Pecha Kucha Night was originally conceived as a way for young architects and designers in Tokyo to gather and “show-and-tell” their work, leaving enough time to compare notes afterwards. Each person who wants to talk about her or his work presents a slide show (a PowerPoint presentation). They are limited to 20 images, showing for no more than 20 seconds. Thus each presenter get six minutes and 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter pops up to present a pithy message. Think of it as speed dating for meetings where the goal is to quickly learn a great insight from each other. This format has spread throughout the world, from Amsterdam to here in San Francisco. Watch one in Hamburg. By the way, Pecha Kucha is Japanese for chit chat.
I find I get more clear and specific about my main message when I am forced to present this way. And I get to the point faster. Less likely for eyes to glaze over. More people get to present their best shot - and look better in so doing.
What if your organization ran some of its meetings this way? Less chance for Death by Meeting, perhaps? What if your annual conference included this format? More inclusive? More time for Q & A? You’d get more snapshots of people you might want to kibitz with during breaks or at that cocktail hour? This format helps us be smarter together than apart - and enjoy more camaraderie along the way.
