Documentation:CTLT Resources/Event Planners

Venue Bookings

Some questions to ask when booking facility/room rentals:

Room Name
Room Location
Room Capacity	theatre-style classroom-style chevron-style conference-style crescent-style perpendicular-style U-shaped semi-circle hollow square or rectangle boardroom-style cluster-style banquet-style
Equipment Included	LCD projector computer screen mic podium flipcharts whiteboard overhead projector moveable table and chairs extension cord wheelchair access who has booking privileges phone jack for teleconferencing delivery access for catering special hearing, seeing or mobility needs time access to room
Costs
Special Considerations	payment method cleanup charges catering restrictions are other events going on at the same time and if these events may affect your event
Contact Name
Contact Telephone
Contact Email
Website
Parking	location of nearest parkade cost of the nearest parkade parking options

Room Setups

Large Group Setups

The most commonly used, but not always the most appropriate, style of seating for large groups is Theater style. Other options are Classroom and Chevron styles. Presentations accompanied by meals have one choice: Banquet style (large round tables). The drawback of banquet style is that audiences need to turn their chairs and heads to see the speaker, tables are crowded and there is noise from the food service.

Theater style supports "Sage on the Stage" presentations where speakers give forth with their wisdom, knowledge or wit intending that it be absorbed individually and passively by members of the audience without any reinforcement activity such as practice sessions, role playing, or brainstorming. If the presentation involves note taking or reference to handout material, Classroom style is a better choice as it provides a writing surface.

Chevron style is an excellent choice for audience interactivity. It is very flexible, good for either large or small groups and fosters a sense of audience involvement as the audience can see others and get feedback from them. Chevron can be adapted into Cluster seating for group exercises by audience members turning their seats around to face the table behind. Both Classroom and Theater can be altered to a Modified Chevron by angling the outside sections.

Small Groups Setups

All the small group setups (Perpendicular, U-Shape, Semi-Circle, Hollow Square or Rectangle, Boardroom, Cluster and Chevron) provide for and encourage the audience to take an active role in the presentation/meeting and to communicate with their peers.

Large group setups, such as Theater or Classroom, are sometimes used for small group presentations. Using these styles in small group situations may create a formal, impersonal atmosphere that can work against the learning goals and objectives of the program. The improper use of these styles can present serious problems in learning environments requiring audience-to-audience interaction such as discussions, problem solving, or honest feedback. When an audience is able to make eye contact with other members, as in Chevron style, the audience builds a sense of community and group learning occurs. Small group setups are ideal for planning/strategy meetings, focus groups, information sharing, status reports and introduction of new ideas.

Banquet Style

Used for food functions.
Standard round tables of either 60 or 72 inches in diameter.
Used to seat 8 to 12 people.

Overview: Guests are seated at round tables, usually 60, 66 or 72 inches in diameter.

Best Usage: Banquet-style is the setup of choice for most meal functions. In addition, it is appropriate for small committee meetings and small breakout or study groups involving group interaction and note-taking.

Chevron Style

Provides place for beverages and elbows.
Most interactive of large group setups.
Promotes a sense of participation.
About 20-23 square feet per person.
Can be setup with or without tables.

Overview: Tables are turned at an angle toward the head table with chairs on one side of the table only. It is used for presentations to allow everyone in the audience to face the speaker. This setting allows participants sitting in the back of the room to have improved sight lines and feel more involved in training.

Best Usage: Chevron style is an excellent choice for audience interactivity. It is the setup of choice for events with less than 75 participants. It is very flexible, good for either large or small groups and fosters a sense of audience involvement.

Chevron Modified Stye

Can be setup with or without tables.
Improves visibility of speaker and visuals from side sections.
More interactive than Theater or Classroom.

Overview: Chevron style provides for and encourages the audience to take an active role in the presentation/meeting and to communicate with their peers. When an audience is able to make eye contact with other members, as in Chevron style, the audience builds a sense of community and group learning occurs.

Best Usage: Modified Chevron style is ideal for planning/strategy meetings, focus groups, information sharing, status reports and introduction of new ideas.

Classroom Style

Same as Theater Style but with tables.
About 17-20 square feet per person.
Supports note taking and use of handout materials.

Overview: Long, narrow tables are positioned in front of rows of chairs facing the speaker. The tables usually abut one another, although tables that extend beyond the stage ideally should be angled toward the speaker in order to provide better viewing. Water pitchers and glasses are typically placed on the tables.

Best Usage: Classroom-style is the best setup for situations in which the presenter is expected to do most of the talking and when delegates must take notes, refer to material in binders or work on computer equipment. It is also the most comfortable design for very long sessions. It is not the preferred setup for encouraging conversation among attendees.

Conference Style

Choose from Rounds or Rectangles.
Effective for group interaction and discussions.
For best results, limit tables to 20 people or less.

Overview: Delegates are seated on all four sides of a table. For smaller groups (6 people or fewer), a single conference table is typically used. For larger groups, several six-foot or eight-foot tables are often combined to create a solid rectangular.

Best Usage: The conference-style setup is often used for board meetings, committee meetings, and other smaller functions at which interaction between participants is expected. This design also can be used for high-level food and beverage functions with a small number of guests.

Crescent Style

Ample work space.
Good local interaction.
Good food and beverage set.
Uses more of the room.

Overview: Attendees are seated at round tables, usually 60, 66 or 72 inches in diameter. The two or three chairs in which delegates would have their backs to the speaker are removed, thus forming a crescent of seating facing the speaker.

Best Usage: This design works well when you need to use a room for meals and for an educational session that immediately follows. It is also appropriate for general sessions where attendees break into small discussion groups in the same room.

Hollow Square/Rectangle Style

For meetings where hierarchy is not an issue.
Excellent for facilitator led meetings.
Encourages audience participation.
Awkward to use any visuals.
Recommended for conferences of 20-40 people.

Overview: 30-inch-wide classroom tables are arranged in a square or other multi-sided design in which the centre of the design is empty.

Best Usage: Larger committee or board meetings of 17 to 30 people. At which interaction among attendees is important, can benefit from the hollow rectangle design. (Avoid long straight sections of tables more than 12-feet long. Octagons and hexagons work well to improve sight lines among attendees.)

Theatre Style

Accommodates the most people per area.
About 10-13 square feet per person.
Appropriate for lectures and keynoters.
Note taking cumbersome for audience.

Overview: Chairs are lined up in rows facing the speaker. The rows can be straight, semi-circular or herringbone (angled toward the front of the room). If space is not an issue, it is best to offset each row so that delegates are not sitting directly behind one another.

Best Usage: When attendees take on the characteristics of an audience (i.e., listening to a speaker or watching a slide presentation), theatre-style is the most efficient setup. This design is also used to maximize the seating capacity of meeting rooms or allow the audience to be as close to the speaker as possible. It is not recommended for taking notes, referring to material in binders or any event at which food is served.

U-shape Style

Encourages collaboration.
Center area usable for simulations and role plays. Can be used with or without speaker table.

Overview: Rectangular tables are positioned to form a “U”. Seating is usually on the outside of the U, but it is possible to seat delegates on both inside legs of the U.

Best Usage: The U-shape setup is often used for board of directors meetings, committee meetings and breakout sessions involving audio-visual presentations because all attendees can see the AV when the screen is placed at the open end of the U. It also can be used for banquets, with seating on all sides of the U.

Presentations Checklist

Back-up of your presentation:
- Source files for the graphics in case you need to do any last minute fixes.
- Handout master documents or Acrobat PDF files.
- PowerPoint Viewer install program.
Miscellaneous set-up cord and adaptors.
To support your laptop sound, include mini stereo adaptors (1/8th inch) to several output options like phono plugs or ¼" jack.
PC-to-PC transfer cables come in handy when the presentation files are larger and you can't burn a CD locally to transfer information.
Computer power cords can go bad quickly when tightly wrapped. Wrapping the cord more loosely gives it considerably more.
A remote mouse is great for providing hands free presentation control.
Bring your own projector if you can.
A small roll of duct tape could help secure loose cables when screws are missing or plugs are worn on your projector or laptop.
A small portable mouse is suitable for airline travel.
A plug-in outlet adaptor that adds 2-3 outlets to a standard plug-in could very well save the day when more outlets are needed.
Bring a paper copy of the presentation suitable for note taking.
Allow two to three minutes per slide minimum.
Consider the emerging role of video-conferencing to “bring” people to presentations who would otherwise be unable to “attend”.
Use a remote mouse when presenting in front of an audience. This allows you the freedom to make eye contact and to move around at will.
Use fonts that are large enough for your audience to see, but not so large that they become distracting when projected on the conference room wall. Use the 24-karat rule. For golden presentations, do not use fonts smaller than 24 points.
Every audience has “energizers” — those people who are with you, alert, and usually smiling in agreement. Choose energizers in every section of the audience and focus on them.
When delivering an oral presentation, substitute purposeful movement for nervous movement (such as rocking, swaying, or pacing). Step forward to signal that you are arriving at an important point. Step back to conclude an idea or let the audience digest what you have said.
Always research your audience. Ask yourself what they want from you.
Keep hand movements to a minimum — overhead and slide projectors magnify all hand movements.
Keep your pointer on the projector rather than in your hand.
Give a presentation in a partially lit room rather than a darkened room.
Hide slides to use for backup if you need them.
Viewing Angle: The extreme right and left seats in the front row must not be at an angle greater than 50 degrees from the center of a screen; no more than 35 degrees is optimum for most screens.
Viewing Distance: Optimum viewing distance from an image is 2 - 8 times the height of the image.
Room Lighting: Whenever possible, eliminate any light that shines directly on and/or behind the screen. Light on the screen washes out the image; light behind the screen affects the human eye and the effective contrast of the image.
Keep the design clean and the effects simple.
Keep backgrounds consistent and subtle.
Use only quality clip art – and use it sparingly.
Check all graphics on the projection system, especially gradient effects, to see how they look.
Use the chart style that is appropriate for the data.
Use no more than four colors on one chart.
For bullet slides use one thought per line, maximum 6 words per line, maximum 5 to 6 lines per slide.
Have a diagram of room dimensions, seating capacity and layout faxed to you in advance.
Carry a multi-outlet strip with at least a 6' cord.
Position yourself at the right or left edge of the screen.
Have overflow seating available. Avoid too many empty seats by having extra chairs brought in at the last minute, if needed.
Find out what type of screen you will be using.
Make sure the screen is the right size for the room.
Test your equipment in the actual environment.
Make sure someone is monitoring the temperature — people, lights and projection equipment can quickly raise the room temperature.
Have someone monitor the door against unwanted intrusion at important moments in the presentation. Post a sign outside.
Do not start until everyone is seated.
Have someone else quiet the audience and introduce you.
Reduce ambient light as much as possible, leaving enough for note taking.
Make sure no spotlights hit the screen.
Be certain your projector has a minimum of 200 lumens.
Avoid outside noise interference by making sure there will be no construction sounds, ringing telephones, or spillover noise from events in the next room.
If you are plugging your system into the room’s audio system, make sure the correct cables are available and that the two systems are compatible.
Rehearse enough to become comfortable with the material, but not so much that you kill your own enthusiasm and spontaneity. As a general rule, run through the entire presentation no less than three times, but no more than six.
Become comfortable with not only the subject matter, but the transitions, sounds and video sequences.
Practice setting up and taking down the system.
Test the presentation on a live — but friendly — audience.
Standard desktop color monitors (14-17 inches) are suitable for viewing by up to six people, but they are cumbersome to transport.
Large-format presentation monitors (up to 45 inches) can handle audiences of 25 or more, but they are not portable in any sense.

Tips

Select a seating arrangement to support the event and presenter's goals.
Provide comfortable chairs.
Arrange for adjustable chairs for day-long training.
Provide surface for writing, using manuals, laptops, and placing beverages.
Accommodate people with special hearing, seeing or mobility needs.
Plan sufficient space for each person to avoid feeling cramped.
Provide for easy access to seating with adequate number and width of aisles.
Select space proportionate to the number of people attending.
Ten people will feel lost in a room set up for 300, surmise the meeting is poorly attended even though everyone is there and tend to disperse to near the exits. If you must use a large room for a small group, cordon off the unused area with plastic emergency tape.
Check for adequate air and comfortable air temperature.
Avoid noxious odors or enticing aromas.
Check room for exterior noise.
Tape door latches to prevent them from making noise when people have to leave or arrive late.
Arrange for adequate acoustics and acoustical support so people can hear (May require a variety of microphones).
Arrange for adequate lighting for presenter, audience and activities planned
Find out who to contact when problems occur.
Raise the speaker with a podium or platform so those in back can see.
Consider whether to use a lectern, it covers about 75% of the body and restricts the speaker's movement.
Locate screens, projectors and related visual equipment so audience can see
Determine which wall will be the front of the room.
Place entrance at rear of room to minimize coming and going distractions.
Check flip chart use and wall space for the display of filled pages.
Find out if there is time and staff to change the setup in a room for subsequent speakers.
Provide water, coffee, or other refreshments.
Test equipment for working order (video, projectors, monitors, etc.).
Provide vanity curtain for speaker's table to hide their stuff.
Note proximity to rest rooms and coat storage.
See that exit doors are clearly marked.
Provide signs on outside door(s) and inside identifying the event and time.
Provide name tags and/or name tents for attendees and presenters.
Arrange for intuitive registration and program material distribution.
Know how to turn on the lights and check that the light is shining at the screen or whiteboard, and that it is in focus so the audience can see clearly.
The white board - Ensure you have pens, and an eraser to clean the board before the next presenter uses it. You can put pictures on the board using small magnets or tape.
Short audio or video recordings - Check that you have a video or audio tape player, and wind on your tape to the right starting place. Have some pictures or the script in case something goes wrong.

Important Dates

There are important dates that you should take note of when planning events. Below are links to various calendars that can potentially affect the attendance of your event.