Information for Presenters

Welcome to the Presenters’ Area of the Mic/Nite site!
Read on for recommendations and instructions.

What is PechaKucha?

A presentation with 20 slides, set at 20 seconds each.
The slides advance automatically while you speak.
No transitions or slide animations are used between slides.
From the inventors of PechaKucha: “The key to a great presentation is to present something you love. Most people use PechaKucha Night to present their latest creative projects or work.”

Budget 35-40 spoken words per slide so you can speak comfortably.
Keep slide text at a minimum. If you use text, go big: 18-24pt or higher will be readable from the audience seats.
Whenever possible, choose only one image per slide, set to the full size of the slide. Simple is better; the seconds will be flying by for both you and the audience!
Use your own images, or images you have permission to use. If you need additional graphics, avoid copyrighted images by using the Creative Commons image search or signing up at Pixabay.
To avoid blurry images, choose medium or large photos (at 96 dpi or higher) and test your presentation on a large monitor or projector.
It is always advisable to credit the source of your image regardless of its copyright status. This information can be added in smaller text at the bottom of the slide, or can be included in a text file that you upload below along with your presentation.
Still images are preferred, but if appropriate to the material, video or audio can be used in one or two 20-second clips.
Practice the full presentation, timed, with a friend or colleague.
The PechaKucha format will seem unusual at first. Plan for multiple rounds of revisions to really get a sense of how your message will fare in 20-second blocks.

Download the MicNite PowerPoint Template here. The template has the MicNite title slide, and then 20 blank slides with 20-second timing.The template is set to widescreen.
The title slide will show on screen while you walk up to the stage and ready yourself. You will hear a 5-second countdown while the numbers count down on the screen, and then your presentation will start. Each following slide will be set to proceed automatically after 20 seconds.
You can also create your own presentation without the template, but it will need to have the attributes listed above (official MicNite title slide plus 20 slides, each of the 20 slides set to 20 seconds, widescreen).

Plan to show up at Relix Variety Theatre at 5:30pm for the social hour and to meet the other presenters.
The front row of the theatre will be reserved for your seating to assist in the smooth transitions between speakers. No speakers are introduced before their presentations, so this is a fairly “rapid fire” event.
The presentations will be run from a laptop in the sound booth, so you won’t be able to see the Powerpoint notes. Many people bring index cards or a small piece of paper with notes if needed.
We will videotape the Mic/Nite presentations, and they will be posted to the Mic/Nite UTK youtube channel.