Lightning talks are a series (usually at least 4 or 5) of five-minute talks/presentations by different speakers, each introducing a topic or idea very quickly. A set of Lightning Talks is an excellent way to rapidly and compellingly share information about diverse topics from several presenters, without overwhelming the absorptive capacity of the audience.
WHEN TO USE IT AND WHY
Lightning Talks are a great way to efficiently introduce new projects, give multiple quick
progress updates or share new ideas. They are ideal for large conferences and workshops when you have many potential speakers but not much time to accommodate them in traditional presentation formats.
progress updates or share new ideas. They are ideal for large conferences and workshops when you have many potential speakers but not much time to accommodate them in traditional presentation formats.
HOW TO?
- Identify presenters. Target people who are open to sharing their ideas quickly. Begin by giving a brief explanation of how the session will be run, and ensure that participants understand their active role in group learning;
- Once four or five people have signed up, provide guidelines showing how to present a Lightning Talk: each presentation must be between 3-5 slides with one or two key messages; each presenter gets 5 minutes, no more;
- Prepare a meeting room with sufficient chairs, an LCD projector and a laptop computer. Preload all presentations so as to minimize transition time and keep the event moving quickly;
- Introduce the format to the audience very briefly;
- Introduce the first speaker and her topic, keep time and remind her with a red card when they have reached the 4 minute mark;
- Limit the entire session to less than an hour. If desired, take quick questions at the end, after all the presenters have finished. Don’t take questions after each presentation; do so only at the end, in order to sustain the forward momentum.
WHAT DO YOU NEED?
- Talks Facilitator
- Meeting room/ auditorium (for large audiences)
- LCD projector and screen
- Laptop computer
- 4 - 5 presenters
- Audience (limited by seating space only)
- Time: Normally 30 minutes (including transition time) for a standalone session of 5 Lightning Talks, or up to a maximum of 60 minutes for 10 talks during a workshop
VARIATIONS
- Ignite: This is a Lightning Talk with exactly 20 slides, each of which is displayed for 15 seconds for a total duration of 5 minutes. The slides are advanced automatically via a timer. This makes for a more fast-paced session. If well done, the rapid pace of the slides can make an Ignite session quite entertaining.
- Pecha Kucha: This is a very similar variant, with 20 slides and 20 seconds per slide. Pecha Kucha is a useful format for project reviews and internal meetings where creative and unexpected ideas are discussed.
- No slides: If speakers are confident enough, you can also suggest that they forget using slides altogether and present using "prompt cards", following a TED-talk style.
MORE INFORMATION / SOURCE
- UNICEF, 2019. Knowledge Exchange Toolbox. A collection of tools "for anyone who needs to make effective decisions, facilitate or guide effective decision-making processes, or manage or coordinate group work in development that requires the knowledge of multiple persons to succeed."