Developing an Elevator Pitch to use in Networking and in Smalltalk at Conferences

One of the most important aspects of a conference is the networking.  You will feel much more comfortable, much more at ease in your networking if you have prepared a good "elevator speech" (i.e., a very short description of one's project, a sort of oral abstract).  In this workshop we will work on developing a good elevator speech.  We will discuss the structure of a good speech and improve the speech you have brought ins.  We will then work on presentation skills, for example, on delivery, articulation, presence, and voice, using materials from the internet (TED talks, for example), academic presentation textbooks, and from theater and improvisation.  By the end of the workshop, you should have a good “elevator speech” (or abstract) that you will have rehearsed a number of times.  We will then also practice the networking and small talk situation at conferences, with role playing and suggestions for how to deal with difficult questions or situations. 

To prepare for this workshop, participants are asked to prepare a first draft of their “elevator speech,” i.e., a thirty second summary of their project.