Hi, this is our 2nd season as a veteran team, and last season the things at the Chairman’s presentation doesn’t go so good, we still have so many doubts, and I wonder if someone could give us some tips for it
What kind of tips are you looking for?
Here’s some very disorganized notes we took from a talk at Worlds about chairmans.
The biggest thing for the presentation is that you want it to be memorable – the judges listening to your presentation are listening to a lot of other presentations, too. Have fun with it. Make a colorful poster, or give the judges pictures or brochures for your team. The more excited your presenters are, the more excited your judges will be. Show them how much of an impact robotics has had on your life, and then talk about how you’ve use that energy to help impact other people’s lives.
When the time rolls around to sign up for a presentation time (on the Thursday of your competition), try to sign up as quickly as possible. The best times to present are right after breaks (so the judges come into your presentation with fresh minds and renewed energy). When you go into your presentation, it’s important that you also have a clear mind. You cannot be worrying about what is happening to your robot on the field because that stress will stand out like a sore thumb, and that’s not the type of impression you want to leave with your judges. Before you go in, force your presenters to laugh. Even if it’s not a genuine laugh, it reduces stress levels.
But above all, like I said before, have fun with it. The presentation is the side of the Chairman’s submission where you really get to show your passion and excitement for your team and FIRST – the emotional aspect that sometimes gets lost in the long essay and executive summaries. Good luck! I’d be more than happy to help answer any other questions you may have!
My biggest piece of advice is to enter the presentation with the mindset as part of your submission suite. When you enter the room, the judges will have read your essay already, and some will have watched your video. Notice that the submission has 3 distinctly different mediums of presenting information - written, visual and audio. Therefore, you should approach each part of the submission with it’s type in mind. A story that demonstrates personal impact from a team member likely belongs in the presentation or the video, not the essay. A stack of statistics about money raised and people reached can be easily read in the essay. An event that exposed your program to a large number of people likely needs a visual element to it. These are not definitive rules, but be strategic about what information you deliver in each submission component and justify your choices to yourself. This also means that you likely don’t need to have the same content in all 3 submission components. Hearing the same content in all 3 components could demonstrate a lack of breadth in your program and weaken your submission. Instead, be strategic so that you can maximise the content you are presenting.
One final piece of advice. The presentation is unique in that it is deeply personal and human. People whose lives have been changed by the program get to share their stories with people that deeply care. This makes the presentation quite special. It’s the only time you get to look the judges in the eye with no distractions and directly state your case. Do not throw away your shot. Instead, make the most of every second you get in that room to convey the significant, measurable impact the program has made on your team.