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Everyone knows how important it is to provide information for your customers when they need it, and at your event the enrollments desk and products store are the place they will look for satisfaction. If you want to know how to keep your event leaflets tidy when on display, and still maximize the impact of your marketing material, follow these useful tips

• Display your marketing upright and facing the customers to attract their attention
• Provide symmetry, by having a display at each end of your table or counter
• Keep your leaflet holders well filled at all times

To hold your marketing material and keep your sales and customer services desks in pristine condition, check out these useful three and four tier leaflet dispensers

The product review this week is the Philips Conference Kit 955 (LFH0955) which is a lightweight recording system designed to record meetings for later review or transcription.

Having used the Philips Conference Recording System we can confirm that it is unobtrusive for users who may otherwise find a microphone intimidating. It is simple to set up, and comes in an elegant metal case for highest mobility. The easy-to-use technology requires no technical expertise and provides excellent sound quality.

The two path-breaking conference microphones permits 360 degree pickup for comprehensive recording with maximum comfort, while the extendibility of components lets the system grow with the needs of your business. Get your meeting going with the professional Philips Conference Recording System 955.

Some of you may know my friend Charles Harris as a writer and TV director, but you should also know he is also a master at getting his point across in a few sentences and runs Pitching Masterclasses. Here is an enlightening and useful article he has just written about Pitching. Although he is specfically talking about pitching in film and TV, it can also apply to Elevator Pitches and other pitching situations. Read and enjoy!

Can you imagine being able to grab the attention of industry professionals in just a few words?

Actually, that’s an essential if you want to succeed as a writer, director or producer in film or TV. The ability to pitch well is vital.

Don’t be too put off by all the mythology, though. Pitching is a skill that can be learned and practised like any other. And there are some basics that you need to know first.

1. Pitching is like talking

The word “pitch” gets people anxious. Think of it like having a conversation. You tell someone you meet about a film or TV programme you like. In the same way, you tell a producer, actor, director, colleague, about the film/programme you want to make. Rule one: make your pitch natural, informal and conversational.

2. Keep it short

Just like a conversation, you wouldn’t talk for ten minutes without pausing for breath or checking the other person is still alive. So don’t with a pitch. Start with no more than two to three sentences at most. Yes, you read that right. Two to three sentences will seem long when you come to practise properly.

The most famous pitch in the industry – the pitch for Alien – was just three words: “Jaws in Space.”

Nobody ever complained because a pitch was too short. Your second best outcome of all is if they say, “Tell me more.” (See here for more discussion of short pitches).

3. Know what you want

If you’re a writer then your best outcome would be for them to ask to read the script. (The truth is, unless you have a track record, you have almost no chance of getting a commission from a pitch). If a director or producer, then you’ll probably either be pitching for finance or because you want someone (star, distributor, director of photography) to commit to the project – most often, though, they too will first want to read the script.

4. Know what they want

Research the person you’re pitching to, if you have time. If not, just ask them. When I run my Pitching Masterclasses for Euroscript, I focus significant time on exploring what industry professionals are looking for when you pitch to them.

5. Get in the mood

Not just the mood for pitching, but also get in the mood of your story. If you know your genre (or genres) – and you absolutely must know that – then you know that each genre has an emotional effect on the audience. Comedy is supposed to make people laugh – though some scripts I see make me doubt that… Horror horrifies. Thrillers thrill, etc. Your pitch should convey some of that mood through the way you say it.

I’m not saying that to pitch a comedy you need to be do a stand-up routine, but if your pitch for a screwball comedy doesn’t have a hint of humour to it, then how’s the pitchee going to react? Put humour into your comedy pitch. Ensure your thriller pitch reflects some of the tension and fear.

6. Be clear

State what needs to be said up-front. Be clear about the genre – say what it is. Be clear who the protagonist is and what the main issue is that they face. Be clear what the point of the whole story is. I spend a good deal of my Pitching Masterclass in helping you learn what needs to be said, and how to say it clearly, succinctly and elegantly.

7. Put in the work

If you want to get powerful at pitching, you need to put in the work. Analyse as many pitches as you can. Short written pitches are everywhere, in adverts, in Radio Times blurbs, even in the body of film and TV reviews.

Also listen to people pitching – at network events or pitching workshops and Masterclasses or just friends talking about what they just saw.

8. Practice Makes Confident

Pitching is essentially simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Not at first. Practise, practise, practise. Pitch to everyone you meet. Pitch to a tape recorder. Pitch to others in the industry and get them to pitch back to you. Practise doesn’t make perfect, it makes confident. Also you’ll find as you work on your pitch you’ll also gain a much deeper understanding of your own project – you’ll spot things that need improving – and will improve the project in the process.

9. How to make your pitching even better?

• You can book a personal session with a script consultant, and work on your pitch in person, on-line or on the phone.
• You can work in a group of other writers, directors and/or producers – supporting each other.
• You can go to Pitching Workshops and Masterclasses – there are many around but the quality can be variable so check them out first.

I do consultancy and facilitate groups and masterclasses when I have time and I also recommend you check out my colleagues at Euroscript
Charles Harris

Charles Harris is an experienced writer and director in TV, theatre and cinema who has worked with a number of the top names in cinema and TV, from James Stewart to Spike Milligan. A film editor for BBC and Channel Four, he moved on to direct TV and theatre, winning awards around the world.

His first professional feature script was optioned for production in Hollywood, and he has continued to write original and commissioned screenplays, and published acclaimed short stories. As script consultant, he has worked with professional writers from Britain, Europe, Asia and the USA, lectured at international film festivals and on MA courses at London University and London Film School.

To contact Charles to learn more, Click here to visit his blog or Euroscript

During a trawl of YouTube, we came across this Video which explains what is claimed to be the world’s most important 6-sec drum loop. This interesting 20-minute video from Nate Harrison narrates the history of the “Amen Break,” a six-second drum sample from the b-side of a chart-topping single from 1969. This sample was used extensively in early hiphop and sample-based music, and became the basis for drum-and-bass and jungle music.

The 2004 video is a meditation on the ownership of culture, the nature of art and creativity, and the history of a remarkable single music clip. Enjoy!

This month’s featured PA System is the SRM-350 V2, the Ultra-Compact Live Sound Powerhouse from the Mackie stable. The Mackie SRM-350 V2 is the smaller lighter sibling of the SRM-450V2, which we reviewed and featured back in August

Sharing the same new technology that makes the SRM450v2 the breakthrough live performance powerhouse that it is, the ultra-compact SRM350v2 is perfect for when space is at a premium. With a front view that measures 13.1″x20.7″ at a depth (front to rear) of 12.25″, the SRM-350 is noticably smaller than it’s bigger brother, the SRM-450 V2, and weighing 26lb (11.8kg) is just over half the weight.

Mackie SRM-350 V2 (Single) 2-way bi-amplified, optimized Active loudspeaker system High-output, titanium dome compression driver 10″ Neodymium long-throw low frequency transducer 165W class-D, Fast Recovery LF amp / 30W HF amp Ultra-wide, smooth dispersion via HF waveguide Built-in phase-accurate 24dB Linkwitz-Riley electronic crossover Electronic time correction, phase alignment and EQ for studio quality sound Mic/line input and pass-thru connector Lightweight for ultimate portability (26 lbs) Flyable, Pole Mountable, Floor Wedge-able

Have you ever read one one of those get rich quick postings and thought “Yeah! Right!” or “As if!”? Anyone it seems can write a blog, post a tweet or launch an ebook telling you how to make it overnight, without working. I for one do not easily subscribe to the idea of getting something for nothing, as it violates the first law of thermodynamics.

However, I came across a site which seems to have a different angle, and might just catch on. This is a 30-Day Challenge by Ramit Sethi, so everything should be able to be accomplished within 30 days. As he says in the introduction to the challenge “You can sit here and read every tip and feel good about yourself. But only the people who spend time implementing will save any money.” Now that sound like a good start.

The full list of tips is published on the blog posting Announcing the Save $1,000 in 30 Days Challenge, but the important difference from the usual savings scheme, is that you have to commit to doing it. Ok the language is distinctly American, and some of the tips might need a little rework, such as the US Gas hedge fund, but the principles are sound.

I rather like tip number 15, which is to have people over to your house instead of meeting at a bar or a restaurant. This contains an interesting excerpt on hosting people at your house from Never Eat Alone, by Keith Ferrazzi, The youngest partner in Deloitte Consulting’s history and founder of the consulting company Ferrazzi Greenlight.

So what has this all to do with managing events, or being the most outstanding presenter you can be? Well the simple fact is that we love to save you money, and a good number of the tips included in this challenge are straight out of our play list. There is always something to be learned about getting value and making the most of your opportunities, and it really does not matter where the advice comes from. The important thing is the action you take when you learn each new lesson.

Click here to see Announcing the Save $1,000 in 30 Days Challenge

Ramit Sethi graduated from Stanford and co-founded PBwiki. He is the New York Times best-selling author of I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

If you want to check out I Will Teach You to Be Rich or Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time both are available from Amazon

Most people will have heard of Susan Boyle, the Scottish singer who came to international public attention on 11 April 2009, when she appeared as a contestant on Britain’s Got Talent, singing “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Misérables. If you have heard her sing, you might be interested to know that her first album, I Dreamed A Dream, has been released today, and has already become Amazon’s best-selling album in pre-sales.

Its first single is a cover of the Jagger/Richards song “Wild Horses.” which she sang on a special guest spot of the X Factor yesterday. The album also includes “You’ll See,” “I Dreamed a Dream,” and “Cry Me a River.”

I Dreamed a Dream Track List Wild Horses I Dreamed A Dream Cry Me A River How Great Thou Art You’ll See Daydream Believer Up To The Mountain Amazing Grace Who I Was Born To Be Proud The End Of The World Silent Night

Have you ever watched an extraordinary presentation and wondered what made it so special? Have you ever wondered how some speakers or performers can utter a few sentences and have everyone hanging on their every word? Sometimes a presenter can make such a connection to the audience that you can feel the honesty in their message. How would you like to develop your presentation or performance skills to enable you to connect easily to your audience, and so make a difference to your performance?

Presentation skills are one of the most important skills you can hone to improve your performance and make difference to your results. These skills can benefit you in social settings, formal meetings such as the boardroom or on a public stage as a singer or stage misician. Whether you are talking to people to make them change their behavior in a supervisory setting or making a sales pitch to your customers, presentation skills are essential tools in your toolbox.

Good presenters are not necessarily born that way; the likelihood is that they have been well trained, and built up their skills over time. The simple truth is that the best presenters have had lots of practice presenting. If you want to improve your presentation skills then attending a Performance Training workshop will help you build up your skills.

We sometimes get asked about the benefits using a video camera to record presentations to aid practice. You can do this, but we advise caution, as a camera will not respond to you in the same way that a live audience will. Practice with a camera is of course essential if your chosen field will require a piece to camera. Otherwise practice to an audience, however small, and use a camera to record your performance for review later.

The top tips we give to presenters of all standards, in all jobs and vocations include the following advice:

• Enroll in a professional training course. The environment of like-minded individuals gives you a safe environment to practice and learn good presentation habits.
• Set Resource Anchors and fire them before you take the stage. This allows you to harness a peak emotional state, which you can invoke every time you present.
• Take every opportunity to speak to an audience, in or out of work. The more you use your presentation skills, the easier you will find it.
• Be hungry for feedback. Once you learn to take feedback it will help you to improve and grow as a presenter.

So what is your next step to becoming an incredible presenter? Contact Bruce Thompson Events now to make your Performance Difference

Featured PA System: Wharfedale Pro Titan 12A 300W 12-inch active PA speaker

Wharfedale Pro Titan 12A 300W 12-inch active PA speaker
The Titan 12 Active features a state-of-the-art Class D low-frequency amplifier design. Class D amplifiers are known for their extended efficiency, low-heat dissipation and lightweight compared to other amplifier classifications. Class D technology allows for unparalleled audio quality in a lightweight, powered speaker system. High-frequency power is provided by a high-quality, low-distortion and highly efficient Class A/B amplifier.

The bottom of the Titan 12A provides a convenient, built-in polemount socket for easy mounting on a standard 35mm diameter speaker stand pole. An optional wall-mount bracket for installation is available.

The Titan 12A provides basic mixing functions with a variety of input options. Two inputs with separate level controls and a common equalisation section allow for overall balance and tonal characteristic control. Easy interfacing to external mixers and processors provide for easy expansion to larger, more sophisticated systems.

Wharfedale Pro Titan 12A 300W 12 inch active PA speaker (Black) 2-way, active bi-amplified speaker system. Custom 12-inch low-frequency driver and titanium high-frequency compression driver. State-of-the-art, high-efficiency switch mode power supply with a Class D low-frequency power amplifier and a Class A/B high-frequency amplifier. Low-frequency power (Class D) 250W RMS, 500W Peak. High-frequency power (Class A/B) 50W RMS, 100W Peak. Active signal limiting system with LED indicator on rear panel. Built-in 2-channel mixer

A few people have asked us what equipment we use to generate our background sounds and record our music sequences. We use Ableton Live on Apple Macs to sequence music and loops, and even compose and record a complete music piece, ready to record to CD.

Ableton Live is a sequencer and looping program you can play like an instrument, in a live setting. That must be why it is called Ableton Live!. Once you master a few basic controls, you can literally plug a sound source such as a keyboard to your audio-in port and start recording.

There are two principle views in Live; Arrangement View and Session View. In Arrangement View, the clips run horizontally across the screen, with time running from left to right. Each Audio clip shows up like a mini voice trace, so you can pick out the loud and soft parts on the time line. In Session View the Clip slots are lined up vertically, a bit like the channels on a mixer. You switch between views by clicking on the Arrangement View Selector or Session View Selector up in the top left corner, or by using the Tab key.

The main things to note with Live is that once you have set up a track to record on, you have to arm it by clicking on the Arm Session Recording switch. This is a rectangular device with a black dot at the bottom of the clip slot in Session View, or to the right in Arrangement View. When it is armed it turns to red with a black dot.

Next you click on the Global Record button which is a square button with a black dot in the central group at the top of the screen. When Global recording is on, it turns to red with a black dot, and Live logs all of your actions into the Arrangement.

Finally, you click on the Play button, two buttons to the left of the Global Record button at the top of the screen, and recording will start. Everything going into your audio-in port will be recorded in the track untill you click on the square stop button between Global Record and Play. When you click Stop, the Global Record is automatically disarmed, so pressing Play again will play back the snippet you have just recorded, provided that the Track Activator (the little speaker icon) is green. You can also use the space bar to toggle between Play and Stop, which is really useful in a live situation.

If you are interested in Getting Started with Ableton Live, it has an excellent tutorial section built in; just click help on the top menu and select your lesson. There is also plenty of Live support on the Web. For an online tutorial, before you buy Live click here to visit Getting Started with Ableton Live.

Ableton Live 8 retails in the UK for under £300, with the technical details as follows:

• Multitrack recording up to 32-bit/192 kHz
• Nondestructive editing with unlimited undo
• Powerful and creative MIDI sequencing of software and hardware instruments
• Advanced warping and real-time time-stretching
• A comprehensive selection of built-in audio and MIDI effects

You can buy Ableton Live 8 through Amazon.