So you’re been selected to be a conference keynote speaker, congratulations! You’ve got the presentation written, a deck full of powerful slides… and now it’s time to make sure you don’t kill the message with a weak stage presence.

As a leading London conference photographer it’s my job to capture you looking your best, and over the years I’ve learned that stage presence is about more than just what you say. How you look and how you carry yourself can have a big impact on how your audience receives the message.

So here’s a few essential tips that’ll help take your stage presence up a notch, leave a lasting impression with the audience, and make you look amazing in the conference photos. There’s a lot in here, and you absolutely don’t have to remember every last tip. Just pick a few and you’ll already be making a positive difference to your presentation.

 

 

Ditch the notes: how learning your presentation helps your stage presence

One of my all time favourite keynote presenters is Steve Jobs. Whatever you think of Jobs the man, Jobs the presenter was an absolute master. He made it seem effortless, almost like he was winging it. But Jobs never ever went on stage unprepared. He rehearsed, and rehearsed, and rehearsed, and rehearsed, until he knew the presentation inside and out, and had tested and tweaked every slide, every demo, every pause, until it was second nature.

One of the most fundamental and powerful ways to elevate your stage presence is to know your presentation off by heart, without relying on notes or a script. When the content’s memorised it frees you up to connect more deeply and personally with your audience as you deliver it, and that connection can make even a dry presentation more engaging.

Here’s how memorising your presentation feeds directly into your stage presence:

It helps maintain eye contact

When you know your presentation by heart you’re not constantly looking down at notes or a script. So where do you look? At your audience! Find people around the audience and keep scanning around, looking at them, talking to them. Eye contact makes your audience feel seen and valued, creating a stronger connection.

And for conference photographers like me this also results in far more compelling photos of you looking confident and engaged with your listeners, instead of down at your notes like you’re unsure.

It improves your posture and boost confidence

When you don’t have to keep looking down at notes you can stand tall and keep your head up throughout your presentation. This sounds like a little thing but it significantly improves your perceived authority and confidence.

But confidence also comes with preparation – so rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, and your confidence will grow naturally. And whatever you’re feeling is likely what you’re projecting. So we want the audience to be left reassured by how confidently you deliver the presentation.

It allows you to move around the stage and even freestyle a little

Being script-free allows you to move around the stage more freely. This dynamic movement keeps your audience interested and makes your presentation more visually engaging.

Sure, you can walk around the stage holding notes, but as you switch between looking at the audience, where you’re walking, and your notes, you can easily lose your place in the notes.

You can also respond to the audience’s reactions, adjust your delivery on the fly, and add spontaneous elements that make your talk more memorable. This flexibility also makes it easier to handle any unexpected moments, like a technical glitch or an audience question.

So how do you reduce your reliance on your presentation script or notes?

You don’t actually have to learn your keynote presentation as written word for word – in fact it’s better if you don’t.

Naturally you do need to learn the overall content, but the goal is to internalise the flow and structure so you can deliver it smoothly and confidently. That way you won’t get flustered if you forget the exact words you wrote, and you’ll deliver it more naturally than you might if you were reciting a script like a robot.

To deliver your keynote without a script start by breaking down your talk into key points and practising each section until it feels natural. Remember it doesn’t have to be exactly the same each time, you just need to get to the key points. Rehearse in front of a mirror and ideally record yourself so you can see how you improve each time.

Remember, even Steve Jobs, the epitome of Apple at the time and the one man who knew all of his company’s products inside and out, rehearsed for hours. Put the work in, you’ll not regret it.

What if you can’t learn your keynote presentation?

Of course there’s many good reasons you may not be able to memorise it – perhaps you’re stepping in for someone else at the last moment, or you just find memorising it too challenging. That’s fine, don’t beat yourself up – after all, autocue exists for a reason!

But if you don’t have access to autocue then the more you can reduce your script to more easily handleable notes, and the more you can reduce the need to look down at them, the better. The more text there is on your note cards the more likely you are to get lost at some point and have to pause and awkwardly scan through them to find your place.

So stick to big clear headings that keep you on track, and when you do need to use them all you’ll need is a quick glance down.

 

How good posture helps you command attention on stage

Good posture is essential for your overall presence on stage. Start by standing tall with head held high and your shoulders relaxed – tensing your shoulders or pulling them back will make you feel and look stiff.

Imagine a thread emerging from the very top of your head going straight up to the ceiling, just taut enough that you feel it very gently pulling you upright. This all makes you appear more confident, helps with projection, and establishes you as a confident, authoritative figure before you start speaking.

Most people are understandably worried about what to do with their hands when they’re presenting at a conference. In fact some people take notes purely to give their hands something to do, even if they don’t need them.

Personally I think that when we’re worried about what to do with our hands in this situation we’re the only one thinking about it. Our audience is looking at our face, or at the screen. I can almost guarantee you nobody is sitting there thinking “her hands look silly”.

But a helpful trick to stop you thinking about it is to keep your hands slightly raised in front of you by bending your elbows a little. This encourages you to use your hands more naturally as you speak. That can make your presentation feel even more engaging, keeping the audience focussed on what you’re saying. And when your hands are up and active you tend to feel more energised yourself, which feeds into a more powerful stage presence.

Pro Tip: Practice in front of a mirror or record yourself to see how your posture and gestures come across. Pay particular attention to how you hold yourself when speaking versus when you’re listening to audience questions. Standing upright with your hands engaged and your eyes on the audience conveys confidence and control.

Dress to impress on stage – but comfort is key

It’s tempting to go all out with your outfit, but there’s a few things to consider: the on-stage environment, your role, and the general conference vibe.

The on-stage environment first: you may be under bright lights and possibly on your feet for a while.

Your role and the general conference vibe inform each other: are you a software engineer addressing other software engineers? Or a VP addressing your colleagues, investors, competitors? The former might generally dress much more casually than the latter. But also, some conferences are very much a smart casual shirts and jeans sort of vibe, where others call for a full business suit.

So opt for clothing that looks sharp, fits the vibe, but also allows you to move freely and stay cool. That wool blazer might look a million dollars but could leave you red-faced and dripping with sweat by the end. Also try to avoid anything too tight or restrictive – you want to be able to gesture naturally without worrying about your shirt buttons popping off.

Makeup and grooming: details matter!

It doesn’t matter who you are or how you identify, a bit of makeup can go a long way under harsh stage lighting. For women a touch of foundation, powder, and perhaps a bold lip colour can make your features stand out. For men, a light dusting of powder can reduce forehead and nose shine, and a bit of grooming (think trimmed facial hair and well-combed hair) ensures you look polished.

Pro Tip: stage lights can be unforgiving so even if you don’t normally wear makeup consider applying a bit of translucent powder to combat shine. And don’t forget about your hands – they’re often in the spotlight too, so make sure nails are clean and tidy.

If nothing else, when you look good you feel good, and when you feel good you project warm positive vibes!

 

Find your light on stage and be aware of the screen

Stage lighting is there to enhance your presence, but not all stage lighting is equal – I’ve been to some venues that have a magnificent stage but the only lighting is directly overhead, causing horrible dark shadows in eye sockets and under your nose. The lighting might also not cover the entire stage.

So get familiar with the lighting setup beforehand if possible. If possible get on-stage before your session and ‘find your light’ – the spot where you can sense the light is directly on you. For a well lit venue that’ll probably be the whole stage but pay attention to the areas that aren’t lit, so that you don’t inadvertently step into darkness and stay there for the whole presentation.

Take a selfie on your phone to see how the lighting plays on your features. If the lights are directly overhead and making your eyes disappear into shadow consider taking a step back to allow more light onto your face.

If you can’t get any time on stage before delegates are seated, watch whoever’s on stage before you and see how the light works for them as they present.

Finally if there’s a screen behind you check if it’s being projected onto, as opposed to a proper LED type screen. If it’s being projected then be very aware of walking across the projection. Firstly, your shadow will be obscuring the content on the screen whenever you do that. But also your face will be lit by the projection, not the stage lights. That can make your face look weird, covered in distorted words and graphics. If you spend too much of the presentation like this there won’t be as many good photos of you.

Use varied facial expressions – and don’t be afraid to pause

Your face is one of the most powerful tools when you’re presenting on stage. It’s great to show real emotions when you’re presenting – a genuine smile, raised eyebrows, or an expressive gesture can help convey your message more effectively.

If you ask questions of your audience step forward, sweep your gaze across the room, use an enquiring expression, and pause just enough to let them think about their answer – but not so long that it feels awkward if nobody takes the lead to reply out loud.

Use the screen, but not to ‘hide’ from your audience

If you’re using a screen it’s useful to refer to it and point things out from time to time. When there’s a lot of info on the screen a short pause as you point things out gives people time to take notes.

However, it can be tempting to spend most of your time looking at the screen and not your audience. I think for some people looking at the screen is less scary than looking at the audience, totally understandable! But as interesting as the screen content may be the audience is there to hear from you, so remember to turn back and face them whenever you can.

 

Keep props simple

If you’re using props or accessories make sure they enhance rather than detract from your presentation. Anything you bring on stage should have a clear purpose. The simpler the better – you don’t want your audience focusing on a flashy accessory rather than your words.

Pro Tip: If you’re using a microphone, practice handling it so you’re comfortable with it on stage. If it’s a lapel mic, check how it looks with your outfit and ensure it’s positioned correctly to avoid muffled audio.

Acknowledge technical errors, don’t let them annoy you

Clickers to control the screen are the most common source of technical errors. I don’t think I’ve ever photographed a conference where someone didn’t stab at the clicker several times and ask “is this thing working?” as the screen caught up and skipped half a dozen slides.

So if you’re using a clicker to move slides along do your best to get familiar with it before you take the stage. If anything goes wrong with the clicker just acknowledge it, don’t panic, and try not to get stroppy about technical people “letting you down” as a way to mask embarrassment. Your audience starts out on your side, and open vulnerability in the face of technical mistakes will help keep them there.

Relax and try to enjoy it – fake confidence will get you a long ways

Finally, the most important thing you can wear on stage is confidence. If you’re relaxed and seem like you’re enjoying yourself, your audience will pick up on that energy. Take deep breaths, smile, and remember – you’re the expert in the room. Own that space!

If you’re incredibly nervous that’s okay too. But remember, the audience is there because they want to hear from you. Take that knowledge onto the stage with you and you’re halfway there. Admit it’s your first time, if you want. A little vulnerability goes a long way! Then cast all that aside and do your thing, because everybody there wants you to do well.

Pro Tip: Arrive early to get a feel for the venue and do a run-through of your presentation. The more familiar you are with the space, the more at ease you’ll feel when it’s showtime.

Conclusions

As a professional London conference photographer specialising in capturing keynote speakers looking their best on stage I’ve seen firsthand how crucial it is to deliver not just a compelling message, but also to project confidence and authority on stage.

By trying out just a few of these tips – whether it’s mastering your material or maintaining strong posture – you’ll not only engage your audience but also ensure you look poised and professional in every photo.

Ready to take your stage presence to the next level? Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, embrace the spotlight, and step on stage with the confidence that you’re about to deliver a fascinating keynote and look fantastic doing it too.