Glenn’s Corporate Meeting Voice Over
GlennThayer_2009_corporate.mp3

So what is a voice talent?

A voice talent is the person you hear, but don’t see.  They could be the movie trailer voice, the voice of the loading zone at the airport, video game voices, radio voices, television voices, trade show kiosk voices and more.

A professional voice talent can:

• Keep your production at a professional level
• Be a great substitute when you don’t have a budget for a professional master of ceremonies
• Narrate your videos
• Brand your event (before, during, and after)

I’ve posted some generic “please be seated” voice overs below for you to use.  Download them here and use them in your production today!  They are in WAV format and can be transferred into your playback system of choice (Instant Replay, iTunes, CD).  Need something customized for your conference or event?  Contact me and I will be happy to help you out.

10 Minutes Before Show – (right-click to save)

5 Minutes Before Show - (right-click to save)

Show Is Beginning - (right-click to save)

Got questions?  Give me a call at (719) 473-6848 and I would be happy to answer them!

Glenn Thayer is a professional master of ceremonies that specializes in strategic content delivery, hybrid meetings, and conference moderation.  He is a professional member of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and Meeting Professionals International (MPI).  He can be contacted at glennthayer.com or @glennthayer on Twitter.

I had the opportunity to chime in on a recent conversation on the MeCo (Meetings Community) list regarding using Twitter in meetings, specifically MeetDifferent 2010.  There have been a couple versions of this conversation being passed around in meeting and conference association publications.  I’ll repeat it here as an additional resource.

Below is a copy of my post from that discussion:

I should be able to shed some light on this from a couple of angles. I was the host for MPI’s MeetDifferent in Cancun and had to design the best way to integrate the Twitter feed into the general sessions. Since the sessions were broadcast live on the web, we needed to include the virtual audience during the Q & A.

Glenn interviewing Marty Neumeier at MeetDifferent 2010 - Photo by Reflections Photography and courtesy of Meeting Professionals International (MPI)

For the general session:
I believe it is a bad idea to have a live Twitter feed on the screens. It’s distracting for the audience and the speaker. Hence, no Twitter feed on screen for MD10. A member of MPI’s content team was backstage, monitoring the Twitter feed. Then, she would post comments and questions from the feed that were relevant to the conversation I was having with the keynote speaker, directly to the confidence monitors. I was able to acknowledge the virtual audience and respond to their questions in addition to those from the face-to-face attendees.

For the hybrid meeting breakout:
We still did not have a Twitter feed on screen. However, as the tech moderator, I monitored the feed and would chime in during the presentation with relevant comments or questions from our virtual and face-to-face audience (I had a microphone as well). Many in the face-to-face audience still used Twitter to comment and ask questions. I felt that Twitter enabled attendees to ask more questions because they didn’t need to speak into the microphone to ask them.

A couple of notes:
If the session is being broadcast live over the web, you will definitely want to have someone moderating the Twitter feed and sending pertinent comments and questions to the speaker via the confidence monitors. This is especially true if your speakers are having any type of interaction with the audience. It allows your virtual audience to be part of the action.

If the session is not being broadcast, and there is not going to be any interaction between the speaker and the audience, there’s no reason to have a feed. Just keep an eye out for comments about the session.

If you broadcast to your attendees that there is a hashtag for the event, you have signalled that the Twitter feeds will be monitored and interaction via Twitter is encouraged. Make sure your entire team (and executive leadership) is on board.

I do not recommend using Twitter in private corporate conferences. You wouldn’t want to have attendees losing their jobs because they are ‘accidentally’ tweeting about an upcoming product launch (beware of confidentiality and trade secrets).

That’s my $.02!

What experience have you had using Twitter in your meetings?

Glenn Thayer is a professional master of ceremonies that specializes in strategic content delivery, hybrid meetings, and conference moderation.  He is a professional member of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and Meeting Professionals International (MPI).  He can be contacted at glennthayer.com or @glennthayer on Twitter.

Image by Matt Hamm

How often do we hear…

“You need to have a Facebook fan page for your event!”
“You need to have a Twitter hashtag for your conference!”
“If you’re not engaging your attendees with social media, you’re missing out!”

How often is that really the truth?

**Note: If you are having a corporate or non-public event, open social media channels may not be appropriate.  You could be in breach of non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements.  We’ll discuss closed social networks in another post.

In my experience, it all comes down to how your audience accesses information online. Most of the time, this is a generational trait. If your audience is 15-25 years old, chances are they receive most of their information through social networks such as Facebook. If that is your target audience, you may want to have a Facebook fan page (hint, hint).

If your audience is over 40, are they using LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter? Do they have profiles setup on the social networks, but don’t access them for professional use? Are they the small (but growing percentage) of users that makes full use of their online experience?

For audiences between 25-40, you could have a combination of both types of attendees. I have a friend who is graphic designer in his 30’s, and is not connected to social media in any way. When asked how he wants his information delivered… He said, “Mail it to me. I enjoy reading when it’s not on my computer.”

The simple solution is to find out how your attendees want their information delivered, and how they want to interact with you before, during, and after the event.

On Twitter hashtags…
If you (the conference organizer) is publishing a hashtag for your meeting, your attendees will expect to be able to communicate with you through it. They will also want to be reassured that your staff will be monitoring the hashtag for questions, comments, and complaints. If you won’t have anyone monitoring the feed… Don’t publish a hashtag.

The Bottom Line
Are you really missing out if your not engaging your attendees on the social media level? The easy answer is to find out. With online registration it is easier than ever to get information on how your attendees operate in their social networks.

These are just some of the questions you will want to ask before fully engaging on the social media bandwagon.

In my opinion, you should always have a presence on the major social networks (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube). The amount of marketing effort you will put into them is solely determined by your audience.  Not every event is right for social media integration, so do your homework on your audience.

Social networks… They’re free, they’re easy to use, and your attendees are looking for you there.

What are you doing (or not doing) to engage your attendees in the social media realm?

Glenn Thayer is a professional master of ceremonies that specializes in strategic content delivery, hybrid meetings, and conference moderation.  He is a professional member of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and Meeting Professionals International (MPI).  He can be contacted at glennthayer.com or @glennthayer on Twitter.

DENVER, COLORADO – Event Solutions magazine, Conference and Tradeshow recently announced that local event professional Glenn Thayer, President and CEO, Thayer Productions  has been named as a finalist in the 2010 Spotlight Awards in the category of Entertainer of the Year.

As a conference moderator specializing in content strategy and audience learning, Glenn drives the clear delivery of his clients’ message while bringing a fresh approach to conferences and meetings.

Creating an attendee experience with meaningful interactions that deliver brand differentiation, customer conversion and loyalty, Glenn works with event planners to create content strategies that guide prospects and customer through the sales cycle to:

• Maximize Return on Investment
• Achieve Business Impact Results
• Engage Attendees for Better Learning
• Maximize Content Lifecycle
• Increase Event Attendance

The finalists were selected from a field of more than 600 nominations based on their entry profile that speaks to their body of work. They represent some of the top event professionals not just in the United States, but internationally. The prestigious Spotlight Awards, the event industry’s most comprehensive awards program began in 1998.

Finalists were published in the January issue of Event Solutions magazine and appear on the voting site:  event-solutions.com until January 31, 2010.  Recipients of the award will be presented March 8, 2010 in Las Vegas, as the signature event of the Event Solutions Conference and Tradeshow. Event Industry luminaries, colleagues, friends and family will be included in the event audience, to applaud and honor the finalists and recipients of the award.

To vote visit:  event-solutions.com before January 31, 2010

So now that you’ve seen the official press release…  Go vote!!!

Thanks!

Glenn

Join me and the rest of the meetings and conference industry for a trendsetting MeetDifferent 2010, February 20-23 in Cancun, Mexico.

I’m honored to be hosting MeetDifferent this year.  There is an unbelievable lineup of talent.  Attendees are able to interact with our keynote speakers before, and during the general sessions (yes, while they are on stage).  You can interact with us live or via Twitter using #MD10.  We’ll be monitoring the Twitter stream and I’ll be asking questions on your behalf.

I’ll be posting some podcasts shortly from some of our presenters at MeetDifferent, so come back soon.

So register now at http://www.mpiweb.org/Events/MD2010/Home.aspx.  I’ll see you at MeetDifferent!

If you don’t want to screw up the keynote speaker you just spent $15,000 on, then take a look a these four things that can make a huge difference on the way your speaker shows up and delivers a successful message to the audience.

Never ignore the written introduction the speaker gave you.
Not only did they spend countless hours making sure the introduction ties seamlessly into their message, it lets your audience know who they are, what golden nuggets they can expect to leave with, and what qualifies your speaker as an expert on the subject matter.  Deciding to “wing it” and talking about the speaker’s main points, would be like going to a comedy club where the emcee summarizes all the jokes you’ll hear before they bring the comedian on.  No suspense, no surprise.  You have successfully thrown your speaker under the bus.

Never repeat “word for word” the written bio in the printed program (and still ignore the introduction they gave you).
For the attendees that like to glance into the program, they have already seen the speaker’s bio, have read it, and have a pretty good grasp of what they are going to hear over the next 45-60 minutes.  Most of us have heard something like, “You’ll find Mr. Smith’s bio in our program.  For those of you that have not read it, allow me to give you some background on our keynote speaker…”  They proceed to read the bio from the printed program in its entirety.  Unless you enjoy torturing your audience with information they already have in their hands (and taking away from the speaker’s time), don’t use the bio for the introduction.

Always give any feedback to the speaker or bureau if the introduction doesn’t fit with your production (or if it is just way too long).
In this situation, the speaker steals their own thunder via their introduction.  I was hosting a conference where I introduced a five-minute video clip of the keynote speaker from the stage.  I then had to run back to the production booth to read the “regular” introduction (which was five minutes long) as a voice over.  For that extremely long voice over, the stage was empty.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have any input on how the introduction was to go.  Yes, it was really painful.  The speaker and their PR firm designed the intro.  More is NOT better when an audience is waiting to hear your speaker’s message.  Without your input and advice on the introduction, you can waste up to 15 minutes of your audience’s time. Sometimes, there won’t be a “master of ceremonies” and all of the introductions will be done as a voice over (VOG).  Most planners never want to read a blog or Twitter post that says, “How was the keynote?” “It was about five minutes long, but at least I know everything that’s on her resume.”  Personally, I would rather sit down for some good old- fashioned electro-shock therapy than sit through an introduction that is too long.  No single introduction will work for every audience. Consider working with your speaker on tailoring an intro that is specific for your group.  Hey, they may have one just for you!

Don’t request a reel of all their media appearances to play as their video intro.
“Look how awesome our speaker is!  For the next five minutes, we’ll show you all of the times he’s been on Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, The Today Show, and QVC.”  Beware of using a media reel for your speaker’s introduction.  If your speaker already has credibility, trying to build it more will just insult your audience.  Besides, you already included that information in the program, right?  Depending on the speaker, a video intro can make all the difference.  In a conversation with John Truran from Keppler Speakers, he shared that videos, done correctly, re-create the moment for the audience.  Imagine bringing up Apollo 13 Commander, Capt. Jim Lovell just after the audience has viewed highlights of the mission, or seeing Johnny Bench walk on stage right after his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Your audience will be taken back to that exciting moment in time and be ready to hear their message.

Steve Spangler, professional speaker and science genius (and a heck of a fun guy), posted a wonderful article on his blog about writing a great speaker introduction.  Check it out here for some ideas coming from a speaker’s perspective.  And yes, he is the man behind the Mentos Geyser Experiment.

Steve Spangler and his Mentos Geyser

A successful keynote requires a successful introduction.  If you didn’t get one from the speaker, ask them for one.  Or, you could just steal their thunder, wing it, and throw them under the bus.

Glenn Thayer is a professional presenter, conference moderator, voice talent, content delivery specialist, and on-camera spokesman.  He can be contacted at (719) 473-6848 or via www.glennthayer.com.

To my surprise, it was WorldGuy (AKA Erik Bendl) and his dog on their trek to spread awareness and raise money for diabetes prevention and care.  I got a quick interview with Erik right there on the trail.

Take a listen…
Glenn and Eric Bendl 7-31-09

Find out more about Erik and his cause at www.worldguy.org.

Download audio file (MaryB_SusanR.mp3)


For more information on Mary Boone, visit http://www.MaryBoone.com.  For more information on Susan Radojevic, visit http://www.theperegrineagency.ca.