How to create a Glastonbury-worthy environment in your next presentation

This year I was lucky enough to go to my first ever Glastonbury. I arrived having very little idea of what to expect. Friends have told me what it’s like, I’d seen footage on TV, but I couldn’t comprehend what 300,000 people would feel like in real life.

Yes, the crowds are gigantic. And yes, you spend A LOT of time walking (I averaged 50,000 steps a day!). But what you see on TV is about 10% of what it’s actually like when you’re there.

Beyond the headliners on the Pyramid Stage there are HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of performers. Magicians, trapeze artists, jugglers, comedians, actors, salsa dancers, drag queens, tarot card readers, face painters - the list goes on.

When there are that many performers in one place at one time, the atmosphere buzzes with creativity, curiosity and playfulness all day long. And as a performer and presentation-skills fanatic, that meant there was inspiration for how to own a stage EVERYWHERE.

I’ve been reflecting on my Glastonbury experience and what I learned about how to present with confidence from the incredible variety of performances I saw. I’ve decided to share my reflections over the next few newsletters as I think everyone can learn something from Glastonbury performers, without needing to trek to a field and ‘shower’ with cold water in a bucket for five days.

Environment. Is. Everything.

When you’re surrounded by adults who are dancing in a field together something magical happens.

But it’s not by coincidence.

No matter who performed on what stage, the environment the artist created in the crowd was essential to how people interacted with their performance.

Dua Lipa had leather-clad, muscular backing dancers.

Justice had a choreographed strobe light show with every track.

Coldplay had fancy flashing wristbands.

I’m not a Coldplay fan and I’d never choose to watch them normally, but when presented with the opportunity to see them I thought it would be rude not to. I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I stood at the top of a hill at the Pyramid stage, weeping for the first 30 minutes of their set.

Look, the lyric ‘nobody said it was easy,’ hits harder when you’re sleep deprived ok?!?!

But it wasn’t just that. Seeing thousands of people, swaying, singing the same lyrics and waving their multi-coloured wristbands was incredibly moving. It made me feel like a tiny part of something huge.

Of course, not every performer has access to expensive lighting or leather hot pants. But fortunately you don’t need either to have a profound impact on your audience.

For example, on Thursday morning I spent an hour in a tipi, sat round an open fire with about four other people, listening to a group of musicians playing folk music on instruments that looked like they belonged to the Tudors. The musicians didn’t speak to or look at their audience. They were totally lost in the moment, smiling and looking at each other in a knowingly way and seamlessly playing song after song. Being in that tipi made me feel safe, loved and again, a little teary! And there wasn’t a flashing light in sight.

When you are presenting to an audience, the environment that you create is essential to how people will feel as they listen to you and therefore how they engage with what you have to say.

My advice?

Invest in a strobe light and a fire pit for your office, man!

…

I joke.

While you don’t have to replicate what headline Glasto acts do, you can take inspiration in other ways. Here are some questions to help you curate an impactful environment for your presentation:

• Can you play music as people arrive and as they leave? What tone could your music set? Peaceful, relaxing, upbeat, happy? Choose a piece that reflects the mood you want to create.
• How are you greeting people as they arrive? Could you ask your audience to share something before the presentation starts? Could you set a friendly tone by simply asking people how they’re day as been so far?
• How are you inviting people to engage with your presentation? Are you encouraging them to take notes, to remove distractions, to be present?
• How are people seated? Can you move tables to the side and seat people in a semicircle? Could you encourage people to sit next to someone they don’t know?
• Could you start your presentation by asking people to do something physical? Stand up, take a deep breath, have a stretch? What can you invite people to do together that creates an immediate sense of unity?

Investing time in thinking about the environment you want to create for your presentation will help you to stand out as a presenter, spark your audience’s interest and get them excited to participate.

If you try out an idea for your presentation environment, message me to let me know how it went! I’d love to hear from you.

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