How do you prepare for public speaking in an unfamiliar place?

Know your audience One important point to consider is your audience. Who are they? What are their background? Once you are aware of your audience background (age, occupation, education, etc) you can better adapt your discourse. It’s important to reach your audience in the most familiar way possible, i.e., young people may not understand old vocabulary/jokes. A good research on your audience could help you create a good rapport with them.

Use your travel time wisely When you travel to a new place, keep your eyes and ears wide open to new experiences while traveling. Try to compare them with your older experiences that you had in a different country or place. Try to get the positive impact of that new experience in your mind so that you will have a positive thought to share with others when you have to speak. Speak to fellow passengers on the way especially those who are from the place you are traveling to. They will be sources of great insight for you when you have to speak.

When your rehearse, try to keep your speech speed at less than 150 words per minute. That will increase attention and understanding.

Arrive early, walk the space and look for the closest bathroom, view the lighting, rehearse your walk to/from the stage, and sit in the space. Greet the A/V team and introduce yourself to each member. They can make or break your presentation. If possible, attend a session or two before yours so you can get a feel for the audience.

Roll with the punches and be easy to work with if there are changes in the program in terms of timing, announcements, and venue/room changes. Be stress-free for the event planner. They have a tough, tough job!

Control what you can and let go of the rest. Be ready to manage time well and respect your audience by ending on time regardless of what happens earlier. Be prepared for a delayed start, or less time to present, due to an audience arriving late, unexpected technical issues or a previous section running over. Rather than stressing the audience (“We have a lot to cover in this short time so we will try to get through it all in the time we have”) or talking too fast for the audience to be able to process what you have to say, be prepared to shorten or cut out sections based on priorities and time. They can always invite you back for more. Know your key objective(s) and most relevant points and how you can make up time to end on time.

Always smile at your audience and make them feel that what you delivering is worth their time. Get ready to answer their questions and be confident to throw back the answer. Sometimes your audience knows the answer to what they asking. Learn from them.

Take time to prepare but don’t read verbatim. Understand the points you are trying to cover then expand or contract depending upon the situation. Look at and engage with your audience, they have come to listen to you, make it worth their while.