Preparing for Science Communication Events

Sitting through another online event, nodding along, but not really feeling engaged? I just experienced this feeling last week in an online webinar. There has been trouble with tech, which consumed a lot of time, there was little interaction with the participants, and the wasn’t quite built for everyone in the room. I left feeling disappointed and unmotivated. I've been moderating events, facilitating workshops, and giving trainings now for over 20 years. In this time, I’ve learned that truly engaging and great events are rare. The good part: it is a skill that people can learn. Three takeaways that I share with folks who are just starting out or for those with more experience who could also need a check-in from time to time are the following: Preparation is key. Always keep the audience in mind. And, offer various ways to learn. Preparation: With the goal and purpose in mind you should design the event. From opening with welcoming, sharing the agenda and rules of engagement to delivering the content to closing with a summary and feedback. Do several dry runs, meaning that you go through your whole program without audience or maybe with colleagues who can give constructive feedback. Also consider which tech will be used and test it before using it. Audience: The event is not for you; it’s for the audience. What do you know about the people who are attending? Do the participants know each other? Which questions could you ask to learn about their expectations, needs, and knowledge? You can do that, i.e,. through polls, surveys, or discussions. Be flexible and don’t be scared to adjust the agenda if needed, and communicate why you are doing what you are doing. There have been so many times that I was a participant and I couldn’t follow the instructions, or I didn’t understand what was asked of me. Learning: People learn differently. By offering various ways to learn, engage, and participate, everyone in the room has a chance to achieve the set objectives. It might be useful to make learning and reflection materials accessible prior to, during, and after the event. Some people prefer working alone while others prefer working in groups. Some need to hear, others need to read content. Don't just think about what you like, but educate yourself about what people with different ways of thinking need. And let me be clear. You'll never please everyone in the room. That’s okay. But by following the above-mentioned tips, you can get pretty close. And remember, there is help out there - hello Ellen and team 👋🏾 What is important to you in virtual spaces? What have been good or bad experiences? Do you need help in creating more engaging and inclusive events? Send me a DM. #Facilitation #Workshops #Training #Virtual #SaferSpaces ALT- Text in the comments.

If you want your event to get the most buzz and attendance - follow this one simple concept. Refuse to feel traditional. Organizations are reimaging how they produce events - and I'm about to tell you how to apply these ideas to your own event. 🔹 Immersive Brand Activations Spotify and LinkedIn took to Cannes Lions and transformed spaces into branded lounges that doubled as networking hubs. 👉🏾 Your Turn: Versus a Step-And-Repeat wall, create a space where guests get to interact with your story. Think: Hands-on demo Branded lounge with entertainment A Themed environment 🔹 Reinvented Corporate Conferences Shopify gave attendees hidden speakeasies, garage style brainstorming rooms, and teaming building via hackathon labs. 👉🏾 Your Turn: Get out of that ballroom beloved. BizBash reported on FX celebrated their season premier at a laundry mat. Unexpected venues will forever surprise attendees and spark interest. 🔹 Fan & Sponsor Engagement Wins During the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) All-Star Weekend, Nike and American Express built fan zones that converted foot traffic into measurable leads because they were interactive. 👉🏾 Your Turn: If you have sponsors, design experiences where guests are actively engaging with them and not walking past yet another logo. 🔹 Purpose-Driven and Sustainable Events Meaningful is the new Must Have. This goes beyond dietary restrictions and plant based food. 👉🏾 Your Turn: Add on elements that shows your value: sourcing local vendors including minority owned, reducing waste, and tying a cause to your event. My key takeaway: Your attendees don't just want to show up. They want a new lived experience, discover something new and have a story worth telling. The question you should always ask during the event planning phase is what story will attendees leave telling. P.S. Did you find this helpful?

Last week, someone who’s been working in climate communications for over a year quietly admitted they still didn’t totally understand what “lowering emissions” meant. Not the general vibe of it, but the actual why and how. I loved their honesty. It reminded me how often specialists in the space continue to throw around terms that even insiders don’t fully grasp. If we want the public, policymakers, and private sector to act, we have to stop communicating like we’re at a scientific conference. Here are 5 tools I use all the time to make complex climate and science ideas land: ✔️ The “Grandma Test” Can you explain the concept to your grandma without losing meaning? This test forces clarity without condescension—and it’s one of the fastest ways to reveal jargon you didn’t even know you were using. ✔️ Metaphor as a Bridge Metaphors are powerful shortcuts for understanding. For example, instead of saying “emissions reductions,” try: “Imagine your home has a slow gas leak. Cutting emissions is like finding and sealing that leak—before it gets worse.” It may take longer to say (a communications faux pas) but we process metaphors faster than data. ✔️ Chunk the Concept Break big ideas into bite-sized parts: What is it? Why does it matter? What can be done? Who’s doing it well? This format creates digestible flow and gives your audience mental “hooks” to follow you. ✔️ Visual Storytelling Not every concept needs a paragraph. Sometimes it just needs a sketch, a diagram, or a comparison chart. ✔️ Mirror the Audience Before I write or say anything, I ask: “What does this audience care about most?” Meeting people in their worldview is half the battle. I’ll be sharing more of the frameworks and strategies I use in future posts—but if your team is trying to translate climate science or sustainability language into something people actually understand and act on, C3 can help. Let’s make it make sense. 👉 Feel free to reach out or follow along for more tools from the Climate Communications Collective playbook.

Everyone loves a good story. You should be using your data to tell one every chance you get. The importance of narrative in scientific communication cannot be understated. And that includes communication in traditionally technical environments! One thing that gets beaten into you in graduate school is that a scientific presentation is a technical affair. Communicating science is fact based, it's black and white, here's the data, this is the conclusion, do you have any questions? Actually, I do. Did you think about what story your data could tell before you put your slides together? I know this is a somewhat provocative question because a lot of scientists overlook the importance of telling a story when they present results. But if you want to keep your audience engaged and interested in what you have to say, you should think about your narrative! This is true for a presentation at 'The Mountain Lake Lodge Meeting on Post-Initiation Activities of RNA Polymerases,' the 'ACMG Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting,' or to a class of 16 year old AP Biology Students. The narrative doesn't need to be the same for all of those audiences, BUT IT SHOULD EXIST! There is nothing more frustrating to me than seeing someone give a presentation filled with killer data only to watch them blow it by putting the entire audience to sleep with an arcane technical overview of the scientific method. Please. Tell. A. Story. With. Your. Data. Here's how: 1. Plot - the series of events that drive the story forward to its resolution. What sets the scene, the hypothesis or initial observation? How can the data be arranged to create a beginning, middle, and end? 2. Theme - Good vs Evil, Human vs Virus, Day in the life of a microbe? Have fun with this (even just as a thought experiment) because it makes a big difference. 3. Character development - the team, the protein, gene, or model system 4. Conflict - What were the blockers and obstacles? Needed a new technique? Refuting a previous finding? 5. Climax - the height of the struggle. Use your data to build to a climax. How did one question lead to another and how were any problems overcome? 6. Resolution - What's the final overall conclusion and how was the conflict that was setup in the beginning resolved by what you found? By taking the time to work through what story you can tell, you can engage your entire audience and they'll actually remember what you had to say!

If you want your next presentation to inform, engage, and stick, this is the framework you need….. One of my best reads (A summary) Fact: AI slide generators won’t save you. Powerful slides aren’t about automation. Slides aren’t filler. They’re the frame that holds your message; visually, cognitively, and emotionally. A single slide can speak more powerfully than 10 spoken minutes when done well. ——————————————— ➊ 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗲 ➜ A slide = one thought. No more. No less. 📌 Break complex ideas into digestible visuals. ➋ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 “𝟭 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲” ➜ If it takes longer than a minute to explain a slide… 📌 It’s doing too much. Cut or split it. ➌ 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 ➜ “Results” isn’t a heading. 📌 Try: “This method increases accuracy by 37%.” ➍ 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗹𝘆 ➜ If you won’t speak to it, delete it. 📌 Every extra label is cognitive noise. ➎ 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗲 ➜ Add references as you build, not at the end. 📌 A polished slide acknowledges others. ➏ 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗰𝘀 ➜ Visuals aren’t decoration; they’re delivery tools. 📌 Avoid text-only slides. Always. ➐ 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 ➜ 6 elements max. 📌 Use white space, bold selectively, and avoid clutter. ➑ 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 ➜ If they hear nothing, can they still see the takeaway? 📌 Assume your viewer is half-tuned in and still make an impact. ➒ 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 = 𝗦𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿 ➜ Your transitions reveal your thinking. 📌 Practicing reveals which slides don’t flow. ➓ 𝗠𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 ➜ PDFs > animations. Backup slides > failed videos. 📌 Assume something will break and prepare for it. ——————————————— 📍Your slides are not your script. They’re not your paper. They’re your audience’s window into your idea. Make every second of their attention count. 💬 Which slide mistake are you guilty of and ready to fix? ♻️ Repost to help someone transform their next research talk. 📄 Reference: Naegle, K. M. (2021). Ten simple rules for effective presentation slides. PLOS Computational Biology, 17(12): e1009554. #PresentationTips #SlideDesign #AcademicCommunication

When you're communicating, shoot for simple. Not simplistic. Albert Einstein famously said "if you can't explain something simply, you don't it well enough." Simple is clear, not clever. It's elegant. There are tons of ways to practice this. But this one is I'm going to share is my favorite. You've heard of it before, I'm sure: the Feynman technique. Here's how you do it. 1. Grab a piece of paper and write down a topic at the top. 2. Write whatever you know about the topic. 3. If you have a gap in your knowledge, that's okay. 4. Leave a space or put a question mark as a placeholder. 5. Underline anything you're shaky on. Come back to polish it later. But here's where your communication gets clear: Eliminate jargon. Replace jargon with an explanation of that concept in layman's terms. Spell out acronyms and abbreviations. For example, SDLC is the software development lifecycle. Simplify your sentences. Use active voice. Eliminate adverbs, adjectives, and gerunds. Remove compound sentences (using and, or, or but). For example, I coordinated a team of 10 people to complete a project. Keep lists to three items or less. For example, the tree main ingredients in bread are flour, yeast, and water. One subject and one verb per sentence. For example, Sam bought groceries. Now what you're going to say is easier to follow and easier to understand. Apply this to your LinkedIn profile, resume, and interview responses. You'll get better responses. -- 👋 Hi, I'm Jonathan. I help people in tech turn interviews into job offers. #techjobs #jobseekers #newgrads #students #interviewpreparation

See One. Do One. Teach One. I was watching Grey’s Anatomy (don't judge) when a line jumped out at me: “See one. Do one. Teach one.” It was Dr. Webber's mantra for medical training: observe a skill, try it yourself, then pass it on. It's also the perfect blueprint for event engagement. Most events get stuck at “see one.” Attendees listen to keynotes, sit through panels, watch demos. They see a lot, but if that’s where it ends, the knowledge fades almost instantly. The next level is “do one.” Give attendees space to try what they’ve learned, through hands-on workshops, scenario labs, role plays, or even a 10-minute exercise in the room. This helps the ideas move from theory into muscle memory. But then there's “teach one.” Create moments for attendees to share their perspective. Whether it’s a micro-discussion at their table, a peer-to-peer breakout, or a post-session “lightning share” where they explain what they learned to someone else. When people teach, they anchor the learning in their own words, and engagement skyrockets. What if designing events around this mantra could transform attendees into contributors? They stop being passive listeners and start being co-creators of the experience. Maybe that's what engagement is meant to be, after all. 

Every year around now, I start to see grad students on social media bemoan that they’re going home for the holidays to a family that doesn’t understand their research, or what they do in general, and it breaks my heart. We do what we do (and not another job with better hours that pays more) because we think it’s important or because we love it, and to have loved ones not understand why we made that choice can be painful. Sometimes there are complex and personal family dynamics in play here that are none of my business and I won’t pretend to understand them. But sometimes this is because grad students aren’t taught how to explain their work (and why it matters) to people who aren’t scientists. I was taught in grad school that scientists should have 3 versions of talks about their work ready: a 30 second “elevator pitch,” a 12 minute conference length talk, and a 40 minute seminar length talk. I think we should also have a short version aimed at non-scientists. I’ve trained over 1,000 early career scientists on 5 continents how to explain their work to the public, and I’d like to share with you some brief tips (noting that I offer full workshops on this and am available for hire for Spring 2025 trainings). 1) Jargon is bad. Most complex scientific concepts can be explained (close enough anyway) via clever analogy or using vocabulary that everyone knows. And this is not “dumbing it down,” your audience isn’t dumb, they’re just not spending years learning a narrow topic. “Never underestimate your audience’s intelligence, always underestimate their vocabulary” is a rule I teach in my workshops. And part of this is tone. Don’t act like your audience (family or not) is stupid for not knowing 15-syllable science words. I’ve had fishers in my research tell me that they’ve been fishing for 30 years and I’m the first scientist they’ve ever met who doesn’t make them feel stupid, or doesn’t act like I think they’re stupid. This is a mix of vocabulary choice, analogy, and tone. 2So what? Scientists often hate to be asked “who cares, so what, why are you working on that obscure question and not focusing on curing cancer” or whatever. But it’s a fair question and there’s value in crafting an answer. One possible answer: all sorts of world-changing scientific discoveries were made while studying something else that may have seemed not super relevant at the time. See the Golden Goose Award website for examples. One possible answer: “grad school is about being trained how to do science so I can later study other things.” One possible answer: science is a team sport with lots of people working on big problems from lots of different angles, and we only later put everything together. I hope this is useful to someone. And I hope everyone has a good break. As always, I am happy to answer any serious questions asked in good faith. And please let me know if you want #SciComm public science engagement training at your institution!

The most compelling research presentation I gave broke every academic convention. Most research talks follow a tired script: Intro → Methods → Results → Conclusion. But that order buries your message. After giving hundreds of talks, I’ve found that the best ones flip the script—and put the audience first. Here are 3 changes I made that had the room buzzing: 1️⃣ Start with your conclusion. Open with your core message. Now, instead of wondering WHAT you found, your audience tracks HOW you got there. This shift keeps them engaged—and mirrors how we read papers. 2️⃣ Use figures > tables. Tables are fine in manuscripts. But in presentations, they overwhelm. A clean figure tells the story faster—and sticks longer. 3️⃣ Own the room. Don’t pace it. Pick three people—left, center, right. Speak to them in turn. Stay planted. Let your ideas move, not your feet. And just as important—3 things to avoid: 1️⃣ Don’t read your slides. You’re there to connect, not recite. Use keywords, not scripts. Practice until you can speak naturally—even without presenter notes. 2️⃣ Don’t overload with text. Your slide is not a manuscript. Stick to 5–6 short phrases max. Skip the periods to avoid the urge for full sentences. 3️⃣ Don’t show giant tables or figures If you have to say “I know you can’t read this,” cut it. Trim big tables/figures or split them into 2–3 slides. You don’t need flashy animations or fancy tools. Just clarity, structure, and presence. What’s one small change you’ll make in your next research talk to better serve your audience? ----- P.S. Join the Research Boost waitlist for early access to the tool—and behind-the-scenes lessons HERE: https://researchboost.com/ BONUS: When you subscribe, you instantly unlock my Manuscript Outline Blueprint. Please reshare 🔄 if you think this will be helpful to others…

HOW TO GET MORE SURVEYS + MAKE YOUR NEXT EVENT BETTER?! Event pros, we know how it goes - you have a GREAT event (with some hiccups!) and you leave the event with all these ideas for the future... and then you get swallowed up by your inbox, your next event, and LIFE... and those good ideas/changes you want to make just fall further and further down the to-do list. I get it! I have been part of a lot of event post-mortems with my clients (and as a former meetings + events pro) and here is a list of things I've seen clients do that were impactful/good ideas: STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE # OF SURVEY RESPONSES: 1. Get each speaker to include QR code of survey at the end of their session / right before Q+A and give attendees 1 minute to fill out in real-time  2. Have main stage emcee give allotted 1-2 minutes during mainstage time at closing sessions of each day to let folks "vote with their surveys" for their favorite session of the day 3. Partner with a local charity to donate $1 per survey to them (for example, client is supporting Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida for upcoming event in Orlando, where $1 gives 4 meals). 4. Multiple follow up emails giving time deadline to "get in their surveys" with possible incentive for their response (discount to future event?) STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF SURVEYS: 1. Be clear on what your leadership wants ROI/KPI on and then focus on questions that can deliver those metrics/insights 2. Give the survey to your event partners - they often have a lot of experience and some ideas for improvements/feedback that you either didn't see, didn't know about or wouldn't have thought of. (and yes, they could upsell you here but great partners will give, give, give to help you and trust you may return to them if they did a great job) 3. If you have sponsors/rely on sponsors for event income, call them personally and follow up about the survey to hear their feedback (and have a special sponsor/partner survey, if possible) so you can understand their experience, feedback and improve sponsorship sales for next year STRATEGIES TO MAXIMIZE POST-EVENT MEETINGS 1. Have a quick on-site post-event meeting celebrating the wins! Nothing super heavy here, but share the joy! You all did it!!! Wins will be fresh in the mind - record it on a voice note and transcribe later, if possible. 2. Send out internal survey ahead of meeting for "braindumping" and allowing those who think-then-talk to prepare accordingly. Give open ended questions, make it anonymous if your org's culture may benefit from that. 3. Ask for everyone to pick something they will "Champion" - which means they'll see it through the stages of research, proposal, planning and execution with support of others for the next event. Co-Champions are good, too, but either way - leave the meeting with folks being excited about a new idea and with the expectations set on how to convert from "Great idea" to "Awesome reality!" #meetingsandevents #associations #eventprofs