Pecha Kucha Night Bemidji Vol. 2 is this Thursday

Posted on August 22, 2010 by Samantha Nienow

Invite your friends, neighbors and colleagues to join us for an evening of storytelling, fun and excitement.

Image: Pecha Kucha Night poster designed by Erik Evensen

Pecha Kucha Night Vol.2 poster designed by Erik Evensen

Bemidji’s second Pecha Kucha Night will take place at Cabin Coffeehouse and Café on Thursday, August 26th from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Pecha Kucha (most commonly pronounced peh’-chalk-cha) Night, also called “PKN” or “20×20,” is a presentation format where 20 images are each shown for 20 seconds while the presenter speaks. This informal event is meant to be fun, inspiring, and fast paced. Admission is free and everyone is invited to come out and enjoy the performances.

Learn more about this cool event.

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The Secret to Preparing A Great Presentation: Step 1

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Samantha Nienow

Don’t stumble into this common trap when preparing your next presentation.

When creating a presentation, speakers often start by worrying about how the slides will look and how many images they should use. While these are important considerations, believe me when I tell you the slides can wait. The first step is always this: Find out who will be in the audience.

The “One-Size-Fits-All” Presentation

A common trap  speakers stumble into is to assume a “one-size-fits-all” presentation will do the trick. While many audience members tend to be polite and at least appear to listen to presenters, a presentation that is not tailored to a specific audience’s needs will most likely fall on bored ears. When deciding on the message of your presentation, ask yourself, “What’s in it for them?” Remember, most people come to hear speakers because they want to learn how you can help them—not to hear how great you, your company, or your products are.

Step 1: Get to Know Your Audience

Who will be in the audience at your next presentation? Coworkers, business colleagues, staff, volunteers, clients?  Are they novices or experts? Are they high school students or grandparents of high school students? Knowing who will be watching and listening is the foundation for an effective presentation. Pinpoint who will be in the seats and what their specific needs  are.  For example: Must you consider changing the language or tone to suit them? Are there any terms you need to define? Are there points on which you should focus for one audience, but can briefly touch on for others?

If you’ve been asked to speak at a function, be sure to ask the coordinator of the event about your audience and their expectations. That way, you can deliver exactly what your client and your audience needs every time.  With your foundation firmly in place, you can move on to Step Two (coming soon!).

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Pecha Kucha Night Bemidji Vol.1: A night to remember!

Posted on June 18, 2010 by Samantha Nienow

Pecha Kucha Night Vol. 1 poster designed by Samantha Nienow

I am so proud of our community. The first Pecha Kucha Night in Bemidji, MN was a success! Tornado warnings in the area couldn’t keep folks from coming to the Cabin Coffeehouse & Cafe to see ten speakers share their hobbies, interests, and talents neatly contained in  six-minute-forty-second presentations.

H. Fosse wrote an excellent article about the event that captured the essence of each speaker’s topic. Read Heather’s article. You can also check out photos of the event taken by Rebecca Layman of Black Forest Photography on Flickr.

All participants were excited that first event made the local news! A big thank you goes out to Jamil Donith for featuring Pecha Kucha Night Bemidji on the In Focus program. Watch the Pecha Kucha Night Bemidji featured news story.

Witnessing this event and hearing the positive responses from the audience and presenters was a dream come true for me. I set my sights on starting a Pecha Kucha chapter in Bemidji last winter and have several people to thank for giving me the encouragement and confidence to make this happen, including my husband Nathaniel and close friends and colleagues.

Pecha Kucha Night Bemidji #1 Speakers. Top left to right: Jennifer Anderson, Trish Barthorpe, Mark Morrissey, Kevin Cease, Samantha Nienow Bottom left to right: John Eggers, Kimberle Nagle, Noemi Aylesworth, Erik Evensen, David Wold

Top left to right: Jennifer Anderson, Trish Barthorpe, Mark Morrissey, Kevin Cease, Samantha Nienow. Bottom left to right: John Eggers, Kimberle Nagle, Noemi Aylesworth, Erik Evensen, David Wold

Thanks also to the first round of presenters—they all believed in the Pecha Kucha Night concept and were willing to pave the way for future PKNs:

  1. Jennifer Anderson, expert organizer/jewelry artist
  2. Noemi Aylesworth, restaurant owner
  3. Trish Barthorpe, photographer
  4. Kevin Cease, funeral home owner/actor
  5. John Eggers, public speaker/author
  6. Erik Evensen, designer/illustrator
  7. Mark Morrissey, coach/outdoor sports enthusiast
  8. Kimberle Nagle, public speaker
  9. Samantha Nienow, graphic designer
  10. David Wold, chiropractor/model airplane enthusiast

Here are the volunteers who helped make our first event run smoothly:

  • Visitor Hosts: Jane Hastig and Jill Bitker
  • Technical Support: Amber Meemken, Aaron Johnson and Nathaniel Nienow
  • Music: Aaron Johnson
  • Event Coordinator: Erik Evensen
  • Event Photographers: Rebecca Layman, Beth Schenck
  • Event Journalist: H. Fosse
  • Event Promoter: Noemi Aylesworth
  • Time Keeper: Ron Tuck

In addition to Red Zest Design, Cabin Coffeehouse & Cafe helped to sponsor the first event and Netzer’s Bemidji Floral provided beautiful boutonnières for the speakers and volunteers.

Hosting this event was an amazing experience for me. I look forward to hearing ideas for the second event, which will take place Thursday, August 26th!

Pecha Kucha Night is devised and shared by Klein Dytham Architecture.

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Welcome to the Red Zest Design Blog!

Posted on June 11, 2010 by Samantha Nienow

This blog has been a long time coming. I hope to tie in the e-newsletter presentation design tips with these articles. Stay tuned!

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