Meeting Presentation Show Control Software
Show Control Screenshots
Meeting Presentation Show Control
...is a combination of people, expertise, planning, experience, computer hardware,
networking, software products, custom programming, and presentation files all
combined for a focused purpose to provide, with a high degree of accuracy,
reliability, and promptness, a large number of computer-based presentations to
a projector (or multiple projectors) for audience viewing, in a professional
manner.
The beauty (and pitfall) of current products like Microsoft®
PowerPoint®, is that it is relatively easy to create a presentation.
There are, however, many variables injected by this ease of creation. Reliably
presenting this material in a show environment can be problematic, particularly
when the number of presentations, timing schedules, multiple output locations
- are added to the complexity of managing and staging a production meeting/events.
In general, the items addressed by Show Control are:
Computerized
Speaker Ready/Prep area
Utilizes systems (virtually identical to those used backstage), to provide [limited] edit, test,
and preparation prior to making the presentation available to the production
system(s) projector(s). Experienced technical operators staff this area -
experts at identifying and resolving problems before the presentation is shown
live.
Server-based repository
for presentations
Although various levels of redundancy are utilized to
ensure up-time, effectively, this feature provides a single repository for all
computer-based presentations, organized in a way that the backstage operators
can locate and load the exact presentation that was prepared and tested via
speaker ready. This eliminates multiple versions, allows for the use of
computerized backup techniques, and can also provide (to the show management
group), a set of the entire materials presented, for archival purposes, upon
event completion.
Backstage
production systems
Because of the relationship of these systems to those used
in the Speaker Ready area, a high degree of reliability and quality is maintained.
Again, an experienced technical staff operates the backstage systems promoting
the overall success and professionalism of the production. In high-visibility
show environments, redundant systems may be configured running in parallel,
these mirror outputs provide the capability to switch almost instantaneously
in the low-likelihood of a system problem during the presentation. Individual
speaker equipment connection/disconnection to Audio/Video gear is eliminated,
along with delays and problems that can occur, because the production systems
are online for the duration of the show. Additional high-end multi-media
effects are also then possible, because known equipment and capabilities
can be built into the overall A/V setup.
Private Network
All of the above components are integrated via a high speed
private network, automating much of the logistics involved with receiving,
testing, delivering, and presenting, a speakers PowerPoint® materials.
For
smaller breakout session rooms, where the presenter is starting and running
the presentation on a production system, this networking aspect allows system
management from a remote location, to minimize the amount of technical details
left to the presenter, as well as provide quick help desk capabilities.
Communication, Scheduling,
Status
Complementing
this network topology are software tools, used for communication, electronic
schedules, and status information. Utilizing these tools, operators of systems
involved can communicate directly with other operators (augmenting voice
communication), and view both a real-time schedule and notes/status regarding
details about specific presentation materials.
Control Booth / Directors / Moderators / Schedulers can also
be part of the network, using the communication, schedule, and status tools,
to view and interact with items such as scheduling changes, visual feedback
of presentations not yet received, completion status of presentations, etc.
Show Control is a term, representing a methodology, a process, a managed solution
- utilizing a variety of hardware, software, and expertise techniques, to
provide a planned delivery of multiple computer-based presentations in a reliable
manner, customized to the needs of the production it supports.
