Report on PowerPoint Live 2006

By Ellen Finkelstein

PowerPoint: The most widely used presentation software anywhere.

If you were on my site any time in July and August, you saw the offer to get a discount to go to PowerPoint Live September 17-20th in San Diego. Yes, a few of you did get the discount and I was glad to meet you there.

This year was my first time at the conference and here's my report.

What attendees got was an unlimited opportunity to ask PowerPoint experts any question and get the answer. About 220 participants attended for 3-4 days and learned about design, delivery, animation, third-party software, and so on.

PowerPoint consultant Rick Altman, shown at the right, did a great job of organizing . Here are some highlights:

• Before and after sessions, in which expert designers showed us their makovers, using presentations that participants contributed
• The Help Center, where any one could ask experts their questions and sit with them in front of the computer—in either PowerPoint 2003 or the beta of PowerPoint 2007.
• A trade floor with exhibits of software (and hardware) for use with PowerPoint
• Sessions for creating movies, editing images, and adding sound
• Sessions about how to organize content, deliver a presentation, etc.
• Many, many prizes! (including a couple of my books)
  

In addition, I really appreciated the opportunity to network with other participants who eat, drink, and sleep PowerPoint. Over meals, at breaks, and between sessions, we compared notes and traded tips. Here you see Lisa Lindgren of Presenters University, whom I've know (and written for) for years.

Microsoft's MVP (Most Valuable Professional) program honors experts in its software and several PowerPoint MVPs were there. What a treat to meet them at the Help Center or catch them between sessions! Here you see Steve, Kathy, Echo, Bill, Geetesh, and Julie. Also Betsy Weber of TechSmith (SnagIt and Camtasia) , and Kathy's husband, Bruce.

Each year, PowerPoint Live has a Microsoft session at which you can ask Microsoft's PowerPoint team any questions you want —and get answers! Since Microsoft Office 2007 is expected to be out soon, the session was especially useful. Here you see four of the group.

Next year, PowerPoint Live will be held October 28-31 in New Orleans' historic French Quarter. For more information, go to www.powerpointlive.com. The 2006 information is still posted, but next year’s information should be up soon.

Learn more about Ellen Finkelstein in our Contributor's section.