Presentation Summit 2025: Conversation with Mike Parkinson

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      Mike Parkinson is a geek. He is one of thirty-six Microsoft PowerPoint MVPs in the world, is an internationally recognized communication and presentation expert, best-selling author, and professional trainer. Mike’s keynotes, training, books, and tools such as Build-a-Graphic help companies succeed while saving money and time. He owns Billion Dollar Graphics and is a partner at 24 Hour Company, a premier creative services firm.

In this conversation, Mike talks about his participation at the upcoming Presentation Summit 2025, being held virtually from October 19 to 22, 2025.

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

Geetesh: Mike, in your Design Doctor session, you’re helping presenters turn “just okay” slides into stunning ones. What are some of the most practical fixes or design habits attendees will walk away with that they can apply immediately to their own decks?

Mike: My five favorite fixes are maxi type (using text as a design element), bleeding photos (full-slide images), chunking (organizing content without bullets), flirting (overlapping elements for impact), and masking (hiding parts of elements for depth). Each is a quick, easy edit that can transform a slide in seconds.

What makes them so powerful is that they instantly transform a flat, forgettable slide into something dynamic and polished without needing advanced design skills or special software. Attendees will not only do step-by-step makeovers in real time, but they’ll also get practical strategies and tools they can apply the moment they return to their own decks. My goal is for everyone to leave with a toolbox of quick design habits that will make their presentations more professional, engaging, and persuasive—whether they’re pitching to a client, teaching a class, or briefing executives.

Geetesh: Can you give us one paragraph each that explores your other two sessions: AI Graphics and Bland to Grand.

Mike: Discover the latest AI and automation tools and techniques to make winning slides and presentations in my AI Graphics session. I share what works and what doesn’t. We also learn the 3 AI truths that shape the future of what and how we do our jobs.

Bland to Grand is a fast-paced, highly practical session where we transform real client slides live! We turn meh slides into clear, compelling, professional designs. I share how strategic design choices can instantly improve audience engagement, comprehension, and retention. Whether you’re looking for quick fixes or full makeovers, this session will inspire and unlock new techniques.

Geetesh: You’ve helped countless professionals—from sales teams to government agencies—improve how they communicate visually. Can you tell us more about the work you do through Billion Dollar Graphics and how that shapes the sessions you bring to the Presentation Summit?

Mike: Through Billion Dollar Graphics and my other design firm, 24 Hour Company, I help organizations from Fortune 500 companies to government agencies simplify complex ideas and communicate them visually in ways that are clear, compelling, and memorable. That work ranges from training teams on fast, practical design techniques to building custom visual libraries and frameworks they can use every day.

Because I am constantly in the trenches with real-world projects, whether it is helping a sales team win a multimillion-dollar deal or guiding a federal agency through a high-stakes presentation, I get to see what actually works. I bring those lessons, tools, and shortcuts directly into my Presentation Summit sessions so attendees walk away with proven strategies they can apply immediately to their own 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.