There is a rash – no – a virtual epidemic of speakers giving their presentation in the dark. Well, not in the black dark of night, but out of the limelight.
I just got back from SE Asia where I was speaking at the Malaysian Association for Professional Speakers Convention, the HR Summit, and the Association for Professional Speakers Singapore. All three venues had the same problem:
The stage lighting was not directed appropriately. The canned lights in the ceiling were canted anywhere BUT center stage toward the face of the speaker.
Kristin speaking at APSS11
I continue to be flummoxed as to why this is….but it is. Even though we all know better.
So what happens? One spe
aker stood on the very end of the stage. Gosh, I thought he was going to fall off. Another one just stood in the shadows. Me? I moved to a place where there WAS light – which happened to be on the floor with the audience. Fortunately for me, I’m a fairly tall woman (5′ 10″ to be exact and over 6′ with heels!) and so most of the people can still see me. However, at the HR Summit where I was speaking to 400 people, I danced between being on the stage and working the crowd.
The solution? Get to the venue in enough time to kindly ask the hotel to reposition the lights. Sometimes, this is impossible as the ceiling is sky high. But if you don’t look, nor ask, you’ll be standing in the dark.
