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ACE21 All Virtual Presenter Toolkit

June 14 – 17 30 days on-demand#AWWAACE#AWWAvirtual

Learn more at awwa.org/ace

Thank you for participating in AWWA’s upcoming ACE21 All Virtual. The following document contains guidelines and tips to help you create an effective and engaging presentation.

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Contents

03. Social Media/Marketing Materials

05. Teaching Adults 06. Using Webcam & PowerPoint Effectively 08. Engaging the Audience/Delivery

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June 14 – 17

Social Media/Marketing MaterialsWe are excited that you are presenting at the ACE21 All Virtual! We’ve compiled the following information to help you spread the word about the event and to invite your colleagues, connections, and contacts.

Event SummaryDate: June 14–17, 2021 Link: awwa.org/ace Hashtag: #AWWAACE, #AWWA

EducationEarn your CEUs/PDH* with short, engaging sessions delivered by subject matter experts on today’s most relevant water sector topics. *Please note that although AWWA may apply for approval, this does not guarantee that your agency will award you credit. It is the individual’s responsibility, before registering for any AWWA education program, to contact his/her licensing agency. Visit awwa.org/credits for more information.

ExchangeEngage with your peers, learn about new products, renew relationships, and contribute your ideas to help move the industry forward.

Sessions will be available to those who register for 30-days after the event. Early rate: AWWA Member $295 / nonmember $395. Regular rate: AWWA Member $395 / nonmember $795.

Logo

Use: To use in any way you find appropriate: on your website, in social media, in a presentation, etc. *Click on the image to download to your PC for adding to your social media

Email Signature Graphic

Use: To include as part of your email signature message. Instructions for inserting in Outlook:1. Open Outlook and click New E-mail.2. Click the Signature dropdown and click the

Signatures option. The Signatures and Stationery window appears.

3. Put your curser in the text box and select the “Insert Picture” icon

LINK Signature Banner to: awwa.org/ace

Instructions for inserting in Gmail:

1. In the top right, click Settings.2. In the “Signature” section, add your signature text in

the box. If you want, you can format your message by adding an image or changing the text style.

3. At the bottom of the page, click Save Changes.

LINK Signature Banner to: awwa.org/ace

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Social Media

Event SummarySample Post: Join me at the #AWWAACE, June 14–17. I will be presenting on YOUR TOPIC. Register here. Sample Post: I’m excited to be a part of the #AWWAACE, June 14–17. I am presenting on YOUR TOPIC. I hope you can attend. Learn more @awwa. Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook: 1200 x 628 and Instagram 1080 x 1080

Link: awwa.org/ace

If you have any questions or need additional files/formats, please contact: Missy Ramey, Interim Director—Marketing | mramey@awwa.org

June 14 – 17

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If the learners can’t apply the information, they’ll check out.

Provide real-life scenarios for learners to apply the new information.

Adults benefit from knowing WHAT they will be learning. When the agenda and the objectives of the presentation are clearly explained, the adult learner is more likely to learn and retain the information.

The most effective objectives are written to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. It is not enough for the learner to KNOW something—what they are able to DO with that knowledge is more important.

Presenting to AdultsAdults need to know WHY they should learn something.

Explicitly describe how the audience will benefit from your presentation. Provide an agenda for your presentation. Agendas provide the context needed for the learner to access the new information.

List the objectives. As a result of your presentation, what will the learners be able to do?

Rationale

(Why) (What) (Response) (Feedback)

Objectives Activities Evaluation MeaningfulLearning

Learners in programs with strong rationales that clearly articulate how and why they will benefit from the education pay closer

attention and retain what they learn more accurately.

Adults are most interested in learning that has immediate relevance to their work and/or personal lives.

June 14 – 17

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Using Webcam & Powerpoint Effectively

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Presentation Requirements• All presenters must use the ACE21 All Virtual PowerPoint Deck (16:9 aspect ratio)

• File format must be Microsoft PowerPoint PPT or PPT (Keynote and Google slides are not supported)

• Do not password-protect your PowerPoint

• Do not embedded read-only fonts

• Do not include any links to external content in your PowerPoint. If you have external content (such as webpage, video, etc.), please notify AWWA at Education Services@awwa.org.

• Do not highlight text within your presentations.

• Embedded objects, such as SmartArt, Audio, Excel, Video, etc. are not supported within the PowerPoint deck.

• Animated GIFs are not supported.

• Do not use custom bullets (standard bullets only)

• Avoid using the following elements of PowerPoint:

-Type size smaller than 20-point type -Embellished fonts (text with shadows, bevels, special effects or highlighted) -Textured or gradient backgrounds -Slide numbering on the slide Header, Footer or Master slide.

Some Speakers Use Too Much Text and Lose the Audience Along the Way

Way Too Much Information to Process! Meaningful Images

Engaging Slides

• Being brief is critical

• Visual Cues

• Attractive and easy to read

June 14 – 17

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Webcam

Wardrobe• Avoid solid black clothing. Details on black clothing are very difficult to render on the video of a webcast

• Avoid solid white clothing. White reflects a great deal of light and can cause the camera to wash out your video; in effect, you will look overexposed.

• Be aware of the color of your webcam background. Wear a complementary color so that you don’t blend in with the background.

• Avoid tight patterns. Pinstripe and herringbone patterns can cause a moiré effect that creates strobing and can’t be adjusted on camera.

Audio/Video• Connectivity. We strongly recommend a wired connection instead of wireless for webcam presenters. Please ensure that you are connected using an Ethernet cable.

• Close Other Applications. To conserve bandwidth, we recommend closing all applications except for Presentation Manager XD while presenting.

• Webcam microphones will pick up room noise and echo. Rooms with reflective surfaces like windows and hard floor surfaces are not ideal. Please try to find a location with carpet and curtains, which can deaden the room noise and improve overall audio quality.

• If presenting by phone, use a landline or telephone handset. Handsets normally have good quality microphones and the near field effect of the microphone means that background noises are kept to a minimum. Presenters should avoid using cell phones.

Live Questions & Answer Sessions• We ask that you log in 30 minutes in advance of the live start time to work on the framing of your video and testing your audio.

• Maintain the positioning of your video frame. Try not to rock in your seat or move drastically outside of your video frame.

• Turn off any cell phones, tablets, or alarms that may sound off in the middle of your presentation.

• Please be aware of your speaking volumes. If you speak softly, the audience won’t be able to hear you, and if you talk too loudly, the audio will be over modulated.

• Conserve bandwidth by closing all nonessential browser tabs, email, and other applications. It’s essential you reserve that bandwidth for your webcam transmission.

• Review the backup plan if you or your co-presenters lose connection.

• Keep any other distractions at bay. Unlike audio events, with a webcam, we can see and hear what’s happening in your environment. Pets, family, and friends may not realize you are presenting and could easily steal the show.

Background & Lighting• Avoid sitting in front of a window with bright sunlight shining directly into the camera. This can cause the webcam to auto-adjust and will make the presenter’s face look very dark.

• Be aware of your surroundings and what is your background area (e.g. are you in your kitchen with dirty pots behind you, what photos are up on your wall, etc.)

• A solid dark background works best. If you do not have a solid colored background, you can position yourself in front of a wall with a clean background (whiteboards, busy artwork, and bookcases can be distractions within your video window).

• A well-lit room will provide for better video quality and a contrast between the background and the speaker. If you have an additional table lamp, you can use that to highlight your face. Place it at a 45-degree angle in front of you.

Audio/Video• When connecting a laptop to a docking station, be sure to connect any external USB Webcams or Mics to the docking station’s USB ports, rather than the laptop’s USB ports.

June 14 – 17

The more an audience is an active participant in their learning—the more they will learn and gain from the training.

Take a moment and think about the most effective education events you have attended. Chances are you were actively involved in the learning. Few people cite lectures as an effective method of learning.

It can be a challenge to engage an audience over a virtual event, but not only can it be done—it is well worth the time and energy. Here are a few ideas of how you can engage your audience:

Conduct a poll. The webinar platform allows for audience polling. Polls can be used to introduce a topic and gauge and audience’s interest. They can also be used to check for understanding.

Best PracticesOne of the biggest challenges for a virtual presenter is the fact that you cannot see your audience—only interact with them through group chat. Utilizing your webcam to present you can use non-verbal cues like proximity, eye-contact, and gestures. It is also recommended you use vocal variety to keep an audience’s attention. Vary your pace, tone, and volume to draw attention to important points of your presentation.

Change up your volume. A higher and lower volume will gain attention. Take deep belly breaths and contract the stomach muscles to easily project. The deeper into the body you inhale, the more support your voice gets. If you able to stand and your presenting environment allows you to stand with the camera at eye level, stand up to change up your volume.

Mix up your pace. Slow down for technical information. Speed up for straightforward and exciting information. Pause to allow participants to absorb and process information but avoid fillers like um.

Vary pitch. Increasing pitch variety will make you sound more interesting. Common pitch pattern: Start speaking at a consistent pitch, jump up in pitch to stress a word or phrase, and then step down in pitch at the end of each sentence.

Speaker Delivery. Practice, practice, practice!!! The more you prepare, the more polished your delivery will be. Inadequate practice may lead to uneven and inconsistent delivery that may distract the audience.

Create a scenario-based problem-solving exercise pulled from a real-life experience. After you have presented a main point, take the audience through a scenario-based activity where they can apply their new learning. Remember, adults learn best when they can apply new learning to their lives. The audience can submit their response to the activity through the question pane in the webinar software. Be prepared to offer feedback.

Conduct a demo. Audiences love demonstrations of a new technology, tool, or idea. Talking about something is never as effective as showing it in action.

Although, most session are pre-recorded you can engage with the audience through the group chat feature of the platform. Use appropriate and meaningful visuals. A chart or graph can communicate a lot of information within one slide. However, be careful not to include visuals that are too busy or have too much information for the viewer. Use handouts to deliver a large amount of reference information to the audience, rather than put all of that information up on the slides.

Engage the Audience

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Thanks again for your participation! Please call or email if you have any questions or need technical assistance email EducationServices@awwa.org or call 800.926.7337.

June 14 – 17