UNYP hosts webinar with Ondřej Staněk: Presentations in the Virtual Environment

On November 25, the University of New York in Prague welcomed Ondřej Staněk as a guest presenter, with a webinar focused on a very topical subject: Presentations in the Virtual Environment.

Ondřej Staněk works as a consultant for speakers who are preparing for international and domestic conferences, helping multinational companies and individuals to present their products and services more effectively. He lectures at two universities in Prague on presentation skills, presentation design, and communication. Moreover, Ondřej is a mentor in the Impact Hub network and cooperates with the CzechInvest agency and the Vodafone Foundation’s Incubator Laboratory. He also sits on expert juries evaluating new and innovative projects.

During the webinar, the students, faculty, and staff of UNYP were able to delve into best practices for online presenting, delivered by Ondřej with his characteristic passion. He demonstrated one of the most difficult tasks when presenting and lecturing online – how to work with and hold the attention of our audience – and explained that we should always strive to keep it up. We learned the most common bad habits and disrupting factors, and that we should not underestimate the challenges of the virtual environment. The presenter must bear in mind that preparation for online presenting is significantly different; crucial elements include not only the technical set-up (including comprehensive knowledge of the particular video conference platform), lighting, webcam, and surroundings, but also correct bodily positioning and gestures. Speakers should pay careful attention to their clothing; you will never get a second chance to make a first impression! Although some of us find it easier to present online, statistics show that the majority of people experience considerable discomfort. Ondřej provided the webinar participants with a series of very useful tips and tricks on mastering speaking to the camera. 

Although presenting online is challenging, we must take it seriously. It is a new medium for communicating and connecting with people, which is likely to remain relevant long after the pandemic is over. Get used to online presenting: you may find it useful in the future…