What can we learn from the World Cup 2022 opening ceremony?

Chances are, you’ve been hit with World Cup fever. This Sunday, the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 stunned the audience with surprising cameos, nostalgic throwbacks, and beautiful visuals. It got us thinking. There is a lot to learn from the opening ceremony that we can apply to presentation storytelling.

Focus on what we have in common

The ceremony highlighted the importance of coming together over a shared passion. Presentations can be tedious when the content might not necessarily be relevant to your audience, which is why it’s important to bring attention to the common factors. Emphasize all the ways your material and data are related to your listeners and build bridges to reach them. Presentations are the perfect opportunity to make connections with an audience.

Credit those who came before you

To get to where you are, there is a team that helped you, pioneers in your field who set the standard, and experts who provided a base you were able to work with. In any area you might be discussing, your efforts contribute to a larger scheme of development and innovation. Take the time to share the insights and successes that preceded you, and use them to build your data.

Celebrate your roots 

Nothing says humility like remembering your roots. Origin stories are moving and audiences love being a part of your journey. This also gives you the space to elaborate on your process and progress. Start strong by setting the scene and discussing your beginnings; this grabs the audience’s attention and can be used to indicate what will follow. You can then end by circling back to the start to give the presentation a neat, thematic conclusion.

A little theatrics never hurt anyone 

Of course, it wouldn’t be a World Cup ceremony if there wasn’t a little drama. From the powerful performances and stunning choreography, it was a memorable event. Storytelling takes you on a journey, and the visuals, sounds, and performances all add up to a powerful show. Sharing your ideas using several different mediums throughout the presentation keeps it interesting. The audience is constantly wondering what will happen next. Using emotional speech that varies in its inflection and emphasis helps establish the mood the speaker wants to convey.

There is no one way to present an idea. We can always find inspiration in unlikely places, and since the 2022 World Cup amasses a large global audience, there are elements of their displays that we can implement in our presentations. We can learn from understanding the enthusiasm and drama that captures us, and adopt what works to make our presentations stand out.

Sources:

• Images (1), (2), (3), and (4): https://www.thesundaily.my/home/opening-ceremony-qatar-2022-world-cup-MH10245810