types at your disposal.

But why should you use charts to share your data? Simple: data visualization makes boring numbers easy to understand in one glance. Besides, making them interesting to look at. 

Here’s a donut graph in a presentation, for example.

And a plotted graph.

You can also add infographics to your presentations to take them to a whole new level.

Create a Business Plan Presentation That Wins Investors

Creating a business plan presentation really isn’t much of a tough nut to crack. Consider half your work done if you’re cent percent clear about your business idea. This way your presentation’s content will come easy to you. 

As for the design? Leave that to Visme. Sign up today for free and go on to create a clear, clutter-free business presentation that leaves a solid impression on your audience.

Create beautiful presentations faster with Visme.

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About the Author

Masooma Memon is a pizza-loving freelance writer by day and a novel nerd by night. She crafts research-backed, actionable blog posts for SaaS and marketing brands who aim to employ quality content to educate and engage with their audience.

Presentation of the Stop Femicide! action plan

News item | 07-06-2024 | 15:00

The Stop Femicide! action plan was presented today. Femicide is lethal violence against women and girls and it occurs at all levels and in all parts of Dutch society. The government wants to do everything it can to prevent femicide and other forms of violence against women and girls. That is why the government is committed to, among other things, improved identification of signs of violence by, for example, the police, the judiciary and the Dutch domestic violence and child abuse organisation ' Veilig Thuis ’ and earlier intervention in cases of domestic violence in order to prevent escalation. The action plan is the result of intensive cooperation with bereaved families of femicide victims, experts in domestic violence and child abuse, organisations that are involved on the ground with victims and perpetrators of domestic violence and child abuse, as well as scientific institutions.

As State Secretary Maarten van Ooijen (Health, Welfare and Sport) explains: “Femicide is a problem that affects the whole of society. Its scale and complexity means you have to look for a solution beyond just the healthcare sector, the police, the judiciary or education. So it’s essential we all work together to make a much-needed difference. The action plan we’re presenting today aims to ensure that we are jointly able to take faster and better action in all kinds of ways when faced with danger. It is certainly intended to be more than a quick fix aimed at improving things in the future and we will have to keep working hard to make sure we continue to do our very best for women and girls. We will also continue to involve bereaved families in the coming years and refine our plans where necessary."

In the words of Minister Franc Weerwind (Legal Protection): “Women are all too frequently victims of violence driven by jealousy, the urge to control, fear or hate. Sometimes the consequences are fatal. Every victim of femicide is 1 too many and there is no time to waste when it comes to stopping this crime. To do this we need everybody to pull together and by that I mean politicians, the police, the public prosecution service, the Veilig Thuis organisation and society as a whole. Together we can protect potential victims more effectively, improve detection, prevent repetition and punish perpetrators appropriately. This action plan contains specific steps which will make our cooperation a success.”

Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf (Education, Culture and Science) adds: "Femicide is the worst possible manifestation of gender inequality imaginable. The root causes of this violence are embedded in our society's social norms in relation to how men and women treat each other. As the Minister of Education Culture and Science who is responsible for the emancipation portfolio, I’m delighted with this action plan to tackle femicide. I’d like to thank the bereaved families of victims of femicide for their years of dedication in terms of placing this issue on the political agenda and for their vital contribution to this plan. I believe we’re all responsible for continuing to work to break down gender stereotypes and to eradicate power imbalances. By doing so we will be contributing to women's emancipation and safety.”

In most cases of murder and manslaughter of women, the perpetrator is a(n) (ex-)partner or family member. That is why the approach to femicide will continue to build on the approach to domestic violence, with an additional focus on increasing specific expertise on femicide and collaboration between the parties involved. The plan consists of 4 pillars within which 10 priorities have been identified which will be treated as a priority over the next 2 years. It is important to improve our capacity to identify signs, or so-called red flags, that may be indications of femicide, such as stalking, intimate terrorism or threats. Creating awareness and providing clear prospects for action are essential in this respect, for professionals, potential victims and bystanders alike. Whenever there are suspicions or signals of violence or stalking, a proper and, above all, punctual response is critical in terms of protecting victims and dealing with perpetrators. Priorities include improving both the criminal justice approach to psychological violence and the assistance provided to victims.

Some facts and figures on femicide

Femicide affects women from all walks of life and is not related to religion or financial status. It often takes place in a situation of inequality, coercion and control. According to Statistics Netherlands ( Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek , CBS) the perpetrators in the case of 172 of the 217 women killed in the period between 2018 and 2022 came from their domestic circle. That is equivalent to almost 80%. The number of annual femicide victims did not decrease during the same period. This underlines the importance of an action plan to halt femicide. The plan is going to be adapted for implementation at regional and local level in collaboration with the municipalities, regional authorities and parties in the field.

If you would like to find out more about identifying signs of femicide, or if you are worried about someone you know, please telephone or chat with Veilig Thuis .

Summer Game Fest 2024: Everything Announced

Putting a spotlight on the biggest summer game fest reveals..

The 2024 Summer Game Fest showcase has come to a close after bringing out a steaming plate of game reveals, trailers, and surprises. It was a presentation jam-packed with nearly every kind of video game from across the industry.

Summer Game Fest 2024 Games

The show put the spotlight on games of every shape and size throughout its two-hour runtime, with some highlights bringing first looks at new titles like Lego Horizon Adventures, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, and everything Blumhouse Games is cooking up. We’ve gathered everything you need to know here.

Lego Horizon Adventures is coming to PlayStation 5

The long-rumored Lego Horizon Adventures game kicked off Summer Game Fest, revealing brick versions of Aloy and the robot dinosaurs fans have come to know over recent years. First footage of the project revealed a Lego adventure that’s a bit more family-friendly than Guerrilla Games’ mainline series, including what seems to be the option to play co-op with a friend. The footage also teases customization options to enjoy when Lego Horizon Adventures comes to PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, Nintendo Switch, and PS5 this holiday season.

Quidditch Champions launches this year

Harry Potter fans looking for something to tide them over after the release of Hogwarts Legacy last year can finally look forward to Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions when it launches for PC via the Epic Games Store and Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox on September 3, 2024.

No More Room in Hell Early Access arrives this Halloween

No More Room in Hell 2 is bringing its first-person shooter zombie gameplay to Early Access this Halloween. Gameplay for the gory action title revealed brutal combat and gruesome enemies that will stop at nothing to take you down. The trailer, which also highlighted dismemberment mechanics and a handful of weapons, also teased eight-player co-op in a world with plenty of replayability.

Star Wars Outlaws teaser trailer reveals more gameplay

Ubisoft’s first crack at an open-world Star Wars game, Star Wars Outlaws, warped into Summer Game Fest 2024 to show players a new swash-buckling gameplay trailer. Quick cuts of the scoundrel-centered sci-fi game showed off locations both old and new as protagonist Kay Vess made her way through and around the Empire. We’ll learn more at the upcoming Ubisoft Forward, but until then, Star Wars Outlaws is expected to launch on August 30.

Sid Meier's Civilization VII is coming to consoles in 2025

Developer Firaxis Games and 2K announced that its long-awaited strategy game, Sid Meier’s Cvilization 7 is coming to PC and consoles in 2025. The project’s reveal trailer understandably didn’t show off any gameplay yet, but it did give fans an atmospheric trailer to keep them waiting for a few months. Come August, Firaxis will host a gameplay showcase, meaning players don’t have much longer to wait before learning more.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero release date set for October

The Dragon Ball franchise will continue to deliver frenetic Super Sayain gameplay when Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero launches for PC via Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X | S on October 11, 2024. Our latest look at the anime spinoff game revealed destructive gameplay for iconic characters like Goku, Frieza, Buu, Vegeta, and more. The footage also promised six early character unlocks for those who pre-order their copy, including another mystery fighter to play as, too.

Batman: Arkham Shadow trailer introduces players to VR Gotham City

The Meta Quest 3-exclusive Batman: Arkham Shadow finally stepped out of the darkness to give DC fans a better look at its younger Batman and the new threats he faces. The new footage of the VR spinoff game arrived during Summer Game Fest, revealing a cinematic look at a Bruce Wayne that might seem a bit familiar to Arkham fans. Its trailer, which sets up the Rat King as its main villain, also packs in a few Easter Eggs for those looking for nods to the rest of Gotham’s criminals.

For more, be sure to check out our interview with developer Camouflaj .

Street Fighter 6 Is Getting a Fatal Fury Crossover

More Street Fighter 6 content is on the way, as Capcom is promising to deliver four new characters with Season 2 . The upcoming season promises to be one of the classic fighting game’s busiest yet, as the new roster includes a crossover with Fatal Fury that will see fighters Terry and Mai joining the battle. Also on the way are classic Street Fighter characters M. Bison, who seems to be sporting a new look, and Elena. The content will rollout throughout the remainder of the year.

Blumhouse Games unveils Crisol Theater of Idols, Fear the Spotlight, and More

Blumhouse, a studio that has made a name for itself over the last decade with horror movies like M3GAN and Five Nights at Freddy’s, is entering the games business . Instead of launching the new endeavor with just one video game project, the studio announced a variety of horror games from teams like Eyes Out, Half Mermaid, Cozy Game Pals, Perfect Garbage, PlayMe Studio, and Vermila. Blumhouse explained that its goal is to offer games for more than one kind of player. It kicks off with Fear the Spotlight, but other titles, like Grave Seasons, Sleep Awake, Crisol Theater of Idols, are on the way, too.

Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind reveals new old-school-style beat-em-up

Beat-em-up gaming fans time traveled back to the ‘90s when Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind was revealed at Summer Game Fest 2024. This old-school-style video game sees players team up to fight off Putties and other iconic villains while playing as the original Rangers themselves. So far, the game’s strength seems to be the variety of activities it offers, as players can be seen switching between beat-em-up, FPS, and racing gameplay.

MECHA Break sets beta test date for this August

MECHA Break appeared during Summer Game Fest 2024 to show off a new trailer while promising to let players join in on the action this August. No specific date for the beta test was revealed, but the presentation also revealed that Takayuki Yanase (Metal Gear, Gundam, Armored Core) and Junya Ishigaki (Xenogears, Gundam) provided their talents to help design some of the game’s mechs. We’ll learn more about what MECHA Break has in store as we inch closer to that August beta test.

The First Descendant gets July release date

Nexon’s free-to-play sci-fi looter shooter, The First Descendant, has locked down a release date of July 2, 2024, for PC via Steam, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X | S. It’s a date that was revealed with a new trailer highlighting the project’s fast-paced exo-suit action. Additionally, Nexon says fans can expect to hear more details about “launch elements and events” as launch grows closer. With only a few weeks to go, it shouldn’t be much longer before we hear more.

Alan Wake 2 Night Springs DLC is out tomorrow

Remedy Entertainment’s Sam Lake took the stage at Summer Game Fest 2024 to announce that the first Alan Wake 2 DLC, Night Springs, is out in less than 24 hours . It was a surprise reveal for the studio’s otherworldly horror game, and its trailer teases some interesting ties to its grand video game universe. Specifically, Control’s Jesse Faden makes an appearance in the footage, though it’s unclear how exactly she'll fit in. Of course, all will be revealed when players get their hands on Alan Wake 2 Night Springs tomorrow, June 8.

Skate gameplay reveals console playtests are on the way

EA’s long-dormant Skate franchise is back, and during Summer Game Fest 2024, we got a good look at what its gameplay is like . Skate is looking, well, like Skate, as players can be seen climbing buildings and chaotically rolling around as they use every inch of the city to get around. Unfortunately, EA says its next Skate game is still in pre-pre-alpha, but there is at least a silver lining: console playtests. Fans hoping to pick up their skateboards once again can head here to sign up for the playtests before they kick off this fall.

Valorant is coming to consoles

League of Legends developer Riot Games is bringing its competitive fantasy shooter Valorant to PS5 and Xbox Series X | S . It’s a big move for the first-person shooter, which has otherwise remained exclusively on PC since its launch. While it won’t feature cross-play support, the studio says it will let players keep their progress across platforms with cross-progression. A limited beta test is set to begin next week on June 14, with the full console launch expected to follow sometime in the future.

Among Us animated series clip and Outersloth revealed

Developer Innersloth vented into Summer Game Fest 2024 to show off our first look at the animated series based on its hit social party game, Among Us . The video follows a long wait for more information on this show version of the studio’s game-changing project, revealing its art style and how its star-studded cast fits in. Innersloth had a strong presence at the showcase, as it also revealed a new initiative called Outersloth that is meant to help lend a hand to indie developers.

Dune: Awakening story trailer sets the stage for Paul Atreides

Funcom’s open-world survival MMO take on Dune, Dune: Awakening, appeared during Summer Game Fest to show players a closer look at its take on the rule of Paul Atreides. This cinematic trailer gets fans up to speed by letting Arrakis’ fearsome ruler monologue about his past, his future, and what could have been. Dune: Awakening will reappear at Gamescom this August and is expected to eventually launch for PC via Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X | S.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 trailer shows off gameplay ahead of 2024 launch

Warhorse Studios is gearing up for the release of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, but it made sure to make some time to deliver a gameplay trailer for Summer Game Fest 2024 watchers. This all-new look at the studio’s medieval sequel swaps between bloody battles and comedy as it shows off some of the different encounters players may find themselves in. There’s no release date yet, but the project is at least still expected to arrive on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X | S later this year.

Slitterhead gameplay trailer reveals November release date

Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama revealed a trailer for his next twisted creation, Slitterhead , at this year’s Summer Game Fest presentation. This more action-focused title from developer Bokeh Game Studio keeps the nightmare creatures from the Silent Hill series while giving players a few more tools to progress. Specifically, it looks like you’ll be able to switch between humans and even some animals to get around when launch arrives November 8, 2024.

For more, you can also check out our interview with Toyama to learn more about how Slitterhead came to be and how players can expect it to differ from his previous work. Then be sure to check out our preview of the game .

Delta Force: Hawk Ops trailer promises global PC alpha test in July

Delta Force: Hawk Ops brought grounded first-person shooter gunplay to Summer Game Fest 2024 with a new trailer. This new footage of the military shooter takes players to several different locations while showing off how they’ll be able to cooperate with a team to complete missions. More importantly, though, the video sets a course for players to enjoy a PC alpha test next month before the game comes to more platforms down the line.

Killer Bean early access drops this summer

Tongue-in-cheek action game Killer Bean is bringing its over-the-top sandbox gameplay to players in summer 2024. A trailer for the title showed there’s more to killer beans than many may have expected, as footage showed the ability to drive card and jet skis, breakdance through bullets, switch between first- and third-person perspectives, and so much more. At this point, it’s more of a question of what can’t you do in Killer Bean.

We’ll know more about its gameplay when we get our hands on it this summer.

Wanderstop trailer reveals a cozy game with a dark secret

Annapurna Interactive, Ivy Road, and The Stanley Parable creator David Wreden revealed their new game Wanderstop at Summer Game Fest, revealing a cozy farming sim that might have a few secrets to hide. Life in Wanderstop seems pleasant as we watch its protagonist garden, make tea, and relax in a small fairytale-like town. It isn’t long, however, until the quiet life starts to get to them. We’ll learn more about what lies beneath the surface when Wanderstop comes to PC via Steam and PS5 later this year.

New World: Aeternum gets October release date for PC and consoles

Amazon’s upcoming MMO, New World: Aeternum, has secured a release date of October 15, 2024. This is essentially an upgraded version of the already existing New World that includes all previously released content, such as the Rise of the Angry Earth expansion, as well as new content for players to enjoy. For example, those who pick up this enhanced version of the experience can look forward to a massive PvP zone, end-game solo trials, and changes to the dialogue system. Additionally, if you’re a new player looking to hang out with a friend on PC, New World: Aeternum will support cross-play between platforms.

Palworld is getting a new island and more Pals

Last year’s breakout Pokemon-like Palworld is getting more content , as announced at Summer Game Fest 2024. A trailer for Pocketpair’s massively popular monster-catching experience revealed that players can expect to receive an update soon that adds more Pals, a new raid, a new island, a higher level cap, and more. It’s all set to drop with the Sakurajima Update come June 27, meaning there’s only a few weeks left before Palworld changes in some big ways. Adding to the good news is the fact that Pocketpair confirmed that the update will also add dedicated servers for Xbox.

Monster Hunter Wilds gets crossplay on all platforms

Capcom showed up for Summer Game Fest 2024 to talk crossplay details for Monster Hunter Wilds, confirming that the feature will be supported for players on PC via Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X | S. A new trailer for the latest in the Monster Hunter series revealed the addition while clarifying that cross-progression will not be supported. Still, crossplay support is yet another promising update to keep players waiting until launch arrives in 2025.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess nabs July release date on PC and consoles

Capcom kept ups its strong night at Summer Game Fest 2024 by announcing a PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X | S release date of July 19, 2024, for its upcoming action game, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess. An overview trailer for accompanied the schedule update, promising that the project will also launch for Xbox Game Pass subscribers on day one.

Phantom Blade Zero trailer reveals break-neck action, world tour demo

Summer Game Fest came to an end with a brand-new trailer for developer S-Game’s Phantom Blade Zero. The video comes in at just less than two minutes long, delivering a good look at some of the project’s action and the weapons players can use in their fight against its nightmarish enemies. While we still have to wait for a release date, Phantom Blade Zero will soon reach players’ hands thanks to a demo world tour. The demo will make the rounds starting with Summer Game Fest this weekend, then coming to ChinaJoy in July, Gamescom in August, and Tokyo Games Show in September.

The Summer Game Fest presentation may have come to a close, but things are only just starting to heat up now that Summer of Gaming 2024 is officially underway. For more, you can keep a look out for updates on more events, like IGN Live , the Xbox Games Showcase , and more, throughout the weekend.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

In This Article

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Lesson Plan

June 17, 2024, 6:05 a.m.

Lesson plan: History of Juneteenth and why it became a national holiday

A Juneteenth celebration in Richmond, Virginia, 1905. Library of Congress

This lesson was originally published on June 16, 2021, and was updated on June 16, 2024.

For a Google version of this lesson plan, click here . (Note: you will need to make a copy of the document to edit it).

In this lesson, students will explore and discuss the history and context around the Juneteenth holiday in the United States. Topics explored will include the history of racial injustice in the U.S., the Civil War and the limitations of the Emancipation Proclamation. Additionally, students will be encouraged to explore the modern significance of Juneteenth and its long-term impact.

Estimated time

One 50-60 minute class period

Grade Level

Grades 6-12

On June 15, 2021, the Senate unanimously approved a bill approving June 19 as a federal holiday for “Juneteenth National Independence Day.” The House passed the bill one day later. Still, many Americans are still unaware of the history and significance of June 19.

On Jan. 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring “that all persons held as slaves” in the Confederacy “shall be free.” While this may have freed some enslaved people on paper, the reality was much more complicated.

Source: PBS NewsHour via Associated Press

For instance, the Emancipation Proclamation only freed those slaves held under the Confederacy, not in border states loyal to the Union, including Kentucky, West Virginia and Delaware, where slavery was still legal after the Emancipation Proclamation. In fact, slavery was still legal in Kentucky until Dec. 1865, when the 13th Amendment was passed, though Kentucky voted against ratifying the amendment.

Confederate states and slaveholders also resisted emancipation, and many people remained enslaved in Confederate states after the proclamation, even as many enslaved people fought for their freedom or escaped behind Union lines. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger of the Union issued an order in Galveston, Texas, alerting all enslaved persons that they were legally free.

At this point in 1865, Texas was the westernmost state in America and one of the last Confederate states to be occupied by the Union. Many slaveholders had fled Union advances in other parts of the South to Texas, along with the people they had enslaved.

While it took time for the logistics of “freeing” enslaved people to come into effect, the importance of June 19, or “Juneteenth” lived on. Considering how complicated emancipation was, many dates were considered for holding celebrations of emancipation, but over 150 years later, June 19 remains.

What originally was a holiday mainly observed by Texans has grown to be recognized all over the country. Each year on “Juneteenth,” (or more formally Juneteenth National Freedom Day), communities all around the United States gather and celebrate and reflect on the history of slavery and struggle for civil rights and equality, including the work that still remains after conditional advances such as the Emancipation Proclamation.

Warm up activity

As a class, watch the BrainPop video (8 minutes) below found here introducing Juneteenth. While watching the video, answer the following discussion questions.

Source: BrainPop

Discussion questions:

• What is “Juneteenth”? What does it celebrate?
• Why did it take so long for enslaved peoples in Texas to finally be free? What obstacles existed?
• What were some of the forms of discrimination against newly freed people mentioned in the video?
• What is the Great Migration?
• How did Juneteenth become a national, not just regional, celebration?

After watching the video, separate into groups of 3-4 to discuss the focus questions (5 minutes).

Main activities:

• Why was June 19th chosen as the date to celebrate the freedom of all Americans? What were some of the drawbacks to other dates? Can you make an argument for why you think a different date might have been better and/or worse?
• Gates describes several reasons why Juneteenth struggled to be remembered at times, and why it was able to endure. Compare and contrast what the BrainPop video included as reasons why Juneteenth struggled and endured with what Gate’s emphasizes. What do you think were the most important factors in Juneteenth’s momentum and remembrance continuing?
• “When did they start recognizing Juneteenth, if at all?”
• “What was the process of Juneteenth becoming a holiday in my state?”
• If Juneteenth isn’t recognized in your state, see if you can answer, “Why is Juneteenth not recognized?”
• This search engine for state and local government websites
• The Library of Congress

Additional activities

• Brainstorm or plan a Juneteenth celebration activity. This can be decorating a common area, bringing in a relevant local speaker or planning a refreshment break for your school. Juneteenth celebrations can be in the home, at school or in community locations. For more inspiration see these resources:
• “ How to Celebrate ” from Juneteenth.com
• See how others are celebrating Juneteenth on Twitter .
• Some activists feel ambivalent about Juneteenth becoming a national holiday, or reject the idea. To learn more about the nuances surrounding making Juneteenth a federal holiday, watch this NewsHour interview with Dr. Mark Anthony Neal recorded in 2020 amid the George Floyd protests.

• The day now known as Juneteenth was formally recognized as a national holiday in 2021, due in large part to the activism of retired teacher Opal Lee. Learn more about Lee's activism and the message of Juneteenth in this NewsHour interview with Opal Lee.

If classrooms finish and plan a celebratory activity, please share your ideas with us on social media @NewsHourEXTRA on Twitter.

This lesson was written by Cecilia Curran, NewsHour Classroom intern, while she was a rising sophomore at Amherst College. This lesson was edited by NewsHour Classroom's education producer and former history teacher Vic Pasquantonio.

Fill out this form to share your thoughts on Classroom’s resources. Sign up for NewsHour Classroom’s ready-to-go Daily News Lessons delivered to your inbox each morning.

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Netflix upfront 2024: the year of growth and momentum.

Entertainment

At Netflix's second Upfront presentation to advertisers, the message was clear: When you advertise with Netflix, you can reach the most engaged audience in the world.

Advertising Growth 

Amy Reinhard, Netflix’s President of Advertising, walked advertisers through the continued growth and momentum of Netflix’s ad-supported plan, which now has 40 million global monthly active users — up from 5 million a year ago. Over 40% of all signups in the ads countries now come from the ads plan. 

Netflix also featured new partners that advertisers can use to measure and verify the impact of their campaigns, including Affinity Solutions, DoubleVerify, EDO Inc, Integral Ad Science, iSpotTV, Kantar, Lucid, NCSolutions, Nielsen and TVision.

New Ad Tech

Looking ahead, Reinhard announced Netflix will launch an in-house advertising technology platform, by the end of 2025. This will give advertisers new ways to buy, new insights to leverage, and new ways to measure impact. 

“Bringing our ad tech in-house will allow us to power the ads plan with the same level of excellence that’s made Netflix the leader in streaming technology today,” she said. 

This summer, Netflix will also expand its buying capabilities to include The Trade Desk, Google's Display & Video 360, and Magnite who will join Microsoft as the main programmatic partners for advertisers.

All of these enhancements are designed to make Netflix even better for clients. "We’re being incredibly strategic about how we present ads because we want our members to have a phenomenal experience. We conduct deep consumer research to make sure we stay ahead of the competition, bringing opportunities that are better for members and better for brands,” said Reinhard.

Engagement 

As Bela Bajaria, Netflix's Chief Content Officer, explained, “Our audiences are highly engaged — and by engaged I mean that they are choosing to spend their time watching Netflix. That’s important because engagement is the key to success in streaming. When people watch our shows and movies, they get more value from Netflix, they stick around longer, and they’re more likely to recommend us to their friends. And this matters to all of you because you want to be where the audiences are, too.” 

According to Nielsen, over the last three years, Netflix had more top 10 titles than every other streaming service combined.

Over 70% of Netflix’s ad-supported members watch for more than 10 hours a month — which is 15 percentage points higher than the nearest competitor, according to Nielsen. Netflix members also pay even more attention three hours into watching than they do when they first start. And because they do, they’re around twice as likely to respond to an ad compared to other streaming services and linear TV.

New Series, Movies and Live Events 

Bajaria also talked about how Netflix needs a variety of quality shows,movies and live events that members will love throughout the year — across many, many genres, cultures and languages. And that’s exactly what they’ll get in 2024 and 2025. 

Netflix announced new series, including witty comedies like Golf , starring Will Ferrell and executive produced by Ramy Youseff and Rian Johnson, and Running Point , starring Kate Hudson and executive produced by Mindy Kaling. 

Two new dramas will also be coming to Netflix: The Waterfront from Kevin Williamson, an adult family drama set in a small coastal town with twists and turns inspired by true events, and a contemporary cowboy saga starring Tim McGraw . And, Bajaria announced that the critically acclaimed series 3 Body Problem will also be back for all new episodes.

For sports fans, Netflix highlighted multiple new shows, including a new documentary series following the story of Jerry Jones and the 1990s Dallas Cowboys , and three series in partnership with the International Olympic Committee: Simone Biles: Rising which will follow the comeback of the greatest gymnast ever, a show spotlighting men’s basketball teams from around the world as they compete for medals, and Sprint , tracking the 100-meter sprinters.  

New films announced include Happy Gilmore 2 starring Adam Sandler, The Woman in Cabin 10 based on the bestselling novel of the same name and starring Keira Knightley, and a new film from Academy Award® winner Kathryn Bigelow. 

And the NFL is coming to Netflix. That’s right, Netflix will be the global home of the NFL’s two Christmas Day marquee games this year. And we’ll be streaming at least one Christmas Day game in 2025 and 2026.

The Netflix Effect 

Netflix Chief Marketing Officer Marian Lee shared how Netflix shows and films influence culture — a phenomenon that has become known as the Netflix Effect. “It starts with wonderful stories that become unmissable moments for millions of fans,” Lee said. “But then it spreads across Netflix — where our trailers get billions of views — and across our social media channels, where we have a billion very active followers.”  

The Netflix ads plan and live events now give advertisers even more opportunities to thoughtfully engage with this fandom, leveraging its growing marketing and creative teams to help more brands find a home in their world. “We’ll help you reach more fans and give you more access on-screen, off-screen, and during some of our biggest moments,” Lee said.

As an example of one of these new opportunities, the company announced that Celsius will be the first presenting sponsor for the upcoming live Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson event this July. Brand partners for the fight will have featured placements throughout the broadcast and customized branding inside the ring.

Closing the presentation, Peter Naylor, Vice President of Advertising Sales, said, “There’s a lot to be excited about over the next year. But the story of ads on Netflix this year is pretty simple: It’s about growth and momentum.”

The Netflix Experience

This year, Netflix unveiled an interactive Upfront experience showcasing popular titles like Bridgerton, Squid Game, Wednesday and more for advertisers to engage with. 

Upcoming 2024 Slate Highlights: 

Returning Favorites 

Arcane S2 - Award winning animated series

Cobra Kai S6 - Critics’ Choice award winning action comedy series

The Diplomat S2 - Golden Globe nominated drama series

Emily in Paris S4 - Emmy nominated romantic comedy-drama series

Heartstopper S3 - BAFTA nominated coming-of-age series

Mo S2 - Final season of award winning drama series

Outer Banks S4 - People’s Choice award winning drama series

Squid Game S2 - Emmy® award winning Korean drama series

Sweet Tooth S3 - Final season of Emmy award winning family drama series

The Umbrella Academy S4 - Final season of Emmy nominated drama series

Unstable S2 - Comedy series starring Rob Lowe

Vikings Valhalla S3 - Historical drama series

New Prestige Dramas 

American Primeval - Action-thriller western limited series directed by Pete Berg

Black Doves  - Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw star in spy thriller

Eric - Limited thriller series starring Emmy award winner Benedict Cumberbatch

KAOS  - Greek mythology twisted drama starring Jeff Goldblum

The Madness - Conspiracy thriller starring Emmy award winner Colman Domingo

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story  - Second installment of Ryan Murphy’s Monster anthology series

The Perfect Couple - Book adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand’s New York Times bestseller

Supacell - Superhero series written and directed by Andrew Onwubolu

New Comedy Series

A Classic Spy - Based on the 2020 documentary The Mole Agent , starring Ted Danson

The Decameron - Comedy series from creator and showrunner Kathleen Jordan

No Good Deed - Starring Emmy award-winning actors Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano

Nobody Wants This - Romantic comedy starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody [Download first look photo HERE .]

Running Point - Starring Kate Hudson [Download first look photos HERE .]

New Unscripted Series

AMERICA’S SWEETHEARTS: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders - New series about the most iconic franchise in cheerleading

Rhythm & Flow S2 - Hit music competition series returns with new hosts DJ Khaled, Ludacris and Latto

New Premium Documentaries 

Homicide: Los Angeles - Docuseries from the mind of Law & Order creator Dick Wolf (preceded by Homicide: New York which premiered earlier this year)

Our Oceans - Produced by Freeborne Media, Wild Space Productions

Untitled K Pop doc series - Docuseries about the rigorous process of making a global music sensation

New Sports Series

Receiver - From the creators of Quarterback , the series follows pass-catchers during the NFL 2023-24 season

Untitled 2004 Red Sox Series - A look at the historic 2004 Red Sox season that  culminated with one of the greatest comebacks in sports.

New Live Events

Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson - Heavyweight boxing mega-event sanctioned as a professional fight 

Select Upcoming Films

Atlas - Jennifer Lopez stars in the sci-fi action thriller

Back in Action - Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz star in this action comedy stars [Download first look photos HERE ]

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F - Eddie Murphy returns to the iconic franchise

Carry-On - Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman star in this action thriller

Family Affair - Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron star in this romantic comedy

Hit Man - Glen Powell leads Richard Linklater’s steamy dark comedy

Hot Frosty - Lacey Chabert stars in this holiday rom-com

The Merry Gentleman - Chad Michael Murray stars in this holiday rom-com

The Piano Lesson - Film adaptation of the award-winning play starring Samuel L. Jackson and produced by Denzel Washington

Rez Ball - Coming-of-age sports drama produced by LeBron James

The Six Triple Eight - Tyler Perry writes, directs and produces the film based on an inspiring true story starring Kerry Washington

Woman of the Hour - Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut

Non-English Language 

100 Years of Solitude (Colombia)

Breathless (Spain)

Do Patti (Indonesia)

Élite S8 (Spain)

El Eternauta (Argentina)

Ferry 2 (Belgium)

Gyeongseong Creature S2 (Korea)

LALIGA: All Access (Spain)

Pedro Páramo (Mexico)

Senna (Brazil)

Tour de France: Unchained S2 (France)

The Empress S2 (Germany)

The Helicopter Heist (Sweden)

The Law According to Lidia Poët S2 (Italy) 

The Queen of Villains (Japan)

Uprising (Korea)

By the Numbers:

Advertising Stats :

Netflix’s ad-supported plan now has 40 million monthly active users. 

Over 40% of all signups in Netflix’s ads markets come from our ads plan. 

Netflix ad-supported members have a higher household income and are younger than linear TV audiences, with a median age of 37. 

Over 70% of Netflix’s ad-supported members watch for more than 10 hours a month - which is 15 percentage points higher than the nearest competitor according to Nielsen.

More than half of Netflix’s ad-supported members watch Netflix for more than 20 hours per month. 

According to TVision, Netflix’s ad-supported members’ attention is the highest competitively when evaluating a three-hour span. 

According to EDO Inc., Netflix members are around twice as likely to respond to an advertisement on Netflix compared to other streaming services and linear TV. 

Programming Stats :

Netflix has 270 million subscribers.  

According to Nielsen, in 2024, Netflix has more hours in the Top 10 than any other streaming service combined. 

Over the last three years, Netflix has had more Top 10 titles than every other streaming service combined.

In 2023, Netflix members watched 183 billion hours of Netflix. 

Download photos from the event here .

Nikki Merkouris

[email protected]