I will be giving a presentation about "Crafting more effective technical presentations" at the ACCU Conference (April 9-12, 2014) in Bristol (UK).
Here's what it's about (this is the abstract I sent in):
The typical technical presentation in 2014 still consists of slides full of bullet points, completely ignoring evidence showing that this form of presenting is not very effective in helping your audience understand and remember your content.
In this session, you will learn how to create more visual and engaging presentations. We will cover the research that explains why these presentations do in fact work and refute the common misconception that such an approach is really only good for high-level talks, such as keynotes.
Topics covered include the preparation (focus on your audience's needs and expectations), some brief tips on slide design (avoiding bullet point overload), and general tips on the act of presenting (connecting and interacting with your audience).
This session has some interactive elements. Please bring pen and paper.
I've attended the ACCU Conference every year since 2002 (here are some photos from ACCU 2013). Content-wise, it's really one of the best conferences related to software development that I know of. While it has a traditional focus on C and C++, it is open for other languages as well and also includes tracks on general topics, such as Agile, project management and soft skills. If you're in IT, you may want to have a look at the full schedule.
Registration for ACCU 2014 is now open. An early bird rate is available until January 31. Incidentally, there's also a special rate if you only want to attend on Saturday, which happens to be the day of my talk.
My presentation has been specifically created for this occasion (I do know my target audience quite well after all those years). It will be a regular presentation, with some interactive elements. If you're interested in a workshop targeted at geeks and other technically-minded people, consider my offer for a free Presenting for Geeks workshop. I'm also available for commercial training.
Please email me for details.
