Presentation Summit 2024: Conversation with Jody Wissing

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    As a seasoned Presentation Creatologist and Strategist with over three decades of experience, Jody Wissing possesses a unique talent for simplifying and visualizing complex ideas and creating experiences that inspire action. With a flair for crafting captivating presentation media, Jody creates slides that cast vision, leaving a lasting imprint on audiences. From childhood storytelling, occasionally landing her in trouble, she now leverages that skill to guide others in expressing ideas through interactive presentations.

When work wraps up, Jody transforms into a modern-day adventurer, indulging her passion for the outdoors through trail running, cycling, and paddleboarding. Exercise isn’t just personal for her; it’s a crucial part of her creative process. Her tiny house complements her minimalist lifestyle, and she humorously describes her organization as playing Tetris with her belongings, refining her skills in creating simplified presentations.

In this conversation, Jody talks about her participation at the upcoming Presentation Summit 2024, being held on location in Oxnard, CA this year from October 20 to 23, 2024, and virtually from November 3 to 6, 2024.

Indezine.com is the official media partner for the Presentation Summit.

Geetesh: Jody, you are delivering two sessions at this year’s Presentation Summit: Not All Hackers Wear Hoodies, in which you explore how to visualize challenging and non-physical themes and Count the Ways, in which you look at innovative ways of using PowerPoint. What takeaways can the audience expect from these sessions?

Jody: Not All Hackers Wear Hoodies: Creating Unexpected and Memorable Visuals

The title of this came from my frustration while working for a tech company trying to find good images for software that wasn’t just another person typing away on a keyboard. In this session, you’ll learn to push your visuals to new levels by going beyond what’s expected and creating unique and powerful imagery to support your message and cast vision. See how out-of-the-box thinking combined with strategic systems can speed up your workflow and make it easier to curate visual media, creating memorable presentations in less time. In summary, you’ll be able to:

• Select the most compelling media to convey your vision, reinforce your message, and narrate stories.
• Draw insights from the film industry to choose visuals that leave a lasting impact.
• Apply visual media strategically to save time, enhance comprehension, and inspire action.

Count the Ways: 137 Creative Ways to Use Presentations

Presentations hold immense potential as one of the most powerful ways to convey a message. Too often, we fall into the trap of the stereotypical “create a bunch of slides and speak to them” approach, missing out on the opportunity to create truly engaging experiences that can captivate audiences.

If you’re seeking innovative and fresh ideas for your presentations or exploring new ways to utilize them, this session is perfect for you.

Geetesh: You’ve attended and delivered sessions at the Presentation Summit before. How does it feel to be part of its final season? And what has this conference meant to you over the years?

Jody: I’m saddened that this will be the final Summit. I suppose I’m in denial about it, as I try not to dwell on the thought. Despite this being the last event, I hope we can find a way to reunite every year.

I still feel like a newcomer, as this is only my third year attending. From my first Summit, I met so many wonderful people and felt an immediate sense of belonging within the presentation community. Unlike other conferences, this one isn’t filled with overly competitive individuals but rather a supportive group where I’ve made many friends. If this weren’t the last Summit, I would continue attending every year.

I’m passionate about ridding the world of Death by PowerPoint, or Death by presentations, to not pick on Microsoft. Delivering sessions is fun for me, and I love seeing people get excited about this communication tool when they see its possibilities to change the world.

Geetesh: Jody, you describe yourself differently than other presentation officials. Your title states, “Presentation Creatologist and Strategist.” Can you tell us more about your work, and how can someone connect with you?

Jody: As a Presentation Creatologist and Strategist, my role goes beyond traditional presentation design. I focus on crafting unique and compelling presentation experiences that not only communicate a message but also engage and inspire the audience. Most people hear the word “presentation” and automatically think you do PowerPoint for a living. PowerPoint is my tool of choice, but I typically don’t teach PowerPoint skills. I teach conceptual thinking, showing people what should be on their slides and how to interact with them.

I every session I teach, I talk about my formula for creating impactful slides in a reasonable amount of time and I have a couple of best practices that are game changers … but are against most things you’ve been taught about creating slides.

I work closely with individuals and organizations to understand their objectives and then create presentations that effectively convey their message while capturing the audience’s attention. This can include everything from innovative slide designs and storytelling techniques to incorporating multimedia elements and interactive features.

As a designer, I get questioned a lot from non-designers on how they can make their slides look professional, and not like Frankendecks. Simplicity is the key.

If you’re interested in connecting with me or learning more about how I can help elevate your presentations, feel free to reach out via my website or social media. I’m always excited to collaborate and explore new possibilities in the world of presentations!

The views and opinions expressed in this blog post or content are those of the authors or the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company.