12 people. That’s the largest group that presentation expert David Phillips is prepared to allow in his state of the art conference room.
“It’s scientifically proven. An effective meeting has to be held in a relatively small group for maximum benefit.”
He surely knows his game. As one of Sweden’s most successful lecturers in modern presentation techniques he’s had his share of sad conference settings.
“It’s heart breaking. Most conference facilities tend to invest a lot in accommodation, food and wine, but the conference room – where it’s actually happening – is often terribly abused. Flickering, yellow light, insufficient ventilation, humming video-projectors and bad air conditioning… I could go on and on… Considering the amount of money that companies and organisations spend on conferences, it's a waste of capital.”
One is all you need
Living by the motto “life’s too short for bad presentations”, David decided to do something about it. After acquiring Tersmedenska, a 1700-manor house in Ramnäs, north west of Stockholm, David set on a crusade to create the world’s best conference room. Combining research with interviews and his own experiences, he narrowed the list of requirements down to 25 bullets including lighting, ventilation, layout, technical aids and furnishing.
The result is a unique conference heaven, neatly packed as if featured in a lifestyle interiors magazine. And – there can be only one. With one conference room, there are no disturbances from other conference rooms or participants. People are allowed to focus on the one and only thing; the presenter.
Avoiding death by power point
“Far too often, the power point presentation is mistaken to be the main character. But it is always the presenter who should play the leading role. That’s why it’s a good idea to spend some money to educate the presenter before putting him or her in a situation where they are expected to make the whole conference a success.”
“I often compare a presentation to a holiday by car. If you’re not a confident driver you’ll end up driving 20 kilometres per hour, never reaching your destination and irritating your passengers. But if you know how to drive, you can drive faster, reach your destination as planned and have a good time on the road.”
In the perfect conference room the presenter gets all attention, placed on the long side of the table. He’s supported by the latest technical equipment three cameras for coaching sessions in presentation skills and dual projectors – supplemented by four whiteboards. But most important of all: the whole room is designed to keep the audience awake. A room of 65 square metres and 4,5 metres ceiling height give each participant 192 cubic metres of air to intake. The room is ventilated and air conditioned to perfect conditions and an activated carbon filter keeps the air clean and fresh.
"You know the feeling of goose bumps when listening to music? That’s the feeling you want to create in the conference room!" David Phillips, communication expert
The lighting is carefully planned according to intensity and colour; stimulating the production of cortisol and the feeling of alertness. Several lighting scenarios are prepared and can easily be managed by the presenter. David’s also invested in a Danish sound system with the potential to make a real impression.
“That’s the kind of luxury you can afford when you only have one conference room and don’t have to consider disturbing other guests. Music has great potential in learning situations. Music, especially the bass, releases dopamine, making you feel comfortable and alert at the same time."
God is in the details
The icing on the cake? Thick leather clipboards and specially designed leather notepads with one hundred generous pages to make notes on. An exclusive give away that you won’t forget to bring home once the conference is over. Details are more important than one might think, says David who personally has chosen the expensive ballpoint pens and the perfect chairs (after three years of test-sitting). “Another detail, that actually make the whole difference, is the rural setting. Right outside the conference room is a 200 square meter terrace, indulging the senses with the sound of trickling water and birdsong. According to research, your learning ability decreases by 15 % in urban environments. Despite powerpoint, we’re still stone age people.”