Why Present when you can Perform?

Adam Baggs looks into the theatrical history of conferencing and asks why we use PowerPoint when a trapdoor and stage revolve are so much more exciting.

This article was previously published in Conference News but we felt it needed another airing as it helps to inspire some alternative thinking.

Few things send shivers down your spine like the opening chords of Phantom of the Opera. The audience sits poised expectantly as the first notes rip themselves from the organ and the pile of clutter on the stage turns into a magnificent chandelier. Alternatively, there is the magical moment in Les Miserables when the apparently solid set, depicting buildings, is transformed into the barricades of the revolution amidst a display of smoke and music.

And now, answer this question - why does every conference you attend include nothing but a lectern, a couple of conference chairs and yet another PowerPoint presentation. We don’t have to use the software just because every computer in the world includes a copy, or as Stagestruck scriptwriter, Mark Gamon puts it: “More and more events are being driven by an internal Powerpoint deck, without reference to the needs of the audience. That’s a shame, because theatre creates interest – and interest is what inspires and educates audiences.” “Corporate audiences don’t live in a closed world – they go to the theatre, cinema, and rock shows, and in this country they watch some of the most sophisticated TV in the world. That means when someone’s communicating with them, they’re looking for surprises – not a stream of poorly designed slides interspersed with second-rate video. And surprise is what theatrical technique is all about.”

In fact, I am rather depressed to report that the highlights and technical pinnacle of many conferences are couple of spotlights, a radio mic and in top budget cases - a back projection set. Even the roots of modern day theatre, thousands of years ago in Greece could do better than that.

Conferences and live events as we know them are based on performance and the theory of theatre: you have a captive audience for a designated period of time, eager to be shown something. Theatre calls it entertainment and art, we call it education, sales, marketing and more. Either way, the essence is the same. So why do we treat them so differently, injecting one with creativity, whilst the other so often stagnates?

As the Barbican’s head of corporate sales, Anthony Hyde is in a unique position to answer this question. The Barbican is not only Europe’s biggest combined arts and conference venue, it was actually designed that way, a building created with the express purpose of playing host to the biggest names in arts and conferencing. “Firstly, not all events lack creativity but those that go the extra mile are the exception rather than the rule; there have been incredible examples of exciting, interesting conferences using an array of the latest technologies but they are few and far between. I also don’t believe it is the fault of the event organisers, whilst some are clearly better than others, the UK’s event industry is generally considered one of the most creative in the world and production companies, in particular those working with CGI and video are second to none.”

“If anything, I believe it is an awareness issue and dare I say it - an inability to think outside the box! The production companies and organisers just seem to forget the capabilities present in the venues they choose. They go to town on technical extravaganzas and awe-inspiring graphics whilst forgetting the potential creativity inherent in the spaces they have chosen. Because so many venues are nothing more than an empty box filled with seats, they don’t notice that others offer world class acoustics, stage revolves, flight towers and even that bastion of theatrical tricks – the trap door.”

It is this ability to make use of pre-existing spaces that defeats another common excuse for poor creativity – budget. There are understandably huge costs involved in making something special out of a warehouse or exhibition space but a venue like Barbican has it all there, ready and waiting.

Paragon is already using theatrical spaces in many of their events as explained by Jacqui Loftus: “The very nature of the event industry is that it’s creative, theatrical and produces finely designed, timed and themed performances. Hence the term: ‘live event production’. Where better to stage an event than in one of the UK’s richly diverse theatres? But they are sadly overlooked by many companies. A theatre already has one of the most important facets to a successful event, impact. Plus they house almost everything you need for your very own successful ‘performance’: seating for hundreds, stage, light, sound and there’s even more potential for creativity that can be unleashed, utilising the tricks of the trade and the technical gadgets already built in.”

“Both theatres and cinemas should be considered. Whatever message a company needs to disseminate, the audience will retain it more if the event itself is memorable and works on a creative and emotional level. And whether the style is high tech or simple – staging an event in a theatre ticks the boxes on just about all levels – it’s a natural environment for what we do”.

But there is more to it than that, conference organisers can use the lessons learnt in theatre to improve conferences. Stagestruck’s Mark Gamon expands on this theory whilst mentioning some of the lesser known tricks of the trade. “The technology of event production moves on all the time – in fact it has probably moved on since this sentence started. But the fundamentals of good theatre are timeless. We’ve always been fascinated by music and dance, as long as it’s new and relevant. Pyros have been used to surprise audiences since the Chinese first thought of fireworks. Simple effects like hung gauzes and kabuki drops to trick the eye are still surprising if it’s the first time an audience has seen them.”

But it is not just about technology. The crossover between conferencing and events is so strong that it is perhaps best to look back to the roots of theatre and consider one of the most fundamental parts to performance - oration. Speakers and actors throughout history have been able to entertain, cajole and educate without the need of modern equipment. Whilst this may seem to be steering off the subject of creativity, it is still an integral part of performance and the fact remains that speakers and presenters need to be professionally coached and educated before speaking.

Lucy Randall is an actress and freelance voice coach to professional and corporate speakers: “There is no need to do away with modern technology such as microphones altogether but many corporate speakers at least need to be taught the basic facts of projection and stage presence. There is only so much technology can do to help them. By becoming more comfortable on stage and in front of an audience they can gain the trust of the listeners, which will ensure their message is heard. There is no worse combination than a dry subject and a quiet, nervous presenter and it is up to the organiser to liven up either one or the other.”

“And if the presenter will not learn, consider a different speaker either internally or through the use of an external professional. Actors can learn the lines to a corporate presentation, just as easily as they can Shakespeare - in fact the lack of thees and thous usually makes it a little easier - it is simply another part.”

It is clear that conferencing has much to learn about the art of performance and theatre really is the perfect teacher. As Anthony Hyde concludes: “As an industry we are improving every day, becoming more in touch with our creative side as we react to the changing demands of our audiences. But we need to continue our education and spread the word, persuading clients, agencies and audiences to demand more, go the extra mile and produce truly memorable live events.”

About the Author
Adam Baggs is the Managing Director of Soaring PR

Forget your preconceptions, our award winning team of experts avoids the fluff and focuses on achieving your goals. Soaring PR is a specialist communications agency that uses PR and events to improve your business.www.soaringpr.com/

Contributions from:
Anthony Hyde of The Barbican
Jacqui Loftus of Paragon Europe
Mark Gamon a Scriptwriter for Stagestruck
Lucy Randall is a freelance voice coach