How do you handle nerves, interruptions, and technical issues during award speeches?

If you get nervous on stage, lean into the balls of your feet, it will help to center you. If you are truly nervous, feel free to tell the audience that you are nervous because they are such a wonderful audience and you want to please them and that you are doing this because the message is incredibly important. They will root for you.

When preparing to speak I learned very early that my heart will be pounding, I will be sweating, I will be nervous whether it is the first time or the hundredth time.....and it's totally natural. Before the speech, check your heart rate and know that you were always feeling this before your last successful speech...tie these memories and sensations together and you'll remember that you'll do just fine, just like last time

Here's a quirky trick that surprisingly does the trick for me. Picture this: I was gearing up to tackle a finance presentation in a room teeming with sharply dressed pros. There I was, the rookie, the youngest of the lot, sweating bullets over thoughts like, "What if I flop? Will they even take a baby-faced guy like me seriously?" My panic must've been written all over my face because a seasoned analyst caught on and decided to throw me a lifeline. She leaned in and whispered, "Vince, whenever I'm jittery about speaking to a big crowd, I just imagine everyone in their birthday suits instead of their business suits." Just picturing that scene made me burst into laughter and shook off the nerves instantly. Trust me, it's a game-changer.

I look forward to interruptions....yes, I'm excited and ready. Why? Because the audience wants something real, something spontaneous, something that will be a talking or laughing point when they recollect your presentation. So be ready....practice scenarios in your head, have a joke at hand, and just remember that you are the one who knows the original script, not the audience, so you have room to flex and have fun

This is a wonderful question. Bumps and hiccups always happen and I think that you have to incorporate them into your monologue and use them to your advantage.

Use interruptions as part of your delivery, the authenticity is what audiences prefer. Practice various scenarios in your head, and every time you attend an event you are not hosting, observe and read the room. Learn from every experience so that you are prepared for the inevitable. If you are being heckled or receiving criticism directly, you could engage by asking the person why they are doing it - but this depends on the event and the setting. It does come with experience, but in my opinion you need to use these moments while also not allowing them to deter you from delivering your mesaage

It truly varies; I mean beyond the cliché. The goal is to foster spontaneity, especially when someone poses a thought-provoking question, signaling they're engaged and reflective about the discussion. For the less polite interruptions, a simple "Let's chat after" works wonders. Mobile phones ringing or attendees glancing at their screens? Hardly a distraction for me. In case of a fire alarm, I immediately coordinate with the venue staff to verify its authenticity and inform the audience accordingly. Just like handling a technical glitch, anticipating and prepping for various scenarios help. While unexpected events are rare, being ready for 99% of potential issues through proactive planning and mental rehearsals usually keeps you covered.

Hang onto your sense of perspective. By and large, you're the one who decides how big a deal the technical glitch is. If you react to a video miscue or a misaligned font on a slide as thought the world is ending, the audience will feel like something's gone seriously off the rails. But if you treat it lightly and move along, they'll see it as a minor bump — and you'll get a little extra credit with them for showing grace under pressure. Unless the glitch really is dire, there's no troubleshooting tool handier than a good sense of humor!

I can't think of any speech where something hasn't gone wrong; technical disruptions top the list. Make sure to meet the members of the tech team that are setting up and executing the lights, sound, equipment, and timing. That personal touch will have them fighting for you, and they won't want to see you fail

Technical issues are part of the experience being a speaker. One way to be more comfortable is to come earlier on the day of the event and to test out the equipment and to ask the organizing team for backup solutions. And most importantly, have fun with it. Keeping your cool when technical issues arise actually is a great demonstration of your character and your audience will empathize and laugh it off with you :)

It always happens, so I've mastered the art of preparing backup plans and envisioning scenarios in my head. Whether it's a malfunctioning laptop, a corrupted memory stick, or inadequate lighting, I'm ready. My strategy includes visiting the venue beforehand to test the stage and equipment, feeling the room's vibe, securing my presentation in the cloud, and ensuring a robust Wi-Fi connection. I even share a copy of my presentation as a precaution, test their computer system, and practice speaking without a microphone to gauge my voice's volume. By considering every possible outcome, I meticulously plan ahead to mitigate or eliminate risks, ensuring a seamless execution of my tasks.

Technical issues are inevitable, so you do need to be as prepared as possible. Make sure you familiarise yourself with all the equipment you will be using. Simple things like making sure everything is charged or plugged in! Do a rehearsal. But if something unexpected occurs, try to incorprate it into your presentation to keep the audience engaged - but you will need to ensure you resolve it quickly too. If it can't be fixed - then you need to be able to deliver your message regardless. Therefore you should be very well versed in all of your content so that you can deliver the same message without the use of images, slides or video

Recently I was presenting at an awards ceremony, but the room had poor acoustics and because we were presenting awards while people were eating and drinking it was very noisy and not fair for those who were award recipients. So I politely but with confidence, stood composed at the lectern and spoke a little louder than the crowd to get their attention, then I asked everyone to please show respect for all the award nominees and recipients. My statement was applauded and people did lower their volume, but the room was simply poorly set up. These situations can't be controlled but if you had some humour and address the issue in the moment it can really help to ensure the interuptions don't ruin the event