August 31st, 2011
Before you say good-bye to summer, why not go out with a bang? Rent a projector from Projector123.com and keep the summer fun going just a bit longer.
August 29th, 2011
Somewhere, over the rainbow, little girls are dreaming of what it would be like to be Dorothy, swept away to a far-off land with witches and wizards and the Munchkins. Did you know that this month is the 72nd anniversary of the debut of the Wizard of Oz? Celebrate with a rental projector from Projector123.com. 
The Wizard of Oz was originally a book, written by L. Frank Baum in 1900. This imaginative tale describes the journey of young farm girl Dorothy, who is swept up into a tornado and carried far from home. She is told she is in the land of Oz, and she must find the Wizard in the Emerald City because he can help her find her way back home. Along the way, she meets Glenda the good witch, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow. Luckily, Dorothy has her little dog, Toto with her to keep her company along the way. We won’t spoil the ending for you (wink, wink) but suffice to say the film has become one of the most beloved motion pictures in history.
Why does “The Wizard of Oz” have such a profound effect on children and adults alike? Perhaps it is because we all want to believe that we are brave, smart and loving, or perhaps all we really want is simply to find our way home. Whatever the reason, this musical fantasy has been delighting a broad range people of all ages and backgrounds since 1939.
Perhaps you remember the first time you saw this film — you may have even groaned to see the start of the film in black and white. But all was forgotten once Dorothy entered the Technicolor land of Oz.
What better time to share this film with your own children (and maybe a few friends and neighbors) than now — and with a DVD rental projector. Now you can re-create the movie theater experience right in your own living room.
Click here now to visit Projector123.com and prepare to enter the wonderful land of Oz.
August 26th, 2011
We recently came across this in-depth article on the OSHA website and thought you might find it beneficial. The full article is rather long, and can be accessed here. We’ve included an excerpt below. Remember — trust Projector123.com for all your rental projector needs. Discover for yourself why we are the industry leader!
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this discussion is to provide basic, comprehensive information to assist you in developing effective presentations. The use of visual aids, coupled with good public speaking skills, work hand-in-hand to create effective presentations. Your speaking style and stage presence are personal talents that you can refine with much practice and experience. Each aspect of effective presentations, however, could not be detailed in this discussion. Instead, much emphasis is given to visual aids which are essential to all successful presentations.
DESIGNING THE PRESENTATION
There is no secret to developing an effective presentation. Establishing your objectives, planning and organizing your material, and using appropriate visual aids are the essential ingredients. The recipe for effective presentations calls for all three ingredients, and you must use them in the order in which they are presented here. By establishing your objectives first, you can prepare material that supports each objective. The use of visual aids will move you further along toward your objectives by illustrating and emphasizing your ideas more effectively than words alone. Let’s begin, then, at the beginning: As you start to design your presentation, you must ask yourself, “What do I want to accomplish by making this presentation?”
Establishing the Objectives
For any successful presentation, you must know your objectives. It is these objectives that drive your presentation and move the audience to your end goals. Your end goals may be that the attendees take a particular action, adopt a new perspective, or respond to facts and information. Establishing these goals requires careful planning. The key to designing your presentation is determining these objectives. After all, they become the foundation upon which your content, organization, and visual aids are built.
Establishing the objectives for your presentation requires an analysis of your own goals, as well as your audience’s needs and expectations. By considering the nature of your audience, you can more easily determine what you will present and how you will present it. An audience analysis will enable you to:
- Select appropriate points of emphasis in your presentation
- Develop a useful level of detail
- Choose and prepare appropriate visual aids
- Create a tone that is sensitive to your audience’s circumstance
Your presentation will ideally form a bridge between something you have and your audience wants. Let the audience analysis influence the form of information presented so you can create this bridge.
Planning and Organizing Your Material
When you have determined the characteristics of your audience, then you are ready to plan and organize your material. The tips listed below will assist you in tailoring your approach accordingly. Keep in mind that the use of visual aids will help to produce effective one-way or two-way communication. Many factors are involved in choosing these visual aids, and the type of interaction you want to develop with the audience will influence your choice.
Planning Your Material
- Do not wait to prepare your presentation while on you way to the training session. You cannot do your best at presenting or persuading by “winging it.”
- At a minimum, prepare an outline of goals, major issues to be discussed, and information to be presented to support main themes.
- Limit content to your major point and no more than five key supporting points.
- Analyze your audience. Prepare your content considering such things as whether they are likely to be friendly or unfriendly, lay or technical in their background, and whether they want only to listen or to respond and contribute.
- Select appropriate visual aids and a presentation style that will be effective in the physical setting for your training session.
Organizing Your Material
When organizing your material, consider an “old chestnut” of public speaking – “Tell ‘em what you’re going to tell ‘em; tell ‘em; and tell ‘em what you told ‘em.” This recommendation:
- Recognizes the importance of reinforcement in adult learning
- Completes the communication for the listener
- Informs people who arrive late of what they missed
- Recognizes the importance of organization, highlighting, and summarizing main points for the audience
- Serves to clarify main themes for the audience at the end of the presentation
Using Visual Aids
Visual aids help your presentation make things happen. Visual aids help you reach your objectives by providing emphasis to whatever is being said. Clear pictures multiply the audience’s level of understanding of the material presented, and they should be used to reinforce your message, clarify points, and create excitement.
Visual aids involve your audience and require a change from one activity to another: from hearing to seeing. When you use visual aids, their use tends to encourage gestures and movement on your part. This extra movement reinforces the control that you, the speaker, need over the presentation. The use of visual aids, then, are mutually beneficial to the audience and you.
Visual aids add impact and interest to a presentation. They enable you to appeal to more than one sense at the same time, thereby increasing the audience’s understanding and retention level. With pictures, the concepts or ideas you present are no longer simply words – but words plus images. The chart below cites the effectiveness of visual aids on audience retention.
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There is much more to the article. Click here to access the full version.
August 24th, 2011
If you’ve been charged with coordinating employee orientation for your company or department, here’s a basic outline to get you started.
First, Break the Ice
Remember – all your attendees are either new to the company, your location, or the department (or all three!) and they are likely feeling a bit apprehensive about starting. Therefore, an icebreaker is necessary to put everyone at ease and allow individuals to mingle and get to know each other. Keep your icebreaker simple and interactive. For appropriate ideas, try an online search for “business meeting icebreakers” or “corporate icebreaker ideas.” Either should yield good suggestions for your business meeting, without coming across as hokey or contrived.
Next, Address Ground Rules
This would be the time to instruct your employees on codes of conduct, general company policy (for example, where smoking is allowed, badges visible at all times, the tardy policy, time clocks, etc.), plus any “zero tolerance” policies (sexual harassment, falsification of documents), etc. Get these important updates and information addressed and out of the way immediately.
 A Brief History
Every new employee orientation should include a brief history of the company. Knowing the company’s roots allows new employees to understand the company’s mission, as well as instilling pride in their place of employment. This would be the time to explain the company’s vision, mission and purpose, as well as to showcase any “bill of rights” kinds of practices.
Procedures and How To
This would be the part of the orientation where new employees are taught some logistical details. Some examples would include:
- navigating the facilities – perhaps review a map, show where fire exits and bathrooms are located, include information about employee break rooms, cafeterias, nearby lunch spots, designated smoking areas, parking, fire extinguishers, etc.
- parking – rules, regulations and locations, as well as any restrictions on who can park where and where the parking tag or permit should be displayed
- time and attendance – how employee hours are tracked, how to use the tracking system, how often payroll checks are distributed and how are they distributed (interoffice, snail mail, direct deposit, etc.), what happens if payday falls on a scheduled holiday, etc.
- appearance – employee dress code details and specifics.
Benefits
Here you would review health and dental plans, explain different choices related to coverage, and tell employees how to complete and submit their forms and by what deadline. Also included in this section would be additional and optional services such as 401K plans, retirement benefits, accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D), vacation and holiday pay, and a schedule of planned holidays. Review the policy for requesting time off from work, explain the difference between scheduled and unscheduled absences, unpaid time off, sick pay, etc.
Corporate Culture
Remember to share any company traditions or regular events (annual picnic, awards banquet, casual Fridays, competitions, etc.) and allow time for Q&A on any remaining questions they may have.
The easiest way to enliven your employee orientation is with the use of a vivid LCD rental projector – this ensures that all attendees can easily view the slides and can help keep your participants on track and engaged with the presenter. Click here now to rent a projector from Projector123.com.
August 22nd, 2011
Everyone loves a good film fest – especially when sharing it with friends and family. Why not host your own backyard themed movie night? It’s great fun for adults and kids alike, and with a bit of planning, you can truly create a spectacular experience for all. Here are some suggested themes.
 Arrrgh Matey!
Pirates are currently one of the most popular Halloween costumes, and it’s easy to see why. Kudos to Disney for creating a wildly successful series of movies, based on an amusement park ride! The “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies have caught on like wildfire, and at any party planning store (or online) you’ll find it easy to buy pirate costumes, plates and table linens, decorations, favors and more. Show movies like “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Pirates of Penzance,” “The Princess Bride” or “Goonies” and bring out your inner pirate.
What kind of food will you serve at your pirate festival? How about chocolate coins wrapped in gold, rum runner punch or grog, seafood, and anything tropical. Alternatively, you can serve what you want, but call it something related to pirates – for example, hamburgers could become “parrot” burgers.
Renaissance Festival
Many states have an annual Renaissance Festival but let’s face it – with admission prices of $15-20, plus food, drink and souvenirs, it can be expensive for families with children to attend a nearby festival. Instead, why not move the festival to your backyard? Take a hint from “Medieval Times” and stick with finger food – there will be less expense, less waste, and less trash to clear away. Costumes for this one are easy: fairy wings, princess crowns and dresses, fair knights, peasant blouses, etc. The list of films is virtually endless: “Excalibur,” “Hamlet,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” and “Amadeus,” are just a few.
Renaissance festival food is great fun – steak on a stake, turkey legs (or substitute buffalo wings), fries, lemonade and root beer and mead (beer).
It’s a Circus!
Doesn’t everyone love the circus? No need to rent an expensive tent when you can create your own big top with a striped sheet and four PVC pipes stuck several inches into the ground. You might even consider pony rides for the kids, or a balloon artist, clown and/or face-painter. What films will you show at your circus-themed party? How about “Dumbo,” “Freaks,” “Big” (OK that one is set at a carnival, but it could still count) “Water for Elephants” or “Something Wicked This Way Comes.”
Circus food is always popular and easy to buy ready made – caramel corn, candied apples, funnel cakes, popcorn, sodas, lemonade, soft pretzels, cotton candy, hot dogs and hamburgers, chips, etc.
Is your mind abuzz with fun and interesting ideas to try! When planning your backyard festival, be sure to rent the projector from Projector123.com. Rentals start at just $95 including round trip ground shipping. Click here now to rent a projector online.
August 19th, 2011
Does your company or industry require you to conduct annual training for your sales staff and other personnel? Often times, these annual in-services can be boring and tiresome, which results in disgruntled employees and lack of retention of the information presented. It’s no secret that happy employees are productive employees, so this year, why not change your corporate culture to make mandatory training a more positive experience? Here are our best tips for doing just that.
Think Outside the Slide Show
With an LCD rental projector, you can take advantage of many facets of audiovisual aids – slides can be colorful and engaging, and you can break up the monotony with film snippets designed to emphasize a point or simply to make your attendees laugh. Consider a sort of self-deprecating humor that pokes fun at various working conditions – perhaps a scene from one or more of these movies and television shows:
“Swimming with Sharks” – the cutthroat world of advertising
“The Office” – office politics and relationship dynamics
“Office Space” – cubicle life
“Employee of the Month” – slacker-turned-star at a Cosco type of establishment
“Jerry Maguire” – outrageous sports agents
“Ally McBeal” – lawyerly antics
“Tommy Boy” – sales reps and rejection
You can use your imagination to find many more. The idea is to keep the conversation lively and interesting, which will hold your audience’s attention longer during drier material.
Reward Desired Behavior
If you want employees to retain information, then reward them for it. Let them know at the beginning that each person will be required to take a “quiz” at the end of the training and whomever scores the highest will get a prize. Make it a good prize – perhaps a $25 or $50 restaurant gift certificate or something similar.
If the training is mandatory and participation is more of an issue than retention, then reward enthusiasm. Give small prizes (mugs, pens, $5 gifts or smaller) to those who ask intelligent questions, offer suggestions, or otherwise participate in the conversation. People love to be rewarded and are more likely to participate when there is some kind of recognition or tangible reward involved.
Offer Different Formats
People learn in different ways, so it’s important to present the information verbally, visually, and in a tactile fashion. One easy solution would include a slide show projector rental combined with a handout that allows space for note taking. If you have physical products that are part of the training, allow participants to touch and hold the products in addition to using a video or slide show format with audio.
Projector123.com is the top choice for LCD rental projectors for annual corporate training. Click here now to rent a projector online.
August 17th, 2011
For a truly spectacular weekend activity, why no throw a themed movie party? With a rental projector and your imagination, the possibilities are virtually endless. Here are some quick tips to help you get started.
 Choose a Theme
You might start by answering this question: what is your favorite kind of movie? Perhaps it’s a genre (horror films, science fiction, westerns, romantic comedies, etc.) or maybe you have an all-time favorite actor or actress (Jim Carrey, Marilyn Monroe, Harrison Ford, etc.), or perhaps it’s a series of films (Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, James Bond, etc.) or even a particular film with a cultlike following (“The Wizard of Oz,” “Fight Club,” or “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”) Once you’ve selected a theme, you can build your movie party around that theme.
Costumes or Not?
Holding a costume party is a fun way to engage people and break the ice at any movie gathering. Or, you could even keep it generic and let people dress as characters from their favorite movie or one of the theme movies.
Food and Beverages
It’s your choice whether to keep your food in the same theme as your movie, or not. For example, you could serve cowboy/BBQ with a western theme, seafood for film fest starring “Jaws,” “Finding Nemo” or “Beach Blanket Bingo,” or perhaps martinis and elegant appetizers for a James Bond showing. If you tap into your creativity it’s easy to make ordinary foods fit into your theme. For example, if you wanted to serve white chili at your Marilyn Monroe film fest, you could call the chili “Gentlemen Prefer Blonde Chili.” Sure, it’s cheesey, but it’s also fun.
The Main Event
When it’s time to show the film, be sure there are plenty of snacks and popcorn available, and dim the lights and fire up the DVD rental projector from Projector123.com. Projector123.com now rents LCD projectors for just $95 including round trip ground shipping. Click here now to reserve your copy.
August 15th, 2011
Now for our final segment of the four-part series on creating successful networking events. In this piece, we’ll look at two important pieces: the conclusion of your event, and the follow up.
Use a Takeaway
“Out of sight, out of mind” is just human nature, so it’s important to have some kind of takeaway for your participants, otherwise all the time and hard work you’ve put into the even may be for nothing. With a small, intimate gathering, you can conclude the evening with a sentiment such as this:
“I’d like to thank everyone for coming tonight and for sharing your vision with us. As you’re out and about in life, please think of this group and make referrals as often as you see fit, remembering that whatever you send out always comes back to you in abundance. I’d like to thank our sponsor, _________ (if you had no sponsor, then mention your own company, since you put the time, money and effort into coordinating the event) for keeping this event free and accessible. And I’d like to remind you to follow up and take action – keep in touch with each other and with me, let us know how you’re doing and whether our referrals are successful. Thank you and good night.”
If you’re intending to create regular networking meetings, you would also want to let everyone know the date and location of the next meeting, so they can mark it on their calendar.
For larger gatherings where folks will be exiting at different times throughout the event, a “swag bag” or “goody bag” is a great way to provide a takeaway. Many times, insurance agents or other companies may provide the bags (with their advertising info printed on the outside), and you can let participants know ahead of time that they can submit items (advertising specialties, business cards, flyers, coupons, samples, etc.) for the goody bags which will be distributed to participants.
 Get Feedback
You may think your event was a raving success, but perception is everything, so it’s a good idea to get some feedback from other participants as well. You might initiate individual conversations, email out a quick online survey (http://surveymonkey.com is an excellent tool with free options, or if you used http://evite.com to invite participants, you can use this same tool to conduct a feedback survey) or simply ask around. Be sure to ask for specific feedback with regards to ways a future event could be improved.
Follow Up
Follow up with any leads or connections you made, and encourage your fellow participants to do the same. There is a saying, “the fortune is in the followup.” Call your leads and tell them you enjoyed meeting them. Find ways you can help each other’s business. Send referrals and ask for referrals. Be specific about what you need.
Now is the perfect time to secure your slide show projector rental for your upcoming event. Visit Projector123.com to learn more about what’s included in our $95 projector rentals.
August 12th, 2011
As we continue our best practices guide for creating a successful networking event, we look at how to handle the event itself.
 Facilitate Mingling
The key to any successful event is mingling throughout the group. Whenever you bring together a group of people, there will nearly always be those who mingle easily, working their way through the room and making connections and building rapport, while others are feeling a bit nervous or insecure in a room where they don’t know anyone.
You can facilitate mingling by warmly and gently approaching those who appear a bit “lost” and striking up a conversation. Ask questions about what they do and what kind of characteristics their ideal client would possess, and introduce them to another nearby person (even if you don’t know that person and have to introduce yourself at the same time). Then you can leave these two new connected individuals together so you can repeat the process elsewhere if needed. While you certainly don’t want to get stuck babysitting anyone all night, taking the time to make a gesture like this can help a slow starter or a shy person begin to feel at ease and continue networking on their own.
Promote Yourself
Don’t fall into the trap that so many event coordinators find themselves in – just because you’ve coordinated the event, it doesn’t mean you should avoid promoting yourself. You can do this in any number of ways:
- create “swag” bags to give to each attendee and include information about your business
- give each attendee a flyer on their way out of the event
- if it’s a large gathering and you’re planning to make announcements, include a mention of your product or services
- pass out your cards
In the final installment of our Successful Networking Event series, we’ll look at ways to end the event and conduct follow-up to ensure profitability. In the meantime, be sure to visit Projector123.com to arrange for your LCD projector rental for your next networking event.
August 10th, 2011
It’s true – we tend to buy from people we like and trust, which is one of the reasons successful networking is so important to growing your customer base. In this three-part installment, we’ll look at best practices for creating a successful networking event where everybody wins.
A Clear Purpose
Know the purpose of your networking event, and think of it from the angle of everyone involved. For example, if the purpose is for everyone to get more leads or referrals, then consider the best approach to take so that everyone gets what they need. Creating a networking event should not be for the sole purpose of recruiting new customers from the group – rather, you’ll want to build trust and give people the space to get to know each other. The purpose of your event may simply be to help everyone expand their network of contacts – whatever purpose you have in mind, allow that to be the guiding force behind decisions you make with regards to the logistics of the event.
 Set the Scope
By scope, we mean size and industry. How many people will you include in the event? Are you looking to create more of a sit-down environment where people would take turns going around the circle, explaining what they do and what kind of new clients they are in the market for? Or do you envision a large group gathering, with freestyle networking and a massive exchange of business cards. Perhaps a speed networking event is more your style. Are you considering regular monthly gatherings, or just a one-off event? Any of these types of networking events can be highly successful, but when you’ve set the scope, it will help you plan the details accordingly.
Save the Date
If you’re planning a mid-size to large event, you’ll want to give folks a heads-up so they can save the date on their calendar. Do not underestimate this step – everyone is busy nowadays and the sooner you can let people know when the event will happen, the more likely they will be to share the invitation with a friend or colleague or two.
Secure a Location
Now that you’ve decided on the purpose, style and scope of your event, the next step is to book a venue, and you’ll want to do this as early as possible. Looking to keep your event low-cost (or free)? Smaller groups can gather at your home (or someone else’s home), or perhaps at a restaurant or coffee shop or gelateria. Alternatively, if you need audiovisuals, you might secure the banquet room of a restaurant, a hotel meeting room, or local meeting facilities in your community, such as a library (some public libraries have rooms that are perfect for such a gathering) or neighborhood clubhouse (if you live in the community and pay HOA dues, your cost for reserving a facility may be lower than you think). If you choose an outdoor venue, be sure to have a backup plan in case of inclement weather, and let folks know that plan ahead of time.
In our next installment, we’ll tackle ways to get folks to come to (and commit to) your event. In the meantime, as soon as you’ve set the date, we recommend hopping onto our website to secure your rental projector. Projector123.com can provide you with a professional grade LCD rental projector for just $95 including round trip shipping.
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