Pecha Kucha Event Review
January 14, 2010 by admin
Filed under Event Reviews
Pecha Kucha Event Review
By: Nikki J. Means
Project Manager, New Media Professional, and Process Consultant
Email: nikkijmeans (at) yahoo.com
Blog: http://TeaEscapade.wordpress.com
This morning I attended Pecha Kucha Over Easy at the METS Center. As a project manager professional and process consultant, I create presentations regularly. So when I saw this upcoming event, Pecha Kucha Over Easy advertised on LinkedIn, I was excited for the opportunity to attend. My agenda? To learn a new presentation style and to network. Both of my objectives were met. I discovered that Pecha Kucha is a unique and easy presentation style. Not to mention, Pecha Kucha can easily be utilized in any business setting. Additionally, I had a chance to network with numerous business professionals. Finally, I learned about several amazing initiatives occurring within Cincinnati: 1) the vision for Creative & Second Story Arts Center; 2) tips on how to procure a new position from Howigotmyjob.com, 3) how citizens of Cincinnati are combating the impact of negative media coverage, and 4) the mission of the Fallen Hero Foundation & The Yellow Ribbon Center. I appreciated the efforts of Brian Monahan and the METS Center for putting on this event and look forward to the next one.
Pecha Kucha Over Easy Notes
Date: January 13, 2010
Location: The METS Center
What is Pecha Kucha?
A presentation style that began in Tokyo, Japan in 2003 and has spread virally – now in 260 cities. Usually pronounced in three syllables like “pe-chak-cha” or like foccacia but with a “P”. The concept: 20 slides in 20 seconds; content is unlimited, amount of information is not as long as you can say it in 20 seconds.
Presenters:
1) Brian Monahan, Prestige AV & Creative Services – Meeting Point Cincinnati Founder – Silly Meeting Industry Inventions
a) Focus of presentation – identifying new ways to grow your business:
i) Virtual world – pecha kucha is a way to present virtually
ii) Businesses need to identify new communications opportunities – blogs, employee wikis
iii) How do you roll your audience over? Facebook fan pages, ning, second life – a way to reach out to people who cannot personally attend our events
2) Jim Jung, Prestige AV & Creative & Second Story Arts Center – Vision for Arts Center
a) Presentation Focus – Second Story Center for the Arts – www.secondstoryarts.com
b) A creative arts center for the family
c) Looking for people to join the community – networking contacts, participation in classes, donations, employment
3) Daniel Johnson Jr., New Media Cincinnati Founder & Howigotmyjob.com (considered a social media guru)
a) Five qualities for how you can get your job:
i) Well-connected: a. important to build your network before you need it and b. add value to your network
ii) Adaptable – thinking outside of the box. Seeking to fill the need.
iii) Audacity – “moxy” “boldness” – making yourself stand out
iv) Perseverance – sticking with it and not giving up.; maintaining a positive attitude
v) Authenticity – knowing yourself, what a company’s position is, and how you can meet that need.
4) Randy Simes, Owner & Managing Editor UrbanCincy.com, UrbanCincy.com & Mainstream Media Discussion
a) Focus – Why I’m passionate about Cincinnati and combating the impact of negative media coverage.
i) City Dynamics – 52 neighborhoods with strong individual identity
ii) Comfort = complacently. Media focused on negative city reports, which have caused people to lose faith in the city.
iii) Believes in highlighting the positives of the city – urban core – the heart of the city
iv) Urban advocates have begun to mobilize due to new media growth
v) Involved with promoting: two-wheeler parking, streetcar initiative
vi) Focus on promoting the positive things of Cincinnati, translating global media with a city spin
5) June Izzi-Bailey & Keith Maupin, Fallen Hero Foundation & The Yellow Ribbon Center
a) Presentation Focus: Vision for The Fallen Hero Foundation Museum
i) Open a museum
ii) Parent’s of fallen heros can be displayed – maintain their legacy
iii) Community donations to give to troops
iv) 57 fallen heros in Cincinnati from Iraq and Afghanistan
Pecha Kucha – Tips on how to create:
- Begin with a clear objective
- Each slide should have meaning – the slide has many visuals, very little words – no bullet points
- Pictures support discussion
- Discussion should be timed with each slide
- Place slides on auto-timer for 20 seconds
- Discussion for the slide ends as soon as it’s over – no rollover
- No going back to the prior slide
Resources:
Cincinnati Wordle
September 2, 2009 by Brian Monahan
Filed under Event Reviews, Recent News
You just never know what will tickle peoples fancy. In this case, I was surprised because it was a “Wordle.”
So here is the story about the “Cincinnati Wordle.”
Last week at the Meeting Point Cincinnati Inaugural Meetup, my speech was titled “Beyond WKRP.”
My inspiration for the speech was based on my experience traveling around the country and realizing that many peoples first comment when I mention Cincinnati as home is, “I Love WKRP in Cincinnati!” I agree it was a great show but being in the Meeting and Event Industry I know Cincinnati has much more to offer than a memory of a 70’s Sitcom. I wanted to inspire the group to craft a better legacy for Cincinnati.
I did a little research and found some Yahoo Reviews about the City of Cincinnati and I was happy to find they were very positive for the most part. I remembered a website called Wordle where you can input text and have it rendered in an artistic manner. The way that Wordle works is the more frequent the word entered the larger it is displayed. I pasted a couple of pages of reviews into Wordle and this is what came out (pasted below).
Besides how much the attendees liked the Wordle, I was intrigued by the output of the Wordle. Although my reviews included positive and negative comments, the positive shone through. Often it is human nature to focus on the negative but the impartial Wordle clearly reads that Cincinnati is a “Great, Beautiful, Excellent and Wonderful City!”
You can create your own Wordles at Wordle.net.
I will be posting the full presentation on MPC next week.
Take The Stage, A New Perspective
July 3, 2009 by Brian Monahan
Filed under Personal Development, Planner Tips, Recent News
Meeting planners have been taught to become experts on the guest experience.
Table settings, room decor, menus and entertainment often fill our attention as priorities but there is another perspective to consider, the presenter.
As meeting planners we often get the opportunity to experience “the guest experience” by sitting in the audience during events we produce or by attending other events, but many of us rarely get to experience the presenter’s perspective.
There are a number of physical factors to consider for the presenter. How big is the stage, wireless mic versus lectern mic, will the lights be in their eyes, is the stage too tall or short for the audience size, is the edge of the stage clearly marked and/or is the screen in view or a reference monitor available? Professional speakers will often address some of these issues in their “speaker requirements” but should as meeting planners we should address these factors anyway.
Although I have mostly addressed physical factors related to the presenter the results can be psychological leading to a more comfortable speaking environment. The more comfortable the presenter, the better the speech, the better the guest’s experience. There we go, it is full circle. The presenters comfort directly effects the guest’s experience.
I am proposing Toastmasters a public speaking program to get some you reps behind the lectern so to speak. Many of you might be cursing me right now, many in our industry see ourselves as “behind the scenes,” but I assure you Toastmasters is mostly painless and worth the effort. If you are like most, public speaking is your greatest fear besides death, hence you might be saying “I would rather die than try Toastmasters.”
As you consider Toastmasters you might think that the commitment might be too large just to gain some perspective but I assure you the benefits are numerous.
Public speaking is one of the best ways to grow your career and personal brand. Imagine instead of attending a networking event hoping to meet a few people instead you are speaking to the group and the center of attention. Public speaking brings credibility, esteem and exposure. Even if you have no interest in public speaking, you may find yourself in a situation where you must make announcements or fill in for a late arriving speaker. Don’t be that meek planner who slithers to the lectern to say, the meeting will be starting in five minutes, please take your seats.
Maybe with a little training you might just take the stage and never leave.
Visit Toastmasters.org to find a meeting near you.
If you would like to join me I belong to the DownTown Cincinnati Toastmasters Club that meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month. Email me meetingpointcincinnati@gmail.com for details.
Do You PK? A Cure For the Common Meeting
June 16, 2009 by Brian Monahan
Filed under Social Media
Death by PowerPoint! A pandemic that has been plaguing the meetings industry for the last 10 years. Pecha Kucha Nights an International Sensation could be the vaccine you are looking for to breathe life back into your dead meetings.
Pecha Kucha was created by a pair of architects in Tokyo looking for a manageable way for young architects to share their work without boring the audience to tears. They devised a presentation format of 20 Slides, 20 Seconds each on auto timer. 6 Minutes and 40 Seconds and you are done. Sit Down, Shut Up because its time to move on to the next presenter.
The limitations have allowed for more people to share their work and the cream to rise to the top, so to speak.
I first learned of Pecha Kucha from a local social media group “New Media Cincinnati” which hosted a meeting Pecha Kucha style and allowed the attendees to present first come first serve at the meeting. Working in audio visual for the last 15 years, I jumped at the opportunity to present. I was hooked. Not only is it fun to present but I was excited about the potential of short and interesting presentations. I have definitely held my eye lids open for my fair share of full screen notes, I mean PowerPoint presentations. I don’t think the term bullet is an accident. Bullet by Bullet a really bad PowerPoint can leave you lifeless.
Enough of my spiraling rant about the product that single handedly drives my paycheck.
Back to the inspired part.
I met with a co-worker in early 2009 to discuss an idea I had for using Pecha Kucha to promote the city of Cincinnati. My idea was to bring the Cincinnati Meeting’s Industry together for a Pecha Kucha Night to present Cincinnati’s finest destinations and best kept secrets, minus the marketing spin. The inherent limitations to Pecha Kucha create a very personal and to the point discussion about an idea or vision. My goal is to have an archive of Pecha Kucha presentations on the internet promoting Cincinnati, minus the spin!
I decided to put the idea on the back burner after getting real with myself. My life had changed with my first child Ella arriving in late October 2008. To be quite honest if I only had 6 Minutes and 40 Seconds for anything I might think I was on vacation.
Moving on Pecha Kucha found me. A dear friend contacted me looking for audio visual assistance at an event she was hosting at the Contemporary Arts Center. Once an AV Dude, always and AV Dude, my instincts kicked in and I was beginning to think this was one of those calls where somebody thought they had an AV problem but the really had a money problem. Not being cynical, I get these calls almost every week. Let me guess you need some audio visual for your event but you have no budget. I was right but luckily for her, I quickly realized, this sounded like a Pecha Kucha Night and guess what, I just happened to be interested. She was floored when I asked “Are you hosting a Pecha Kucha Night?”
Things moved fast and before you know it, I was part of the Cincinnati Pecha Kucha movement which had already created a fun brand for itself “Do You PK?.” I met the group and offered audio visual support and sponsorship via Prestige AV & Creative Services my employer. It just so happens the Pecha Kucha founders in Tokyo finally emailed me the same night with the groups contact information. Pecha Kucha has found me so to speak.
The inaugural event was hosted by the Contemporary Arts Center with huge success. Over 300 people attended and it was standing room only. Soapbox Cincinnati covered the event and you can see more by clicking here.
We have since hosted Volume 2 and have Volume 3 on the calendar 0n August 5th at the Cincinnati Art Museum.
I am working on my Pecha Kucha about the Historic Cincinnati Hilton Netherland Plaza Hotel which I have had the opportunity to work in over the last 5 years. The building is a true work of art and I find something new about its design and history almost every time I work there.
I encourage you to share your Pecha Kucha slides or video links in the comments area below. I recommend SlideShare.net for posting your slides. SlideShare is a great tool for meetings and I will cover it in more detail on a future post.
Daniel Pink a leading marketing and business author shared a Pecha Kucha he created on signs which interestingly enough highlights a Cincinnati Destination the American Sign Museum.
If you are interested in hosting the Pecha Kucha Night focused on Cincinnati contact me via meetingpointcincinnati (at) gmail (dot) com.
Otherwise here are some links to additional Pecha Kucha Articles and the Cincinnati “Do You PK?” schedule.
