Speaker Kit
Too many of us focus on communicating our value outside our organization. The challenge is, if people inside your organization do not understand and believe in your story, what you do and why, who you do it for and why they should care, they won’t be able to communicate it to clients, prospects or vendors.
For more than a quarter century Ben has been helping organizations tell their story, build cultures around it, share their vision, mission and goals and drive change all through developing more effective internal communication strategies and processes.
Ben is the author of two books “Powerful Personal Brands: a hands-on guide to understanding yours,” and “Leading Beyond a Crisis: a conversation about what’s next,” and has been podcasting for more than a decade.
Ladies and gentlemen, Ben Baker.
Have you ever watched the TV Show “Once Upon a Time?” Well, that is where I live and work. The fishing village of Steveston, BC, just 30 minutes outside the downtown core of Vancouver, is where I call home. I walk to work, know my neighbours and believe there is a balance between life and work.
I am a husband, a father and a member of my community. I believe that friends and family are paramount, and we all have a responsibility to roll up our sleeves and help change our little part of the world.
I am an international speaker, podcast host and author, contributing both to magazines and other people’s books over the last number of years. My books include “Powerful Personal Brands: a hands-on guide to understanding yours,” and “Leading Beyond a Crisis: a conversation about what’s next.”
I believe in giving back to my community, and with that, I volunteer. Whether it is for my congregation, festivals in the area I live, or through mentoring youth at the University level, I believe that I may not be able to change the world, but I can influence my corner of it.
My favourite trait is my curiosity. It helps me understand the world and the people I serve. Only by understanding others; their hopes, needs, aspirations, and fears can I help devise solutions that will help make their lives better.
I want to be the storyteller of your brand. To help you understand who you were, where you are today and who you want to be as an organization. I want to help you communicate your value to others inside your organization in their language so that they listen, understand, recall and retell your story to clients, prospects and vendors alike.
I want to help you develop the tools and processes to communicate effectively and drive the changes you desire, and enable you to succeed on your terms.
Let’s talk! I want to hear about your passions and goals and help you achieve them!
ROOM ARRANGEMENT
The ideal room arrangement allows for all audience members to be able to see and hear Ben and see and hear his PowerPoint presentation without visual obstruction. For presentations to audiences of fewer than 200, classroom style set-up is preferable; for larger groups, auditorium seating is suggested. If rounds are used, the audience members should be positioned in a semi-circle facing the front.
STAGE
For groups that exceed 100, it is advisable to provide staging to elevate Ben so that those in the back can see him. The staging should be positioned as close to the front row of audience members as possible to create a setting that is as intimate as possible. While a podium is not necessary, please provide a small table or tray for props, notes, etc… Ben tends to move around the room.
SOUND
Please provide a professional quality cordless lavaliere with a brand new battery. A cordless hand-held mic should be readily available as a back-up. Ben’s mic should not be the one used to introduce him.
AUDIO/VISUAL REQUIREMENTS
Ben will integrate a multimedia PowerPoint presentation into this program, and he will bring his own laptop. To assure success for his presentation, please provide the following:
LAPTOP/MONITOR
Because of the imbedded graphics, video, and fonts, Ben’s presentation must run from his laptop computer, and will not be transferred to a house laptop unless there is time for a sound/video check prior to event to ensure everything is working properly. Because this presentation moves so quickly, Ben prefers to be in complete control of his laptop, so it does not work to hand Ben a ‘pickle’ device to signal a technician to advance Ben’s slides for him. Ben’s laptop will require three connections: 1) a secure VGA/HDMI connection to the projector(s); 2) a mini-plug sound port connection to the mixing board of the house sound system for audio; and 3) a power strip
SCREEN
In larger rooms, Ben asks that a screen be positioned slightly off the center of the stage so he is not walking between the beam of the projector and the screen. In smaller rooms, a video screen will need to be positioned in the front corner of the room (in a corner where there are no entry doors). The screen should be positioned so that all audience members can view it. Please exercise care that no direct light is upon the screen—if lights above it cannot be dimmed, please see that they are disconnected.
PROJECTOR and WIRELESS REMOTE DEVICE
Ben will need a video/data projector to interface with his laptop computer. This should be a late model projector (minimum 1024×768 VGA resolution with at least 1200 ansi-lumens) bright enough to be seen on the screen without dimming the room lights. The projector should be positioned on an A/V cart aimed at the screen with the three connections described above available to it.
LIGHTING
The room needs to be fully lit to maintain a high energy level in the audience. Again, unless the projector is extremely bright, please ensure no direct light is reflected on the screen. Stage may be lit from end to end. Please do not use a follow spotlight.
HANDOUTS/WORKSHEETS
When appropriate, Ben will send a master handout/worksheet to be duplicated for all program participants prior to the presentation. Ben asks that these not be distributed to the audience before his program.
www.BenBakerSpeaks.com 604 512 7174
