Category Live Presentations Archives - Page 2 of 3

Serious Subject? Try a Little Humor

Humor is a great way to get attention and inspire fresh perspectives. It’s also a tool too often overlooked with experiential marketing strategies aimed at professional audiences.

We’re not just talking about a joke or two to warm up a crowd. We’re talking theming that pushes the envelope. Funny takes on traditionally sober topics. Devices and delivery styles that get people laughing, then thinking, then nodding their heads.

The MPG team had tons of fun helping Crest and Oral-B reach out to healthcare professionals who work with pregnant women. Recent research shows a woman’s oral health can have a big impact on her pregnancy and perhaps even the health of her baby.

We could have gone the straight-faced route, which would have been more than appropriate for the venue: The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses Convention (AWHONN). But we’d heard that nurses are a fun-loving crowd, so we used a lighter touch.

Enter the “Dirty Mouth Moms”

Because most pregnant women are prone to gingivitis (gum inflammation caused by plaque build-up) and probably don’t know it, we educated the nurses in our audience that most of their patients have “dirty” mouths. We brought the theme to life with bleeped-out words and images of pregnant women covering their mouths in surprise, then used it as a springboard to share how Crest, Oral-B and the March of Dimes can help.

Nurses loved the approach, and stuck around to learn about how their guidance and recommendations can help create healthier moms and stronger babies.

To see more of our work at AWHONN, check out our website. And if you’re interested in bringing a little humor to your next professional engagement, consider these tips.

Know Your audience. If you’re unexperienced with engaging a certain group, leverage any professional advisory panels your company might have, or even territory managers who interact with them regularly, to find out what kinds of messaging and approaches are likely to resonate.

Dare to be irreverent. Don’t be afraid to get creative. Look at the problem you’re trying to solve through many different lenses. Brainstorm freely—even around topics that may be considered untouchable. You can always reign yourself back in as you refine concepts and content.

Test it out. Run your concept past several representatives of the audience you’re trying to engage. Do they think it will work overall? Are there aspects that should be tweaked in order to avoid offending? If possible, share draft scripts as well to ensure you’re walking the right side of the line.

Commit. Once you’ve decided to go humorous and you’ve done your homework, go whole-heartedly. Your audience will go along if you’re confident in your delivery and committed to your comedy. Win them over, get them chuckling, and they’ll be more receptive to your overall message.

in Live Presentations / Uncategorized by admin 07 Nov 2017 0 comments

2016 Proves Face to Face Marketing is One of Your Most Powerful Tools

History will record many lessons from the 2016 presidential election—and we’ll leave it to history to decide which are good and bad. But one trend struck us as we watched the candidates meeting and rallying with voters over the past several months: Face-to-face marketing is a powerful tool that works.

In the business of event marketing, we see it all the time. A good convention experience with the right strategy for filling the booth can touch hundreds of members of your target audience at once. And while you might argue that ads reach a heck of a lot more, what kind of engagement are those ads really generating?

A professional presentation or hands-on demo can be much more memorable, while providing that human connection people crave.

Which brings us back to the election. Both candidates clearly knew the power of personal connections as they traveled to strategic states for all-important face time with voters. Social media, the cousin of face to face marketing, provided another way for them to engage directly with people. Both candidates spent less than their 2014 predecessors, with some of their most impactful moments happening at live events.

Companies must decide where to spend their marketing dollars, just like campaigns do. If you’re considering whether conventions and other events are a good investment, then consider how valuable it is to share your story with people who have traveled and invested their own resources precisely to connect with people who offer what you do.

Notice the emphasis on the word “people” in that last sentence? It’s often the missing key to success for companies when they do invest in conventions and trade shows. Face-to-face marketing is what these events are all about, yet we see far too many booths lined with touchscreens that no one touches.

People can interact with screens at the bank or the grocery store. No matter how cool your game or touchscreen experience is, it’s unlikely to generate real engagement unless you pair it with people who can draw in visitors and build connections with them.

Clearly, MPG believes in live presentations – it’s in our name, after all. But we see the power of face-to-face marketing at every show we attend.

It’s the difference between a booth packed from opening to close each day and one that sits empty while the reps watch prospective clients walk by.

It’s relationships that are started with a smile, cemented by compelling information paired with conversation that leads to new business or recommendations.

It’s knowing your complete message was delivered to as many attendees as possible in a way that they’ll remember.

This is something both presidential candidates clearly understood. If 2016 taught us nothing else, it’s that face-to-face is still one of the most effective ways to connect with people. As you think about how to spend your marketing dollars in 2017, give face-to-face another look, then call us to chat about how we can help.

in Live Presentations / Trade Show Tips by admin 21 Nov 2016 0 comments

Public Speaking 101: Help Your Team Shine at Your Next Meeting

We can’t all be naturally great public speakers. Many people have specialized knowledge that others want to hear about, but it doesn’t mean they know how to communicate their expertise to a live audience.

So what do you do when a major meeting turns the spotlight on team members who are experts in their field but not experts at presenting? Your best minds are on tap to impress with killer content. Their delivery can be just as killer with these tips to bring out the dynamic speaker in almost anyone.

Finalize scripts well in advance. Busy people may balk at an early deadline. Many assume they can rely on Powerpoint to guide them. And some simply prefer to wing it. But requesting that presentations be finished at least three weeks before a meeting allows plenty of time to memorize and practice. It also minimizes the chances of last-minute changes that can throw speakers off.

Consider a professional moderator. A pro can take some pressure off by winning over the audience, adding a fresh voice, and giving speakers a way into their content, rather than making them go it alone. What might have been a dry presentation becomes an engaging Q&A.

Team up. Dual presenters can break up what might otherwise have been a monotonous talk. They can play off each other, give each other confidence, and offer prompts to move on if one starts to ramble.

As soon as you’ve identified who’s speaking and what they’ll say, start planting the seeds for successful presenting. It’s never too early to get people thinking about how they’ll handle themselves onstage—and often, it helps to further shape the content of their presentations.

Here are some basics all presenters should know:

Less is more. Try using fewer, more powerful words when you speak, and even fewer in your visuals. Slides should back up your script with impactful images and data, not repeat it word-for-word.

“Serve” your audience. Think about the presentation from their point of view. Why do they care? Why should they?

Incorporate anecdotes and personal experiences. It helps put the audience on your side when you can share a real-world example they can relate to.

Own the stage. Use deliberate, purposeful movements and resist the urge to aimlessly “wander.” Try blocking out where you’ll stand, and how and when you’ll move.

Vary your pace and delivery. Don’t be afraid of a little silence at one or two points in the presentation. Pausing for effect, repeating a key phrase, changing your pitch, planting your feet and squarely facing the audience before emphasizing a key point, can all generate drama, interest and energy.

Don’t forget to smile! Enthusiasm can make even the driest content interesting. If you’re excited about the topic and it shows, then you can get others excited, too.

Presentations don’t have to be perfectly polished in every possible way. But they’re most powerful when they’re well-practiced and delivered with the right mix of energy and pacing. An agency like Moening Presentation Group can add value by helping craft presentations, coaching speakers, and working as onsite producers so everything runs smoothly. To find out how we can help take your team’s presentations to the next level, contact us.

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in Live Presentations by admin 15 Sep 2016 0 comments

To Glimpse the True Magic of Teamwork, Look Behind the Scenes

At the end of every project, we spend several hours sifting through photos. For our clients, we pull the ones that best document the experience. The best of the best go to our website and other marketing materials. And then there are the photos no one else gets to see: behind-the-scenes shots of our teammates in rehearsal, setting up, and having fun with one another.

These images are a testament to the intense preparation that happens before “show time.” Our professional presenters and brand ambassadors are the best in the industry, so they make delivering messages and first-class hospitality look easy. But every day on the show floor represents hours of rehearsal and thought, from the way our talent moves during a presentation to the cut of their jackets and the color of their ties.

Browse through these pre-show photos, and you’ll see people running their lines over and over, testing and re-testing demos, tweaking the emphasis of key messages, and collaborating to make sure every team member knows where to be and what to do, even when the unexpected occurs.

Our exhibit designers and technical crew are busy, too. They’re obsessing over lighting, wrapping walls in beautiful printed fabric, tweaking sound levels to perfection in our theater, and setting up displays with the eye of an expert retailer.

All of these are represented in photos from the P&G skin care booth at last month’s American Academy of Dermatology Meeting. Our team and brand partners set a new bar for excellence with a freshly updated environment, a science-focused main presentation, and demos that brought brand science and benefits to life. More than 4,100 dermatologists spent an average of 15 minutes in our exhibit space. 95% reported that the content they received was relevant to them and their patients. And on average, 90% said they were more likely to recommend the featured products after visiting our demo stations.

But something else comes to life when you look at behind-the-scenes photos from this show and others. You see the friendships that allow us to trust and help one another be our best—which means our clients are represented at their best. You see the fun, which not only propels us through long days but keeps us coming back show after show. Those unguarded, even silly, moments form the foundation of a team that is completely and joyfully committed to delivering memorable experiences for our clients.

This is why we look forward to post-show photo reviews. The polished and posed images capture the excellence. But those backstage moments are often where the real magic happens.

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in Exhibit Design and Build / Live Presentations / Uncategorized by admin 06 Apr 2016 0 comments

Making Messages Memorable at a Big (And We Mean Big!) Tradeshow

When Trimble Agriculture exhibits at a trade show, it’s big! Big booth. Big audiences. A big variety of solutions to share. And the shows themselves are enormous. Farm Progress, billed as the nation’s largest producer-attended outdoor agriculture event, encompasses more than 2,570,000 square feet with an average attendance of about 160,000.

With so much competition for the attention of farmers and advisors, how does Trimble stand out? With a new live presentation introducing all that Trimble has to offer.

Trimble had already experienced success with MPG brand ambassadors, who welcomed visitors and helped detail Trimble solutions at earlier tradeshows. For Farm Progress 2015, Trimble asked us to create a presentation that would open the booth experience. The goal: let visitors know about the breadth of Trimble’s offerings, focusing on the agriculture management software that brings it all together—Connected Farm.

Trimble is best known as an industry leader in guidance and steering, helping farm equipment operate efficiently and thoroughly in the field. Connected Farm brings the data collected by that equipment into one place, allowing growers and their advisors to make better decisions.

MPG’s theme, “Expect More with Trimble,” allowed us to challenge the audience’s prior knowledge of Trimble, then demonstrate how Connected Farm technology can help them get more out of their investments.

Our professionals gave back-to-back presentations throughout the three-day show. Our brand ambassadors, meanwhile, continued to welcome newcomers, direct traffic, answer questions, and put a friendly face on the Trimble experience.

“The MPG team was a pleasure to work with,” said Trimble Event Coordinator Ashley Limoges. “They pulled our marketing materials into one memorable message. Then, they delivered a great experience at the booth. The professionals presenters set the stage for our representatives to have meaningful conversations with our visitors. And the brand ambassadors made sure everyone felt welcome. As a result, we had increased booth traffic which led to new customers and higher post-show sales. We felt like we were in great hands.”

To see MPG in action at Farm Progress, including selections from our live presentation, check out our video. To learn more about our trade show and corporate event services, visit here.

in Event Production / Live Presentations by admin 12 Oct 2015 0 comments

A+ Tips for Effective Trade Show Exhibits

We love getting great report cards as much as anyone this time of year. And we believe in celebrating success, which is why we’re trumpeting our latest A+ scores like a proud mom on Facebook.

But we also believe in sharing our secrets. Because the effective trade show strategies that earned our client, Crest + Oral-B, such great results at the Chicago Dental Society’s Midwinter Meeting are tactics all exhibitors can learn from.

Here’s what the Exhibiting Effectiveness Evaluation, conducted by Competitive Edge and Trade Shows Plus, had to say about the Crest + Oral-B experience in Chicago, PLUS tips on how you can get similarly great results.

Our booth included a hands-on science demo area, brushing stations for sampling, and a live presentation theater, where two professional presenters delivered a news-themed deep dive into Crest and Oral-B’s latest innovations.

The overall experience scored 100% compared to all other exhibitors at the show.

Exhibit Presentation

This category evaluated the general impression the exhibit made on the show floor, and our scores were nearly perfect. Here’s a sampling of comments: “Theme was effective/creative. Good overall exhibit design. Good graphics. Good lighting. Good use of A/V. Creative/Imaginative approach to exhibit/messaging. Wow. Amazing.”

How can you get similar results?

– Invest in good booth design. Create something inviting that brings your brand to life with smart use of equity colors and graphics. But keep it versatile. The goal is to get multiple years of use out of your booth with the ability to switch out themes and change up the experience each year.

– Be bold, and be seen. We can’t stress enough the importance of a big, eye-catching overhead banner, along with branded signage high enough to be seen over other exhibits.

– Don’t skimp on lighting. Even the best-lit convention hall won’t make your exhibit look its best. Good lighting not only helps your investment shine, it actually enhances the experience for your guests.

– Layer in a theme. Since Crest + Oral-B had so many new innovations last season, we carried a news theme throughout the booth. Theming is an extra step that can help you avoid dry, boring presentations and demos.

Product Presentation

Here, our scores were 5s across the board. Comments included: “Theater is Disney-off-the-chart. Product innovation demos are excellent. Staging is incredible.”

How can you get similar results?

– Do a presentation or demo – or both! Of course we love live presentations — they work! And for many products, a demo should be a no-brainer. Here are some ideas for doing them right.

– Be entertaining. But don’t feel pressured to do Disney. Our audiences have come to expect nothing but the best from Crest + Oral-B, so we’re constantly raising the bar on our theater experiences. The real lesson is to incorporate some element of entertainment, whether it simply be multiple monitors, a storytelling approach, or that fun theme we mentioned above.

– Use professional presenters. Giving a great presentation at a corporate meeting is different from engaging and entertaining crowds four times an hour for three days straight. Professional presenters will deliver your message with flair every single time.

Exhibit Staff

Our scores were A+ here, too. Just look at those comments!

How can you get similar results?

– Go pro. Hire seasoned hosts with the energy and know-how to represent your company with class. Or at least provide your internal team with training on how to be as engaging and helpful as possible on the trade show floor.

– Create a uniform look. Matching shirts, ties, and other clothing items not only make your team look good, they make it easy for guests to figure out whom to approach when they’re ready for a conversation.

The final lesson? With good planning, great staffing, and a touch of entertainment, you can create a more effective trade show exhibit that earns top grades from your target audience. Interested in seeing how MPG can help? Check out our Work and our Services.

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in Exhibit Design and Build / Live Presentations / Trade Show Tips / Uncategorized by admin 08 May 2015 0 comments

Quiet on the Set! Tips for a Great Corporate Video Shoot

MPG Senior Video Producer Don Regensburger directs talent during a shoot for a leading beauty brand.

Our team is in high gear planning a video shoot at a client’s headquarters. It’s part of a new trade show experience we’re creating for a leading health care brand, and a big part of the job is making sure the shoot goes as smoothly as possible for everyone involved.

Video shoots require a smart use of resources. If you’re considering one for an upcoming marketing project, here are some tips for making it cost-effective while making the most of everyone’s time.

Before the Shoot

Schedule talent early. If the video will feature corporate leadership, researchers or thought leaders, build the shoot schedule around their availability. Getting on their calendar should be first on your to-do list.

Location, Location, Location! Your next priority should be nailing down where to shoot. Remember, the more locations, the more time for set-up and tear-down (and increased costs for your crew). Make sure to reserve extra space for crew breaks/lunch, hair and makeup, etc. Your agency will help you determine exactly what is needed.

Research and secure all necessary permits. If you’ll need special permission to use certain locations, make sure you’ve got that buttoned up. Get a crew list and make sure each person has the proper badges or credentials to be on the property.

Prepare your talent. Share scripts and storyboards well in advance to avoid on-set surprises. Be clear about wardrobe and ask them to bring several options, avoiding busy patterns. Consider a quick rehearsal before the shoot to increase comfort levels. Having a teleprompter at the shoot can help minimize takes.

Get it in writing. Ask your agency for a comprehensive shoot schedule that includes all relevant information in one place. Share this with any internal stakeholders so they’ll know what to expect the day of the shoot.

At the Shoot

Be available. Someone should always be nearby with the authority to approve shots, script changes and other essential content. This person should also be a liaison to smooth the way if internal issues arise due to the shoot.

Be in control. Have a plan for keeping the shoot area quiet and free of random traffic.

Stay on schedule. Do your best to minimize delays and distractions. Remember, time is money!

Don’t bug the crew. Direct all questions and suggestions to the producer.

After the Shoot

Provide support materials pronto! High-res logos, animations and other artwork to be incorporated should be provided well in advance of the video edit.

Give feedback and approvals ASAP. When you receive edits to review, send back comments and/or approvals as quickly as possible to help keep the production on-schedule and on-budget.

Be comprehensive and clear. To save time and avoid confusion, make sure that feedback reflects all internal stakeholders. Send it in one comprehensive communication, if possible.

Whether you’re creating a sizzle reel or need video support for a major event, MPG offers full-scale video production services. Check out our capabilities and give us a call to chat about how we can help put your message in the spotlight.

in Live Presentations by admin 18 Jul 2014 0 comments

Discover the Power of a Great Trade Show Presentation

Last month, our team went to the Exhibitor Show in Las Vegas to explore some of the latest trade show and event marketing trends and technologies. We always enjoy walking the show floor at Exhibitor, because it’s a sampler of what various vendors can do for their clients.

But this year, we felt like something was missing. During the times we visited the trade show, few booths appeared to have big numbers of highly engaged visitors. The ones that did have crowds weren’t a surprise to us at all. The vendors that had the most engagement were magicians and those that put on some sort of show.

In other words, those that had some sort of live presentation.

Over cocktails later, an attendee told us she was surprised to find the magicians her favorite experience at the trade show. “They kept my attention, and I remembered their message because they delivered it in a way that made me laugh. They were the only ones that had people really gathered around and getting involved.”

MPG brings a full arsenal of options to the table as we craft experiences that help our clients meet their unique objectives. But it’s no secret we believe in the power of great trade show presentations. It’s in our company name.

A great trade show presentation builds a crowd because it creates an event in your booth. Crowds draw more crowds. And because we run presentations back to back, expertly maneuvering traffic in and out of our presentation space, we’re able to help ensure that your booth operates as much to capacity as possible. Your space becomes the place to be.

Trade show presentations allow you to communicate your key messages to large groups of people before they filter out for more intimate encounters with your sales staff. And with the right creative approach (Magicians not your thing? Don’t worry, we’ll come up with an angle that fits you perfectly), you can help guarantee that people walk away remembering what you had to say.

Want to know more about how a trade show presentation can help you build booth traffic, increase engagement and maximize message retention? Check out these recent posts for tips and ideas.

6 Presentation Ideas for Your Next Trade Show

Must Haves for Successful Trade Show Presentations

Finding Top Talent for Your Trade Show Presentations and Corporate Events

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in Live Presentations / Trade Show Tips by admin 22 Apr 2014 0 comments

Try These Tips for Powerful Product Demos at Live Events

Product demonstrations are classic experiential marketing and a sure-fire way to make an impression on audiences at trade shows and other live events.

Demos can simplify complicated concepts. They can spark an “a ha!” by showcasing your brand in a new light. They enhance memorability by engaging all of the senses. And they provide a “reason to believe” by allowing target audiences to try the product and interact with the science behind it.

Are you considering a live demo? Here are some key questions to ask.

Is it simple? Live events—trade shows, especially—are unique settings. Space is limited, and so is the amount of time people are willing to spend. Look for activities that…

Can be done within a couple of minutes. If that isn’t possible, consider creating a time-lapse video.
Require a minimum of materials. You should be able to set up on a table-top, then re-set quickly, so demos can be run back-to-back.
Are safe for the general public. If the demo requires safety goggles or poses any sort of physical risk, it’s probably not right for something like a trade show.

Will it play to the crowd? While “kitchen science” is a great approach, and simple is always best, make sure your demo delivers a message that matches your audience in sophistication. Demos should also…

Have an easy-to-notice result. You’re going for a “Wow!” so make sure the outcome is obvious and impressive.
Be big enough to be seen by a semi-large group of people. We often place a small camera on the table so the demo can be broadcast on our video monitor for folks in the back.

Will it work every time? This is the biggest and most important question. Most of our demos run 3 to 4 times an hour over several trade show days, and nothing hurts credibility more than a demonstration that doesn’t deliver the results it’s promised. To ensure that your demo works every single time, you will want to…

Test, test, test. It’s not enough for a demo to work a couple of times in your lab. Run it at least 10 times in succession in a conference room.
Consider a video. If you can’t replicate the same impressive results every time, videotape a successful demo and show that instead.

To see more of MPG’s demo work, check out the new experience we created for P&G skin care brands. Our case study will be up soon!

in Live Presentations / Trade Show Tips / Uncategorized by admin 27 Mar 2014 0 comments

Capture Gold at Your Next Event by Tapping into the Power of Emotion

The Winter Olympics are underway in Sochi, and, like the rest of the world, we are watching in amazement! Not only are we Wow’d by the athletes’ skill and amazing stunts, we also are moved by their inspiring personal stories.

Events like the Olympics wouldn’t be what they are without a healthy dose of emotion. Sponsor brands like Procter & Gamble know this, and they’ve tugged our heartstrings many times with their sniffle-inducing “Thank You, Mom” ads.

It’s a perfect example of the power of emotional connections, and it’s something we look for in every project. Emotional ties are abundant in sports. But you can create an emotional connection even if your company or product involves something a little (or a lot) less moving. We’ve done it for clients ranging from oral health product makers to software developers and builders of construction equipment. Here are a few tips.

Tap into the why. What does your audience enjoy about their profession? Why did they become a dentist or an accountant or a dermatologist? Are they making a difference in peoples’ lives, even if it might not be readily obvious? What are they passionate about? What makes them feel they’ve done a great job?

Make them heroes. How can your product or service help your audience succeed in their mission—and not just succeed, but really make an impact? Can you follow the ripples to show how their contribution becomes part of a bigger, more impressive and moving result? How can you help them solve the problems of their patients, their clients or their companies? In what ways can they touch and improve peoples’ lives?

Tell a tale. Instead of relating a bunch of dry facts, wrap your message in a story. Case studies featuring real people are great. Or, create a composite story to illustrate an ideal outcome. Pretend you’re writing a children’s book. Can you use metaphors or fun examples to bring the experience to life?

Engage all of their feels. Remember, there are a ton of other emotions besides those that make us reach for our hankies. People love to laugh. They’re moved to action by fear or the desire to best a competitor. They enjoy being surprised and delighted. Use humor. Inject an element of competition. Show what could happen without your solution, and don’t be afraid to get dramatic.

How do you know you’re effectively engaging your audience’s emotions? If you’re at a live event, it will show on their faces. Are expressions blank? Then you’re not reaching them. Look for empathy, laughter, looks of determination and nods of understanding. And always keep your eye on the prize: if people walk away remembering how you made them feel, chances are good they also will remember you.

in Event Planning / Live Presentations / Trade Show Tips by admin 11 Feb 2014 0 comments

Live Presentations

Serious Subject? Try a Little Humor

Enter the “Dirty Mouth Moms”

2016 Proves Face to Face Marketing is One of Your Most Powerful Tools

Public Speaking 101: Help Your Team Shine at Your Next Meeting

To Glimpse the True Magic of Teamwork, Look Behind the Scenes

Making Messages Memorable at a Big (And We Mean Big!) Tradeshow

A+ Tips for Effective Trade Show Exhibits

Quiet on the Set! Tips for a Great Corporate Video Shoot

Discover the Power of a Great Trade Show Presentation

Try These Tips for Powerful Product Demos at Live Events

Capture Gold at Your Next Event by Tapping into the Power of Emotion

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