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Creating "Business Theater"
By Kevin Lerner, Exec. Director of The Presentation Team

Would you rather go to a business meeting...or to the theater? It's a sad truth: most business presentations are boring! Yet with a combination of modern technology and polished live delivery, you can create a dynamic presentation that has all the elements of the best theatrical productions.

By looking at your presentation as a theatrical production, you can make an immense impact on an audience. For increased sales, motivated employees and more committed customers. "business theater" can help add dazzle to sales meetings, prospective client events, employee recognition celebrations and trade shows.

The format combines live talent with the most sophisticated techniques from theater and media to tell your story. A word of warning: Business Theater takes a lot more preparation, money, and time than traditional presentations...and should generally be used when there's a big audience watching.

Like all presentations, the first step to developing content begins by clarifying your objectives. What kind of image are you trying to convey? Who's your audience? What are your key messages you're trying to convey.

Next, it's helpful to employ a bit of motivational psychology to create a message that expresses your story in a way that will move your audience to act on your objectives.

Then it gets fun...and expensive. It's time to evaluate the best ways to convey those messages, integrating live talent and various media options. The sky's the limit! Well...your budget is your limit.

Lights, sound, music, videos, smoke/lasers, theatrical staging can all have a significant impact on how your audience comprehends your messages. But more than the technicalities...you (or your presenters) have to be practiced and polished.

Consider creating a video to support your presentation. Tossing back and forth between a live speech/PowerPoint and a professionally edited video can really add variety and professionalism to your show.

Obviously, the more elements you add, the more complex your presentation. An experienced Audio Visual company can help coordinate the various elements of a big presentation event. But the bottom line: if you've got a big idea to get across...think big with your presentation!