Everything you need to know to create an engaging session for the AFP 2020 Virtual Experience.
Raise your laptop or camera so that the camera is at eye level, about six inches off the desk. This can be done by using a laptop stand, or placing a stack of books or a box under your laptop.
Your technical set-up is incredibly important in the virtual space. But you don’t need to get overwhelmed! Here are tips to make sure you've got the
Technical Tips
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Camera
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top Audio-Visual Quality
before we hit record or go live.
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Sit directly facing the laptop and have the laptop camera angled parallel to your face. Frame yourself within the camera so that there’s some space above your head and a few inches below your shoulders within the screen.
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Mute anything else in your filming space that beeps or buzzes, including your phone. Shut off your email or turn off/silence notifications.
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The best way to avoid feedback is to wear a headset.
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Audio and Sound Quality
Tips to make your internet connection as fast, dedicated and stable as possible:
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Internet Connection
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Do not use Wi-Fi, as the connection can be unstable.
Whenever possible, connect via ethernet cable.
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Disconnect from VPN, as that pulls the internet bandwidth down significantly.
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Turn off devices such as Netflix TV or video game consoles.
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If you must use Wi-Fi, move into the same room as your Wi-Fi access point or router if possible.
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You should have at least 25 MBs download and 5 MBs upload (more is better).
Check your connection speed by using https://www.speedcheck.org/
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Leave your computer or laptop plugged in. This stops the laptop from disabling certain power/battery functions.
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If you have a cell phone hot spot, turn that on in case you lose internet.
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The Chrome browser produces the best connection and results.
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Connect an external mouse to your laptop so you don't have to touch your laptop during the presentation to advance your slides — that will cause the camera to shake.
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Print out any notes from your slides — you won't be able to see them in full-screen mode as we are capturing your screen.
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Presenting Slides
Turn down your computer’s volume to prevent echoes.
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Disconnect all group chat programs
(ie: MS Teams/ Slack and email programs) to avoid alerts chimes during your presentation.
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Presentation Pointers
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If you are using dual monitors and plan to read from on-screen notes, place them on the screen that has the camera directly over it so that your face is not turned away from the camera.
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Your Appearance
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If we’re pre-recording your session, New District Media's production team will help guide you through the technical set-up before the recording begins.
Test your appearance, lighting and background in advance by going to https://zoom.us/test
Recorded Speaker Webinars
These two webinars cover logging into the event platform, using Zoom and Slido.
Choose the correct webinar for your session:
LIVE OR PRE-RECORDED SESSIONS WITH ON-CAMERA Q&A
PRE-RECORDED SESSIONS WITH OFF-CAMERA CHAT Q&A
For The
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Live Session
with On-Camera Q&A Tip Sheet
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Pre-Recorded Session
with On-Camera Q&A Tip Sheet
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Pre-Recorded Session
with Off-Camera Q&A Tip Sheet
Copy here indicating that this will prepare speakers and moderators for success in the virtual enviroment.
For the
Locate a quiet area, where you will not be interrupted by people or noises. You'll also need a desk or table, and a quiet chair to sit in.
You may not have a studio but you can create an ideal recording environment right from your home. Here are tips to make sure
Your Appearance
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Filming Location and Background
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YOu (and Your Room) look great
during your session.
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Your filming location will ideally be carpeted, as hard floors bounce sound.
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Do not sit with your back to a window or direct light behind you, as your face will be in shadow.
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Good lighting takes practice, so try different set-ups.
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Lighting
Avoid busy patterns that will provide a distraction to the content.
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Appearance and What to Wear
This virtual event and current climate allow for you to have a more business casual on-camera look, no ties or jackets required. Shirts with long sleeves look best from the perspective of the camera.
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Your shirt color should have contrast from the background environment.
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Adjust your laptop or camera so that your head and shoulders take up the majority of the frame. Ideally, the top of your head will be close to the top of the frame and the camera will be straight on or looking slightly down for a more flattering angle.
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Sit consistently and refrain from swiveling, rocking side-to-side or leaning in and back.
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Test your appearance, lighting and background in advance by going to https://zoom.us/test
For the background behind you, some limited visual interest is best.
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Avoid using an artificial Zoom background. These deliver uneven results, and can be distracting.
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Avoid art, framed posters or items containing legible text behind you, as that may distract from your presentation message.
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People look best in videos when the wall behind them is at a bit of a distance, or even at an angle.
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Perhaps a view showing some art on the wall, or a bookshelf with a few items on it. Remove clutter and overly personal items.
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Option 2 - If a filming location with natural light is not possible, position a light or lamp behind your laptop or camera, to better light your face.
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Option 1 - Find an area where you can sit fairly close to natural light coming from a window. For even lighting, position your chair to face the window.
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Your Appearance
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Presentation Pointers
3
Technical Tips
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Copy here indicating that this will prepare speakers and moderators for success in the virtual enviroment.
For the
Rehearse your presentation as if you were in front of a camera.
In a virtual setting, engagement is a bit trickier as your audience can easily get distracted. Here are some tips to
Presentation Pointers
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Prior to Your Session
Speaker Kit
Virtual Experience
keep their focus
throughout your session.
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Time your presentation during rehearsal. If it is running over, make edits in order to fit within the time allotted.
If you are participating on a panel, do not use the time when you are not speaking to check email or your phone — your attendees will see your distraction. Act as an audience for your other panel members, like you would in a live event.
Smile and greet your audience.
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Audience Engagement
Clearly define the purpose of your presentation.
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Crafting Your Presentation
Create an outline.
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Close strong. A few tactics to consider for your closing include:
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Focus on critical takeways. What are the learning objectives for your presentation? What will the audience get from attending?
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Remind attendees to write down the CPE code at the end of the event.
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For more information on creating an engaging and interactive session, check out our Speaker Guide.
Think about what you need nearby, such as a beverage. If you require a pen and notepad, have those at hand so that you don’t need to leave the camera frame.
Your Appearance
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Your Appearance
2
Set a timer for your section or a reminder so you do not go over. You can use your phone for this, but make sure the reminder does not have an alarm that goes off.
Remember to make direct eye contact with the camera, so that viewers feel connected to your message.
Do not look down at the screen and watch yourself or others, as your eyes will be facing downwards.
If your live session allows for polling, run a poll with Slido and reveal results, to engage with your attendees.
Ask questions that attendees can answer or discuss with each other within the chat feature.
Remind attendees to write down the CPE code at the end of the session.
At the end of the session, thank the panel members and the audience for attending.
Don’t be afraid of silence. There could be a 3-10 second lag between the question and answer.
Do not use verbal ‘nods’ to interact with speakers as you might in a live event. Interjections like “Mmhmm” or “Ok” interrupts the audio flow from the speaker and distracts the listeners.
When moderating a panel, direct your questions to specific panel members, to avoid cross talk and confusion.
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Tips for Moderators
Technical Tips
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Are you presenting to inform, influence, persuade, or for some other reason?
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Start with why. Most people spend all their time talking about what they want attendees to know and never mention why they should care. Get clear from the start and your audience will be more engaged.
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Refer to your outline as you complete each item.
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Keep your outline simple and cover three to five main points.
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Summary – a simple, brief recap of the high-level takeaways.
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Story – a short story that encapsulates your session, or the ending to a story you started earlier.
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Call-to-action – Provide an instruction if you want your audience to do something specific.
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Longer-term benefits are good incentives for people to review what you presented and keep getting value.
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Giving your audience something they can implement immediately provides immediate value from your presentation.
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Keep your visuals concise, just like your text.
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Be intentional. Visuals should help anchor information in the mind of your audience.
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Use visuals carefully.
Charts and graphs are just the tip of the iceberg when visually presenting data. More complicated relationships might better be illustrated with specialized data visualization software.
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Communicate no more than three pieces of information in any single visual.
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Why?
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CPAs in attendance are required to record the session CPE code and enter it into the session evaluation.
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AFP will insert a CPE code slide at the end at the end of the presentation.At the conclusion of your presentation be sure to advance to this slide so that the code appears on the screen for attendees.
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