How To Set Up A Lectern

When someone is hosting a speaker, one of the last things that they think about is the lectern. This could be a mistake on the part of the host since the lectern is a key part of the presentation. A lectern is designed to direct attention to the presenter and his location on the stage.

Depending on the type of presentation, a lectern could be responsible for holding many different articles that the presenter will need for his speech or presentation. It may have to hold documents, AV equipment, laptop computers, microphones and other peripherals. When properly setting up a lectern there are several things that you will need to consider and they will need to be addressed prior to the presentation.

One of the things you will need to know in order to properly set up a lectern is the presenter. You will need to know his size so that the lectern can be adjusted appropriately to his height. The lectern should be set so that it is at a comfortable height for the presenter and still give his audience a good view of him.

You will need to know exactly what type of presentation he is going to give in order to set the lectern in the proper location on the stage. The most common placement of a lectern is at the front of the stage and in the center, but if there is going to be an audiovisual presentation it may have to be put to the left or right of center to allow the audience to see the audiovisual part of the presentation. You should ask the presenter if they have a preference as to which side of the stage they would like to be on.

Once the lectern has been set, it needs to be thoroughly checked. Make sure the lectern is clean and free of anything that may get in the way of the presenter. If there is an AV portion to the presentation, all equipment needs to be connected and checked to ensure that all is in proper working order so that there are no issues before or during the presentation.

Make sure all of the other accessories are installed and working. Make sure that there is proper lighting available. Lighting should give the presenter ample light on his documents but not interfere with the view the audience has of the presenter. Make sure that the lighting works properly. You might also want to include a clock nearby the lectern to the presenter can keep track of time without looking at his or her watch during the presentation. Again, check and double check all of the AV equipment and controls. Make sure that they work and are within easy reach of the presenter.

Once all of this is done, cover the lectern with a dust cover to protect it until the presentation. Just before the presentation, make one last check of everything. Make sure no cords are showing or in a position to cause trips or falls, and put water at the lectern for the presenter.