Chairman's Interview
 

What all should we include in our Chairman's Interview?
What topics are we supposed to discuss, and any other advice would be great?
Thanks

Re: Chairman's Interview
 

It is normal to include short summaries of your award submission/season during the interview. Typically if you have the resources available (projector) you can get this accomplished with a powerpoint presentation. If you don't then poster boards,handouts, videos, cue cards, pictures and the like will be helpful. Make sure to include unique attributes of your team in the presentation and important outreach activities. Let me know if you have any questions.

Re: Chairman's Interview
 

Mind the 10 minutes limit.
First 5 minutes are for presentation and the last 5 minutes are for judges questions.

Re: Chairman's Interview
 

Focus on issues that you weren't able to fully explain (or include at all) in your award submission, as well as reinforce critical issues. Read over the award criteria, and make sure you have each section covered. Have some form of presentation, whether it's a powerpoint, poster, display, scrapbook, or something else. If you have any particularly special/unique effort, try and bring a physical representation of it (ie, do something cool with vex and outreach? bring a vex bot).
Be prepared to answer questions about all the judging criteria, particularly ones you didn't focus on in other aspects of your report and/or presentation. Be prepared to answer questions about your business plan (if you had one), even though it is not explicitly stated that this is part of the award. If you don't have a business plan, be prepared to answer questions about the future direction of your team, and future goals.
Some judges really care about the 5 minutes, some don't. Plan to be right around their anyway, but if they don't care, feel free to add a little more elaboration on key issues and fully answer every aspect of their questions.

Re: Chairman's Interview
 

Be aware that the 10 minutes with the judges includes set up time. So if you have a powerpoint presentation or something complicated, it will eat into your time with the judges. We used four posters last year. The presenters carried in two easels with them and would swap out the posters during the presentation.

Another key was that our presenters practiced, over and over again. Even to practicing walking into the room, setting up the easel, and swapping out the posters. For their presentation they wrote a script which they memorized (although they did have notes on the back of the posters). Basically they highlighted some of our various programs and some facts and figures about the team.

Our essay and posters, and the script that the presenters used from last year are on our web site - they only used four of the posters shown and I don't remember which three.

http://www.fsrobotics.org/moe365//chairmans.php

P.S. It is so nice not having to worry about this award ever again! We are instead working on our Hall of Fame display and video. And we are in the process of shipping back the clock - sniff, sniff - to be presented to this year's winner. Good luck to you all!

Re: Chairman's Interview
 

Note, I will release one TechnoKats secret to you. I seriously do not suggest doing a power point. Think about it, what do you think the judges are going to see the entire day?? Try something else, like your shining faces! (seriously!)

Re: Chairman's Interview
 

I'm anti-technology, make it all physical and practical. That prevents distractions and the problem of cramming too much into powerpoint/whatever you use slides.

Get the feeling of what Dean and others were saying at kick-off and talk about some of those things in the presentation, don't make it 100% about it, but note it out.

STAY ON YOUR TOES. If you are picking up a vibe they're more interested in mentor/student collaborations than your relations with the school, shift focus! Don't lie, but make sure to highlight what you do, even if it's small or insignificant!

Finally, make an impression! Dress professionally and uniformly. Slacks, not shorts. Nice shoes, tucked in shirts, etc. No distracting jewelry, gum, etc. Sell the team and who you are as people. That's what the presentation is for, the human connection. They don't want a fashion statement or distraction.

Re: Chairman's Interview
 

Use handouts! They will cover what you don't get the chance to say in the five minutes! Plus it is something they can have afterwards.

Re: Chairman's Interview
 

How many teams send an adult in to the presentation?

Re: Chairman's Interview
 

We do not....Its their baby!

Re: Chairman's Interview
 

I went in with 2 of our students last year, and will probably do the same this year. I did, however, let them do the talking. I was more there for moral support. The judges did not seem at all bothered by the fact that an adult mentor was one of the 3 presenters.

Re: Chairman's Interview
 

We did once, then we had 3 kids at championship. It's not better or worse, just, different.

Re: Chairman's Interview
 

We send in 3 students. We train for a couple of weeks before hand, to the point that you dream about what we have done. :P

Re: Chairman's Interview
 

Ditto !!

There is no way we would send an adult in. It is their gig.

There is a lot of time the next couple of weeks for the students to get prepared and can practice in front of other crusty adults.

Re: Chairman's Interview
 

Our presentation is also done by 3 students.

In your "training" and practice for the presentation, get to the point where you are smooth and polished but not memorized and mechanical. We had one comment once that the presentation sounded too rehearsed.

If your presentation does feature technology, make sure you have a back up plan and can also talk while setting up. Our presenters do sort of a tag team, each introduces themselves and tells their story while the other two are setting up and rotate until the set up is done.

And I agree with the "dress nice." It is the only time you'll see our team members out of "uniform" at a competition. Our trademark camo is featured in a tie that the presenters all wear.

One other tip...we practice the question and answer period as well. Find business people in the community who are familiar with the team and FIRST, but don't know the inside scoop. Give them your presentation and have them ask the questions. They ask things from a business perspective and it is great preparation! And it usually sells the team to the business and they are more likely to sponsor you the next year.