Presentation guidelines

We use Zoom for all presentations, and you will be able to share your screen with the judging panel. There is no need to send us a copy of your presentation in advance.

All presenters will need to download the Zoom app before the presentation. Here are  all the options for downloading Zoom.

Please ensure you install and test the app on the device you will be using in plenty of time before the presentation. Just click here to check your computer is all ready to go.

We will send you all the information you need to join the session. All presenters will need this information. Here is some information about how to join from any device.

There will be an external host available in all sessions to help both presenters and judges with any technical issues. Please be aware the host can only help with 'in-the-moment' support and you have responsibility for checking Zoom and the audio connection works on your computer. 

All presenters will need:

• The session log in details (we will supply these)
• A computer or laptop  - we recommend this rather than using a tablet or mobile device.
• Internet connection – we recommend a wired connection, if possible, for a better experience for both presenters and judges.
• Access to a webcam.
• The Zoom app installed on the computer.
• A quiet room with as little background noise as possible.

We use VoIP (Voice over IP) which means the sound goes through the device. Please make sure you won’t disturb your colleagues and you have a headset ready to go.

You’ll be speaking during the session too. We recommend a headset with a microphone rather than the computer speakers and microphone. It’s better quality sound for you and less likely to cause any audio feedback or echo if you have a headset.

This Zoom support article has more detail about avoiding echo.

Sometimes there can be setup challenges with audio. Your computer should automatically detect your headset and use it, but it is a good idea to check it in good time prior to the session. 

If you don’t know how to do this, google “playback devices” and “recording devices” along with your operating system and version, for example “Windows 10”. That should give you instructions on how to manually set up your headset if you need to.

There’s lots of useful information here to combat audio challenges.

You will have up to 15 minutes set up time during which the host will be available to help with any technical issues. We strongly recommend that all presenters login at the start of this set up time to prevent any technical issues from eating into your actual presentation time.

We recommend using a computer or laptop rather than using a tablet or mobile device as it is much easier to share your screen more reliably.

All presentations last for 25 minutes, with an additional 10 minutes for questions.

You can log in up to 15 minutes prior to your presentation so that you you can set up and make any technical checks. The host will be on hand to help you if you need them. The judges will then join the room when the presentation is due to start. 

We strongly recommend that all presenters check that the Zoom and the audio connections are working correctly on their computers prior to logging in.

There are back to back presentations taking place every day, so it is essential everything runs to time. If you are late or you have technical difficulties that cannot be resolved in the set-up time, then this will impact on your overall presenting time.

You will be presenting to a panel of up to 3 judges, one of which will be the category chair. All judges will already be familiar with your written submission.

The judges will be viewing your presentation from different locations. They will most likely listen to the 25-minute presentation in silence so there is no need to design your presentation for interaction.

There will also be a host available to support both presenters and judges.

We recommend no more than 3 presenters per session but you can have more if you want to. Keep in mind that all presentations are only 25 minutes long so you may not wish to take up valuable time with lots of introductions.

The judges are always interested in the views, experiences and opinions of learners or users. If your submission involves clients, partners or other organisations it may be useful for representatives from those organisations to attend if possible.

Even more than when presenting in person you need to define roles and decide who will speak when. It makes sense for one person to act as the lead and to introduce others at the right times.

You may like to include a slide or two, with pictures of the presenters, if you are not using a webcam. 

There is no need to design your presentation for interaction with the judges as they will most likely listen to the 25-minute presentation in silence.

Please review the category criteria and consider your presentation against these benchmarks.  The judges will already be familiar with your written submission so there is no need to reproduce it - this is your chance to build upon what you included in your submission.

While some corporate history may be required, remember to keep the focus on your project or product. In some categories, the application is less important than facts and figures.

Think about the feedback you have gathered, both qualitative and quantitative, and how this reflects against the criteria.  Do bear in mind, especially if you are a supplier, that supporting evidence from learners can be much more persuasive if your client is able to attend.

You may also find it useful to read the top tips from the judges about what to include and what to leave out. In some cases judges may ask for specific additional information to be included in your presentation. We will email any information requests to you after the shortlist announcement.

Judges will be viewing your presentation remotely on their own computers. Be aware that there are different screen sizes, so more simple designs for the background, less text with a larger size are important to help people be able to read the text properly.

In Zoom you will be sharing your screen, so you can use any type of file or presentation software that you would like, there are no limitations with uploading your files.

If you want to play a video as part of your presentation you can, though please be aware that there can be bandwidth challenges for some people viewing your presentation, so you may want a backup in case people can’t see or hear the message easily.

You can play any type of file and have video or audio embedded in PowerPoint as you are sharing your screen and running on your local computer.

If you are sharing any media files, you’ll need to ensure that when you share your screen you optimise it for video and share your computer sound if you want audio.

This Zoom support article highlights how to do this when sharing your screen.

This Zoom support article highlights how to optimise for video sharing.

This Zoom support article has lots of information about browsers.

If your entry is web based, you may want to run a live web tour.  This can be a really good way to demonstrate exactly what the user will experience.  Do bear in mind that no technology is 100% reliable so it's a good idea to have a local copy or screenshots or something that you can switch to as back up just in case. You will do this in Zoom as a screenshare.

This Zoom page has support articles about screensharing.

There are a number of other tools that you may be familiar with, such as polls, text chat, and ticks and crosses. Do bear in mind you only have 25 minutes in which to present and the judges are likely to listen in silence. 

It may sound obvious but make sure you that you have a suitable place to present from.  Trying to do it from your desk in a busy, open plan office is perhaps not ideal!  Make sure there is plenty of room for everyone taking part.  Put a sign on the door to make sure you're not disturbed.

The presentations will be held in September and October 2023. All presentations are online only via Zoom.

Details of your presentation date and time will be confirmed by email following the shortlist announcement.

Due to the large number of presentations taking place, the date of your presentation is fixed and not negotiable so you should try to ensure that you, and any clients/partners who are required, are available.  

If you have more than one entry shortlisted, then it is extremely unlikely that your presentations will be on the same date so you will need to plan for this. 

We make every effort to accommodate time differences, however, this is not always possible due to the size and constraints of the Awards judging process.

No. All presentations are held online only.

No. All presentations are being held in Zoom for ease of access for hosts, judges and all presenters. If your organisation is limited on Zoom access we recommend using a personal computer instead.

All presentation times are BST (British Summer Time), which is GMT + 1 hour. Please check https://dateful.com/time-zone-converter if you, or other participants taking part in your presentation will be in a different time zone for your presentation. It is the responsibility of all presenters to check they have the correct starting times. 

We will not be able to reschedule any presentations if you are late or miss your session as we have back to back presentations taking place every day, and it is essential everything runs to time.

The only people who will see and hear your presentation are the judges and the host present in that room at that time. We also have another host overseeing the whole event from the technical side who may get involved in the unlikely event of major problems. 

On rare occasions we may record a session specifically for a judge if he or she is unable to attend at the last minute. Any recordings are not shared with anyone else and are deleted once the judge has viewed it. No part of any submission or presentation will be shared without prior consent.

We have a paid Zoom business licence with standard security features.

We will send a generated meeting ID and security passcode for each session

We will be using breakout rooms so the next set of presenters will not enter an ongoing presentation.

Our judges and hosts have back to back sessions from 08.30-18.00 each day of the presentations so we have regular, scheduled breaks for them during the day. This may cause a delay between set up and presentation times for a small number of presentations. All presentations will have exactly the same amount of set up and presentation time.