Presentation Guidelines

1) Get Familiar with The Wellness and Wellbeing Summit Format

 

What is The Wellness and Wellbeing Summit?

The Wellness and Wellbeing Summit Talks are a showcase for speakers presenting well-formed ideas under 20 minutes for solo presentations (you will have the option to do it in 10 or 20 minutes) and 45-60 minutes for panels.

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Why 10 or 20 minutes?

Because it works. An audience is good at focusing on one subject at a time in relatively short chunks. The time limit is part of what makes The Wellness and Wellbeing Summit Talks work. And remember: Shorter talks are not lesser talks.

 

2) Develop an idea

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What makes a good idea for a talk? Like a good magazine article, your idea can be new or surprising, or challenge a belief your audience already has. Or it can be a great basic idea with a compelling new argument behind it. An idea isn’t just a story or a list of facts. A good idea takes evidence or observations and draws a larger conclusion.

 

Do I need to be an expert on my topic?
You do not need to be the world’s foremost expert on the topic, but you do have to be an expert. Please remember that the audience relies on you to give accurate information, so whatever you say in your talk, please fact-check — especially facts you may take for granted: statistics, historical anecdotes, scientific stats. If you're drawing an example from a discipline that is not your main area of knowledge, use research from widely accepted and peer-reviewed sources, and, if at all possible, consult with experts directly.
 

Is my idea ready?
Write your idea down in one or two sentences. Ask yourself three questions: Is my idea new? Are you telling people something you're pretty sure they have not heard before? Is it interesting? Think about how your idea might apply to a room full of varied kinds of people.
 

Who might be interested in it?
Is it factual and realistic? If you are presenting new research, make sure your idea is backed by data and peer-reviewed. You can present your PUBLISHED RESEARCH PAPER.  If you are presenting a call to action, make sure it can be executed by members of your audience. If you answered “no” to any of these questions, refine your idea. Ask someone you respect who doesn’t work in your field, and if they answer “no” to any of these questions, refine your idea. If your TEDx event organizing team answers “no” to any of these questions, refine your idea.

 

3) What is the best structure for a talk?

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There are many theories on the best structure for a great presentation. There’s no single trick to it, but here is at least one structure that we’ve found to work particularly well:

 

1. Please do NOT introduce yourself. We will introduce you to the audience. 

2. Start by making your audience care, using a relatable example or an intriguing idea.

3. Explain your idea clearly and with conviction.

4. Describe your evidence and how and why your idea could be implemented.

5. End by addressing how your idea could affect your audience if they were to accept it.

 

4) Create slides

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Should I use slides?

 

• Slides can be helpful for the audience, but they are by no means necessary or relevant to every talk. Ask yourself: Would my slides help and clarify information for the audience, or would they distract and confuse them?

• The most important rule for slides: Keep it simple.

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Do you have a PowerPoint Template? 

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• Yes, if you wish, please feel free to use our PPT template.

 

I’ve never made slides before. Where do I start?

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• Assess your own skill level. You can make great simple slides if you stick to photographic images, running edge-to-edge. If your slide ideas are more complex and involve type, consider working with a designer.
   

What goes on my slides?

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• Images and photos: To help the audience remember a person, place or thing you mention, you might use images or photos. - People will understand that the images represent what you’re saying, so there is no need to verbally describe the images onscreen.

• Graphs and infographics - Keep graphs visually clear, even if the content is complex. Each graph should make only one point.

• No slide should support more than one point. What should the slides look like?

• Use as little text as possible -- if your audience is reading, they are not listening.

• Avoid using bullet points. Consider putting different points on different slides. How should the slides be formatted?

• Check with your event organizing team about tech specs (resolution and aspect ratio) before you start making your slides. If in doubt, make them 1920x1080 pixels at a 16:9 aspect ratio.

• Use the broadcast-safe zones in PowerPoint or Keynote. Don’t put any information or visuals in the far corners of your slides.

• Use font size 42 points or larger.

• Choose a common sans serif font (like Helvetica or Verdana) over a serif font (like Times). -

 

I want to use an image I found off Google Image Search but I don't know where it came from.

 

• Don’t. This is important: Only use images that you own or have permission to use. If you use an image under a Creative Commons license, cite the source at the bottom of your slide.

 

5) Record your presentation 

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Please schedule a time with us and we can record it for you at a time convenient for you. We will send you a link to schedule your presentation once your proposal is accepted. 

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Questions: info@thewellnesssummit.org

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