2 Responses

1. I use Clouds and pencils myself
   Hi Patricia,

   ‘The Great Balloon Presentation’, is, I believe, an exercise where each participant has to present the benefits, attributes, etc of a balloon – in fact, the ‘Great Balloon’.

   Bryan Edwards uses it in his example of a presentation workshop:
   https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/ reference/library/samples/presentation_sample.doc
   Which is quite a good place to start from.
   Personally, I get people to deliver a presentation on clouds – sometimes a particular type of cloud – or pencils, drainpipes, but balloons are good as they don’t really have very many obvious uses – thus people are stretched to build up a convincing presentation.

   It is an extreme process that stretches people’s imaginations so that they can experience the process of defining attributes and benefits of even the most bland or trivial of items, object, concepts, products, etc. Its all about influencing others to believe as you believe – or at least believe that you believe. And since belief is a major part of presentation (in yourself, the message/product, and the audience’s need for that message/product) it can help in identifying and ensuring that all the various elements required in a presentation are… present.

   Similar exercises are used as acting games.

   I’m sure others will have an additional if not different slant on this.

   Good luck,

   Nigel

2. I use an ice-breaker/introduction called the great balloon
   This is slightly different from the previous details.

   You split the delegates into 2 teams and tell them that they are all in a balloon that is floating above the earth, but that it has been hit by a piece of flying space debris. The balloon is losing altitude and therefore only one team can stay in the balloon all they will all perish when it crashes. Bascically they have to plan and present a 3 minute presentation will will give their case for being the team who stays in the balloon.

   This is a good starter for a presentation skils workshop as it a bit of fun and gets the groups presenting immediately, as well as getting them to plan a presentation.