I mentioned a few weeks ago I was going to Vegas to present a keynote for Consultel Cloud at NetApp Insights. I’m a little late on writing this as it’s been hectic since I got back. At the time I thought it was to 3,000 but it was to an audience of 6,000!
So yes, I nailed it. Thank god! Haha. But really, it all comes down to an amazing support crew who made me feel so comfortable on stage that I was confident and excited to deliver a great presentation.
We started with visiting the ‘finishing factory.’ Here a team helps you with your body language, your topic, how to use the clicker, where to look, what to expect etc etc. It’s a great help.
Next up? On stage rehearsals. We did two. This requires about 25 people (stage, sound, screen, support crew, presenters) to walk you through your presentation. Show you where to stand. Allow you to be familiar with standing on a stage with a screen the size of four movie theatre screens behind you with your giant face on it. A microphone that echoes to an empty room, soon to be full. You are walked through the motions then a proper run through is done once mic’d up etc. It’s full on and I love it. You get used to looking for the ‘confidence monitor’ which has your notes if you lose your place. There’s a support team who clap and cheer in the right places and provide feedback on your presentation. Very impressive and I am incredibly thankful to all those people who gave their time to help us be the best we could be. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
The other thing that helped us out? A little Dutch courage. We met for a Bloody Mary breakfast to get us ready to take on that crowd!
I was slightly nervous but the good one, excited nervous! I was jumping up and down so excited to get out there. I didn’t find it daunting at all, I guess the adrenaline kicked in – I loved it!! Can’t wait for round two. Hopefully in a month – more on that soon!
An incredible experience, a career highlight and great fun.
If you’d like to see us on stage, fast forward to 58 minutes HERE.
