The Presenter Network is a local, national and international network set up for presenters to share best and worst practice. Presenter Network hubs have now been established as part of the wider Presenter Network. These hubs align with the same Presenter Network Manifesto and ethos but they operate on a local level only.
The Royal Observatory Greenwich coordinates the network as a whole but also act as the hub centre for London and South East. All regular Presenter Network meetings are run by the local hubs so if you want to attend those you will need to join a hub. We are establishing more hubs all the time so keep an eye out for new one near you.
Who is it for?
The Presenter Network is solely for those who are actively involved in presenting any sort of educational session in museums as well as science and discovery centres and in the media. This is not a general education group, we created it so presenters can get together and share best practice as well as watch others in action to develop their presenting style.
Who started the network and why?
The Presenter Network was set up in 2014 by Liz Avery at the Royal Observatory Greenwich as a way for presenters to share best practice as well as watch others in action to develop their presenting style. Since then we have run regular meet-ups in collaboration with other organisations covering every aspect of presenting you could ever imagine; using effectively comedy, working with challenging audience members, how to look after your voice and everything in between.
How much does it cost?
Taking part in network events is FREE. This network is run by the Royal Observatory Greenwich but is not specifically funded. We never offer nor would we encourage others running events for the network to provide catering as it can become expensive and put organisations off hosting. This group operates purely on the good will of our members with all meet-ups leaders, speakers and workshops facilitators offering their time and experience for free. We are incredibly grateful to all the members for their enthusiasm, generosity and help to keep this network alive.
Who runs the sessions?
The Royal Observatory Greenwich run the network as a whole as well as the London and South East hub. For more information about hubs near you click here.
Why do you focus on presenting?
Quite simply because there is a demand for it. There are many fantastic science communication, museum and education networks out there with a much wider remit than just presenting. We don't compete with them but rather compliment them by dedicating our focus to addressing a very specific aspect of public communication that the sector has identified through this process as needing attention.
How often do they run?
Each of the local hubs plan their sessions to suit their local network but in general hubs will meet once every two to three months always between 3pm and 5pm.
Annual Conference
We also run a conference once a year which is open to any of our network members.
For the details about the next Presenter Network Conference and previous conferences, please see here.
Where do you meet?
Each local hub meeting is somewhere different so we can all see how other organisations do things.
What is the structure of a session?
The order of the sessions is always the same; 1 hour taking part in a facilitated education session followed by a 1 hour discussion (made up of a short welcome by me and the discussion facilitated by the hosting group).
How do you choose the topics for sessions?
Every topic idea comes from the network. This could be that someone has presented something new and learned things they want to share or they could be having difficulty with something and looking for advice.
How can I contact people outside of the meetings?
Discussion is an important part of the network but the hubs are not able to share member's contact details. We have created Padlet walls so members can discuss ideas and opportunities between sessions. The Padlet walls we use are only accessible to those in the network.
How can I get involved?
It is super easy to join as a member - just click here.
I would like to create my own hub, how do I get started?
Firstly - GREAT news! Running your own Presenter Network hub is nice and easy and we can offer you lots of help and advice along the way. We have produced a 'Hub Starter Pack' which outlines everything you need to know. If you would like to sign up to the Network please fill in this form.
Happy Presenting!
