Building Confidence and Skills in a Stunning Setting: A Public Speaking Workshop in Malta

Retreat’s Goal

My recent corporate retreat at the Radisson Blu’s Resort, with its breathtaking views of Malta’s stunning coastline, was a perfect blend of relaxation, professional development, and team bonding.

The retreat was designed with five key goals in mind, offering an ideal environment for growth and reflection:

  • Encourage team building and social interaction in the resort’s luxurious surroundings.

  • Provide valuable updates on industry trends and company progress.

  • Review the company’s performance and explore opportunities for improvement.

  • Identify ways to increase overall success.

  • Focus on personal and professional development, especially through enhancing communication skills.

It was this final goal that set the stage for my workshop on public speaking and presentation skills, aimed at boosting personal growth and refining the team’s overall style of presentation.

Workshop Brief

During the retreat, I had the pleasure of running two speaker workshops, each lasting 2.5 hours, designed to improve public speaking training through fun, hands-on activities. These sessions focused on:

  • Teaching effective presentation skills, with a sprinkle of fun presentation ideas to make learning enjoyable.

  • Ensuring participants walked away with practical, immediately applicable skills.

  • Creating reflection moments where participants could assess their current style of presentation and identify areas for growth.

  • Building confidence, reducing fear, and helping participants feel more at ease when speaking in public.

  • Encouraging concise, impactful communication—a continuation of our work from previous retreats.

  • Challenging participants to think about how they will make a PowerPoint stand out in future presentations and meetings.

Workshop Outcomes

The main goal of the workshop was to help participants become more confident and effective communicators. By the end, they were equipped with tools to:

  1. Understand the importance of strong presentation skills and how to set clear presentation goals.

  2. Transform public speaking anxiety into excitement.

  3. Master key techniques, including:

    • Vocal Foundations: using pause, tonality, and speech rate to engage.

    • Sharpening language for clear, concise, and impactful communication.

    • Body language tips for public speaking: improving posture, eye contact, and gestures.

    • Creating a visual presentation with compelling slides, using my Top 10 tips for slide design.

  4. Deliver persuasive, memorable presentations.

  5. Stay motivated to continue developing their public speaking skills beyond the retreat.

Programme Topics

The workshop was thoughtfully structured, blending practical learning, personal reflection, and a lot of fun. Here’s what we covered:

  • How to acquire great presentation skills.

  • Turning fear into excitement.

  • Defining your presentation goals.

  • Using concise, impactful language.

  • Body language techniques to amplify your message.

  • Core Vocal Foundations to engage and inspire your audience.

  • Think Visually: Top 10 tips for slide design and effective visual aid examples.

Participant Workshop Brief

To make the experience as relevant as possible, participants were asked to bring a recent or upcoming presentation, along with their slides, for live feedback and improvement. This hands-on approach ensured that the learning was immediately applicable, providing practical insights into improving both content and presentation style.

Key Takeaways

The public speaking training workshop left participants with a wealth of insights and actionable tips, including:

“Pauses and posture are more important than they seem”

“Presentations are not about you, they are about your audience”

“Shoulders back and eye contact”

 “Visuals are a strong way to convey your messages”

 “Investing time in slide design”

“Powerful presentation skills are key”

“It has now made me more aware of how I can be better at presenting by pausing; being more precise, using gestures and making the slides more graphic. I now know how to engage my audience”

“Don't count the slides. Make slides count”

“Communication depends on the audience”

 “Simplify text on slides, less is more”

“Reduce text (content) on slides and supplement with life storyline”

“I know how to make a PowerPoint stand out and the use of fun presentation ideas to keep audiences engaged”

Wonderful for all the participants to not only learn, but an excellent opportunity to truly enjoy Malta’s rich history, excellent food and beautiful coastline! It made the retreat a truly memorable experience for all!

Are you looking to empower your team with effective communication and presentation skills? Explore how a corporate workshop on public speaking can help your organisation achieve its goals. My workshops are tailored to your team’s unique needs, providing them with the tools to shine in any situation.

Get in touch today to learn more about how we can work together!