Unleashing the Power of Pair Presenting: Elevate Your Conference Impact

In the presentation titled "Unleashing the Power of Pair Presenting: Elevate Your Conference Impact," Selena Small discusses the concept of peer presenting at conferences, highlighting its transformative potential for speakers and audiences. She shares her personal journey, which took her from hospitality management to becoming a tech lead and public speaker, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and diversity in tech presentations.

Key points covered in the presentation include:

Definition of Peer Presenting: Selena explains that peer presenting involves two speakers collaborating on a talk, thereby enhancing the experience for both the presenters and the audience. This method is rooted in collaboration, where the collective effort of two is greater than the individual contributions.
Importance of Diversity: She notes the significance of having diverse teams and presentations, particularly featuring both men and women as equals on stage. Selena believes that gender biases in the tech community can be challenged through visible partnerships between male and female speakers.
Preparation and Challenges: The complexities of preparing a joint presentation are addressed, including scheduling conflicts and the extensive time required for development. Selena shares her experience of working with Michael, her presenting partner, detailing their collaborative approach to creating engaging talks, including live coding and skits.
Audience Engagement: One compelling advantage of pair presenting is that it captures audience attention better than solo presentations, preventing monotony and keeping engagement levels high. Selena mentions feedback indicating that audiences find talks with dual speakers more dynamic and refreshing.
Allyship: Selena discusses the role of strong male allies in fostering an inclusive environment, advocating for men to support women's contributions openly in technical spaces.
Avoiding Tokenism: She warns against the dynamic where one speaker overshadows the other, reminiscent of the "magician's assistant" trope. Both presenters should have clearly defined roles and contributions to avoid reinforcing stereotypes.
Examples of Successful and Unsuccessful Peer Presentations: Selena recounts a negative experience of a local talk where the female speaker was overshadowed by her male counterpart, illustrating the pitfalls of poor peer presentation dynamics and unconscious biases.

Conclusion

Selena urges the audience to consider the merits of peer presenting by emphasizing the need for collaboration, the potential for enhanced audience engagement, and the necessity of equitably sharing roles on stage. She highlights that while challenges exist, the advantages often outweigh them, leading to a richer experience for both speakers and attendees.

In closing, she invites the audience to share their thoughts on peer presenting, underscoring the importance of discussing and refining this presentation style for greater impact in the conference scene.

Unleashing the Power of Pair Presenting: Elevate Your Conference Impact
Selena Small • July 25, 2023 • online

Discover the transformative potential of pair presenting at conferences in this captivating presentation. Explore the principles behind successful collaborations, understanding the advantages and disadvantages of this dynamic approach and how it can elevate your impact.

Gain insights into leveraging unique personalities and strengths, assessing the need for two speakers, and understanding the perception created, while incorporating engaging live code demonstrations and interactive elements.

Recognize the importance of strong male allies in fostering inclusivity and integration. Harness the power of pair presenting to maximize your conference impact, forge meaningful connections, and empower you to make a lasting impression on your audience.

https://www.wnb-rb.dev/meetups/2023/07/25

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