Things are gonna go disastrously wrong.
Sure, every presenter should bring their laptop, a wireless presenter remote, an array of video adapters, a stack of business cards, and so on. But that’s just assuming that things go right.
Here’s what I carry to help reduce the carnage when things go awry:
Slippery Elm throat coat lozenges. Speaking for an hour or more can burn your throat up, especially if you have to yell because the audio system isn’t working well. These things are like magic. I take one as a preventative measure when I start setting up my laptop, and I’ll scatter a few of ’em on the podium as reminders to myself in case I start to feel dry.
Caffeine-free Throat Coat tea. If I’m presenting for more than a couple of hours, I make myself some of this because it’s even better than the lozenges. I can’t rely on the venue having hot water near the speaker podium, though, so I’ll bring along a little hot water heater or a travel tea kettle.
Short 4 inch phone cable. First, venue Internet is rarely reliable, and if I want to show web pages or Twitter, I need to get online by tethering to my phone. Second, when I’m out and around at a conference, I’m probably running my phone hard, and it’s nice to be able to charge the phone for a while.
Spare batteries for my wireless presenter remote. I use a Kensington remote because I’ve seen the Logitech ones wig out when an attendee fires up a Logitech wireless mouse. (Probably not an issue for you unless you present all-day classes where attendees set up their laptops.)
USB flash drive with presentations. Before going out on a trip, I copy my entire presentation folder onto it. If something goes wrong with my computer, or if I hose up a presentation accidentally, this drive is a Plan B. I use a Mac, but this drive is formatted with FAT so I can open it on an attendee’s Windows machine if I have to.
Small food bars. Conference food schedules don’t usually line up with when I’m hungry, so I’ll chow down on one of these before I present.
Single-serving packets of lens wipes, pain relievers, and antacid. I know, now I’m starting to sound paranoid, but these things come in incredibly handy. I don’t want to carry whole pill bottles or boxes around, so even though this packaging is more expensive, it’s just handy.
I toss all this stuff into a plastic bag, and then put one in each of my laptop bags and carry-ons. When I come back from a trip and I unpack my laptop, I replenish the zip-top bag and throw it back in.
4 Comments. Leave new
Based on one of our last presenting expeditions, I suggest you add single use toothbrushes to the survival kit. Total lifesaver if you get kale between your teeth or you’re absolutely convinced your breath smells like week old coffee.
Nice try, but we all know that your public speaking is just a diabolical, yet brilliant way to mask your addiction to hot tea and lozenges. Now, if you can only get them to allow you to present from a food truck…
Reminds me of that scene with Slim Pickens in “Dr. Strangelove… “Survival Kit contents check. In them you will find: one 45 caliber automatic, two boxes of ammunition, four days concentrated emergency rations, one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills, one miniature combination Roossian phrase book and Bible, one hundred dollars in rubles, one hundred dollars in gold, nine packs of chewing gum, one issue of prophylactics, three lipsticks, three pair of nylon stockings… Shoot, a fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff!”
Good advice. I always trying to remember to pack something for pre-flu moments (sometimes I just forgot aboutit), It always help if I feel that something will be wrong tomorrow (having some experience from Sweden and China). And of course, few similar medicaments I always have in my carry-on (or somewhere in the bottom of my backpack. Very nice article