When going over room setup and audio / visual requirements with a foreign logistics person, make sure you do it in advance of the presentation (hopefully several times), and have a bilingual person there to ensure that both you and the logistics person are on the same wavelength. One good idea is to take pictures of the various items you may need (overhead projector, white board, etc.) Be in the room very early on the day of the speaking engagement (at least two hours before the public enters the room) and, if possible, have your bilingual helper there too. Terms that are

There’d been just enough notice of the room change that an organizer was able to bring a projector from his office, and it wasn’t quite compatible with my laptop—what were the odds of that happening?--so Several board members split up the tasks at hand and pitched in to figure out solutions, including bringing a projector and figuring out how to handle the patchwork of audio-visual equipment. I’m always coaching speakers to plan ahead, then be ready for anything on the ground. That's two different mindsets: One to get ready, rehearsing for the ideal; two, to toss that