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Description

Public Speaking: Structuring a Talk, Engaging an Audience and Commanding the Stage

Two days to prepare a talk for a large audience and hold the stage without reading from notes

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

Speaking at a conference or seminar is nothing like chairing a team meeting. The room is large, time is tight, and the audience has come for an idea rather than an activity report. Many speakers end up reading a written script, losing eye contact and letting the main message slip away.

This 14-hour programme focuses on building and delivering a talk intended for a large audience. Participants work on a real topic, isolate their core message, craft an opening and a closing, then work on stage presence and eye contact. Every delivery is filmed and reviewed with the group.

Learning objectives

  • Express the core message of a talk in a single sentence
  • Build an opening that establishes the subject in under a minute
  • Move from one part of a talk to the next without relying on a written script
  • Occupy the stage and direct eye contact across the whole room
  • Close with a line that stays with the audience after you leave the stage

What makes this programme different

Each participant takes the stage four times, with video recordings reviewed as a group
The work is based on a real speaking engagement already in the participant's diary
A one-page delivery sheet replaces the written script

Programme

1Framing the message

Core message and the promise made to the room

  • Analysis of the context and of audience expectations
  • Expressing the core message in a single sentence
  • Selecting no more than three key messages
  • Removing content that belongs in a written document

2Building the architecture of the talk

Opening, development, closing

  • Choosing an opening that establishes the subject
  • Step-by-step progression with signposted transitions
  • Using examples and imagery to anchor an idea
  • Building a closing that is more than a summary

3Holding the stage

Body, gaze and space

  • Positioning and movement in front of a large audience
  • Directing eye contact towards the different zones of the room
  • Managing silence and speaking pace
  • Using the microphone and technical reference points

4Responding and recovering

Questions, objections and the unexpected

  • Welcoming questions and rephrasing before answering
  • Handling a hostile question without escalating the exchange
  • Picking up the thread again after a technical incident
  • Adjusting length when speaking time is cut short

Who is it for

Executives, subject-matter experts and spokespeople required to speak at conferences, seminars or corporate events in front of large audiences.

Prerequisites

Participants should bring a real speaking engagement to prepare during the programme.

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.