interactive virtual presentation tools

14 Best Interactive Presentation Software in 2024 (Free & Paid)

Discover the best interactive presentation software, including free tools for presentations, and presentation platforms for video and animated presentations.

Dominika Krukowska

14 minute read

Short answer

What are the best interactive presentation tools?

• Beautiful.ai

Static vs. interactive presentation tools

Static presentation tools allow you to present information using a fixed sequence of slides and a consistent flow to guide readers. Interactive tools use a variety of multimedia elements and storytelling frameworks, letting viewers engage with content at their own pace.

While static tools ensure clarity and structure, interactive presentation tools transform passive viewers into active participants, creating a deeper involvement and boosting engagement.

Check out our resource on why static slides are bad for you .

And here's what a static presentation looks like compared to an interactive one:

Critical features in interactive presentation software

Ever felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of presentation tools out there? I have. But after sifting through the scary pile of interactive presentation tools, I've zeroed in on the features that genuinely elevate your content.

12 must-have features of modern interactive presentation tools:

Template galleries - Template galleries offer a quick start, ensuring your presentation looks polished without spending hours on design.

AI content creation - AI-driven features analyze your content, suggesting optimal layouts and design elements, making your slides both informative and visually appealing.

Personalization - You can tailor your presentations to resonate with specific audiences. This ensures your content speaks directly to the viewer, enhancing engagement and relevance.

Automation - From auto-populating content to personalizing presentations based on viewer data, to tracking engagement, automation tools make your job easier and more efficient.

Real-time collaboration - Teamwork makes the dream work. You can collaborate with team members in real-time, combining insights to craft the perfect presentation.

Integration with other tools - Connect your presentation software with your favorite tools, including CRM systems, prospecting, or sales enablement tools.

Narrated design (Scrollytelling slides) - Turn your slides into a compelling narrative, guiding your audience on a memorable journey.

Animations - Use animations to highlight key messages, transition between topics, or simply captivate your audience.

Annotation capabilities - Whether it's highlighting important points, on-hover labels, or adding on-the-spot insight pop-ups, annotations make your presentation a two-way conversation.

Multimedia content options - Go beyond text—enrich with videos, audios, and interactive elements for a better reader experience.

Role-based permissions - Control who can edit what parts of the presentation, ensuring your presentation remains in trusted hands and its design unbroken.

Analytics and reporting - Track viewer engagement, slide interactions, and feedback, and use these insights to make informed improvements to your presentation and create better future presentations.

Top tools for interactive presentations

In the age where every second counts and distractions are just a click away, interactive presentations are the game-changer. They improve engagement, memorability, and understandability, and support decision-making.

Interactive presentation tools can help transform boring presentations into interesting ones , and change passive viewers into active participants.

If you’re on the hunt for tools that will help you achieve this, let’s explore some of the best interactive presentation software currently available.

Jump ahead to page section

1. Storydoc

Storydoc is the future of presentations, reimagined with the power of AI. This interactive presentation maker takes your deck and elevates it to a dynamic, immersive story experience.

It uses narrated design, aka scrollytelling, to challenge the norms of traditional slide-based presentations and invite audiences to explore and engage with the content at their own pace.

Storydoc also sprinkles a bit of AI magic, guiding you every step of the way. From automatically applying your branding and generating relevant visuals to making content suggestions, you can get a professional-looking presentation in no time.

Once you’re finished, you can use dynamic variables to automate any number of personalized versions of your deck at scale.

After you hit ‘send’, go to the analytics panel and watch as it fills up with real-time data, providing valuable insights about what’s resonating with your audience and what’s not.

• AI-driven design and content suggestions
• The ability to personalize decks at scale
• Optimized for viewing on any device
• Integrates with tools like calendars, lead-capturing forms, and live chats
• Comprehensive presentation analytics with real-time data
• Printed versions lose the charm of interactivity
• There might be a slight learning curve for traditional presentation tool users
• 14-day free trial
• Starter plan: $30/month per user (billed annually)
• Pro plan: $45/month per user (billed annually)
• Team plan: Talk to sales

2. Slidebean

Designed with the challenges of starting a business in mind, Slidebean offers an AI-powered platform that simplifies the pitching process.

You can draft a simple outline in the platform's intuitive content-brief and editor. Once done, Slidebean springs into action, quickly transforming the content into slides that are in line with the established best practices.

But don't mistake speed for lack of control. The AI does the heavy lifting, but you're in the driver's seat. If a slide feels off, you can tweak it. Or, if you're feeling particularly hands-on, you can dive into their fill-in-the-blank templates and craft your presentation.

• Designed with the unique challenges of startups in mind
• Blend of AI-driven automation and user customization
• You can collaborate with a team of experts to perfect your pitch
• Might feel like overkill for simpler presentation needs
• Some design elements could use a fresh coat of paint
• Basic plan: Free
• All-Access plan: $199/year
• Accelerate plan: $499/year

Visme is a solid choice for crafting presentations from the ground up. You can dive into a vast library of templates tailored for every industry, ensuring your content always feels fresh and relevant.

And if you're all about the visuals, Visme's got you covered with over 1.5 million high-resolution stock images, dynamic charts, and interactive data widgets.

Want to add a personal touch? You can customize decks with your own branded fonts and colors. Plus, with features like presentation notes and a presenter mode, you're always ready to engage your audience, whether it's in a boardroom or a virtual space.

Just a heads-up: while there are tons of design choices, some templates might be more about looking good than being super clear. But with a bit of tweaking, you can get the best of both worlds.

• Intuitive content creation with a vast template library
• Real-time collaboration tools for efficient teamwork
• Asset management to ensure brand consistency
• The variety might be a bit overwhelming for first-time users
• Some features lean too much towards aesthetics
• Premium features are locked behind paid plans
• Starter plan: $12.25/month (billed annually)
• Pro plan: $24.75/month (billed annually)
• Visme for Teams: Contact sales

Ludus is a presentation software designed with teamwork in mind. Whether you're co-editing in real-time or sharing assets across teams, Ludus makes the process simple.

You can start with one of their templates or build from scratch. Ludus offers an impressive array of features, a whopping 64 to be precise, that can sometimes be a bit hidden to not overwhelm the casual user.

You can pull in content from platforms like YouTube, Unsplash, and even design tools like Figma. And, if you're looking to add a personal touch, you can record yourself speaking over your slides.

Plus, with features like live collaboration and custom blocks, you can work together with your team on designing slides. It's all about giving you the freedom to mix, match, and create the right presentation for your needs.

• Seamless real-time collaboration for team projects.
• Integrates easily with platforms like YouTube, Unsplash, and Figma.
• Offers custom domains for a branded presentation experience.
• Advanced design tools for creative freedom.
• Might have a learning curve for new users.
• Huge feature set might be overwhelming for users who are after basics.
• Some users might notice performance hiccups with heavy content.
• 30-day free trial
• Teams of 1-15 people: $149.99/year
• Teams of 16 people and over: Contact sales

5. Mentimeter

Mentimeter is designed to turn passive audiences into active participants, making every presentation a two-way conversation.

With features like dynamic word clouds, live polling, and interactive quizzes, Mentimeter ensures that your audience is not just watching but actively contributing to the discussion.

Whether you're in a corporate setting, an educational institution, or hosting a workshop, Mentimeter promises to make your sessions productive, inclusive, and fun.

• Engaging tools like word clouds, live polls, and quizzes.
• Encourages audience participation and inclusivity.
• Adaptable for work, education, and workshops.
• Integrates with apps like Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
• Might take time for new users to learn all features.
• Some may desire more template customization.
• Free plan available
• Basic plan: $11.99 per presenter/month
• Pro plan: $24.99 per presenter/month
• Campus plan: Talk to sales
• Discounts for teachers and students

Vyond is a platform that helps you create top-notch animated videos that turn even the most complex of messages into relatable, engaging stories.

With a wide range of templates at your disposal, Vyond ensures you've got just the right backdrop, whether you're piecing together a corporate presentation, crafting an explainer video, or designing an educational segment.

The platform's dynamic content integration also lets you jazz up your animations with a mix of images, videos, and even 3D elements. And for those stories that need your unique voice? You can dive into Vyond's voice-over features or add customizable characters.

• A rich library of templates for every narrative
• The ability to enrich animations with content integrations
• Tools for voice-overs and character customization
• Premium features come at a higher cost
• It might take some time to get the hang of it, even if you have video editing experience
• The two cheapest plans only allow a single user
• Essential plan: $25/month for a single user (billed annually)
• Premium plan: $54/month for a single user (billed annually)
• Professional plan: $92/month per user (billed annually)
• Enterprise plan: Get in touch with sales

7. Genially

Genially offers tools that make your presentations, infographics, and other content types truly interactive. It comes with a vast library of professionally designed templates, perfect for every occasion, from corporate pitches to educational lessons.

But Genially's magic doesn't end there. With features that allow dynamic content integration, you can add layers of interactivity, from clickable elements to animated transitions.

And if you're looking to gamify your content? Genially’s got your back here too, ensuring your audience is not just viewing but actively engaging with your content. I mean, you can even create your own escape room right there in the editor!

• A versatile platform suitable both for business and education.
• Strong emphasis on interactivity.
• Large template library, making the content creation process simpler.
• Might be too complex for those with simpler creative needs.
• No clear information on pricing.
• Pro plan: $7.49/month (billed annually)
• Master plan: $20.82/month (billed annually)
• Team plan: $79.15/month (billed annually)
• Discounts for education

8. Beautiful.ai

Beautiful.ai is a presentation software that uses AI-powered automation to make the process of creating slide decks quicker and easier. It offers smart templates as a starting point, ensuring you're never left staring at a blank slide.

But where it truly shines is in its real-time design adaptation. As you pour your content onto a slide, the platform's AI ensures every element is perfectly placed, every color is on-brand, and every transition feels smooth.

Whether you're piecing together a sales pitch, a quarterly report, or a startup story, Beautiful.ai makes sure it's presented in the best light with features like shared slides, universal updates, and total brand control.

• AI magic that takes the guesswork out of design.
• Smart templates that feel like a designer's touch.
• Collaboration made easy with shared slides.
• Might feel too automated for the design traditionalists.
• Limited slide customization options can feel a bit formulaic.
• Might not be suitable for more complex presentations.
• Free 14-day trial
• Pro plan: $12/month (billed annually)
• Team plan: $40/user/month (billed annually)
• Single ad hoc project: $45
• Enterprise plan: Contact sales

Pitch is a presentation software that focuses on speed, collaboration, and design, wanting to transform the way teams create and share their ideas.

To get started, you can either pick a template or create your own. As you build, the platform offers smart editing features to guide you along the way. You can swiftly integrate photos, icons, logos, and videos, making each slide a visual treat.

Collaboration is seamless, with real-time editing and feedback loops. Sharing your work is as simple as sending a link, and with the added bonus of real-time analytics, you get a clear picture of how your audience interacts with your content.

• Real-time collaboration features with editing loops
• Affordable pricing makes it a great choice for individuals or small businesses
• Analytics panel that provides insights into audience engagement
• Limited selection of templates
• No AI assistance
• You’ll have to upgrade your plan to access presentation analytics
• Starter plan: Free
• Pro plan: $8 per member per month
• Enterprise plan: Talk to sales

10. Zoho Show

Zoho Show is a presentation tool offering a modern approach to crafting and sharing presentations. With its sleek, uncluttered interface, it promises and delivers a distraction-free creation experience.

Dive in, and you're greeted with a library of over 100 templates, perfect for everything from your next startup pitch to a business proposal.

Teamwork takes center stage in Zoho Show. Features like real-time slide adjustments, instant notifications, and contextual comments all make collaboration feel seamless. Users can also bring decks to life with animations, custom shapes, infographics, and multimedia integrations.

And if you already have a presentation in another format? Zoho Show ensures a hassle-free transition, smoothly importing PPTX, PPT, and other popular file types.

• Intuitive user interface
• Collaboration options for real-time team interactions
• Full compatibility with popular presentation formats
• Completely free to use
• Limited choice of templates and features
• There are more advanced presentation tools out there

11. FlowVella

FlowVella is a presentation software that's all about creating interactive stories. It offers a platform where you can craft slides with rich text, high-quality images, and engaging videos.

Beyond the basics, the ability to embed interactive links and galleries allows for a more immersive experience, while the option to include PDFs makes sure that detailed data is always at your fingertips.

But perhaps its most distinctive feature is the ability to transform iPads into interactive kiosks. This makes it an ideal choice for museums, exhibitions, and other public spaces looking to provide an interactive experience to their visitors.

• Easy-to-use editor
• Works both offline and online
• The ability to use custom URLs when sharing presentations
• Free version includes FlowVella branding
• The design options might feel limited to more advanced users
• Premium plan: $60/year (billed annually)
• Pro plan: $200/year (billed annually)

12. SlideDog

SlideDog is a presentation software that brings together various presentation elements into one seamless experience.

Imagine being able to combine PowerPoints, Prezis, PDFs, and other media without the hassle of switching between programs during your presentation. SlideDog makes this possible.

Its beauty lies in the ability to create a custom playlist for all your presentation files and media, ensuring a smooth flow from start to finish. One of its standout features is the live sharing capability, allowing audiences to access presentations in real-time from various devices.

Beyond traditional presentations, SlideDog can also be used as a digital signage solution, perfect for those ever-present screens in stores or waiting rooms that run slideshows on a continuous loop.

• The ability to combine multiple file types into one presentation
• Real-time sharing option to boost audience engagement
• The option to control your presentation from any web-enabled device
• Hard to make changes to your presentation on the spot
• Not available for Mac or Linux
• Monthly plan: $19 per 2 seats
• Annual plan: $99 per 2 seats for the first year, 20% renewal discount
• Lifetime plan: $299 per 2 seats

13. Powtoon

Powtoon is where your presentations spring to life. It's a platform that lets you craft animated presentations and videos, blending text, images, and dynamic animations.

Powtoon's drag-and-drop interface ensures that even those without a design background can create decent-looking animations. You can also add voice-overs, integrate interactive elements, or even embed videos directly into your presentation.

Those looking to truly stand out can also play the director with customizable characters, tweaking them to fit their narrative. Powtoon gives you the option to control the hair and body, and even change the outfits!

Finally, the ability to export presentations as videos ensures your message can reach a wider audience across different platforms.

• The ability to shape your characters to fit the narrative
• More affordable than hiring an agency to create the videos for you
• Suitable for many different industries and use cases
• There is no free version available
• Custom characters are only available in the Business version
• More advanced users might find the animations a little amateurish
• Lite plan: $15/month (billed annually)
• Professional plan: $40/month (billed annually)
• Business plan: $125/month (billed annually)
• Enterprise plans: Contact sales

Canva is not just a presentation tool; it's a design powerhouse. Whether you're a seasoned designer or someone who's just starting out, Canva's intuitive interface makes it easy to bring your ideas to life.

The platform offers a wide array of templates, not just for presentations, but for virtually any design need you can think of—from social media posts to business cards. But presentations remain one of its strong suits.

With Canva, you can craft slides that are both visually stunning and impactful in conveying your message. The drag-and-drop functionality, combined with a rich library of elements like icons, images, and fonts, ensures that every slide is a masterpiece in its own right.

But Canva's magic doesn't stop at design. It also offers collaboration features, allowing teams to work together on a design in real-time. Plus, with its cloud-based nature, your designs are accessible from anywhere, anytime.

• Versatile software with 100+ design types
• Doesn’t require any design or coding knowledge
• You can access your designs from any device connected to the Internet
• The basic version is free
• Many design elements are only available to Pro users, with no option to filter them out
• Some users might find the choice of designs overwhelming.
• Pro plan: $14.99 billed monthly or $119.99 billed annually
• Canva for Teams: Contact sales
• Free for education and non-profit organizations

How can I create an interactive presentation?

Creating an interactive presentation is like piecing together a puzzle. You start with your main idea, then add images, videos, and other interactive elements to bring it to life. It's about making your audience feel involved, not just watching from the sidelines.

With the right mix, you can turn any topic into an engaging experience that sticks. And the best part is that you don't have to be a tech whiz to do it.

Dive into our guide on creating multimedia presentations to get started and see how easy it can be to make presentations that pop.

How to choose the best interactive presentation creator?

Choosing the right interactive presentation tool can feel a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. With so many options out there, how do you pick the one that's just right for you? Let's break it down based on your specific needs:

If you’re a solopreneur

As a one-person army, you need efficiency. Look for tools that are user-friendly and don't come with a steep learning curve. You'd want a platform that offers a variety of templates, so you don't have to start from scratch every time.

Canva is a fantastic choice, offering a wide range of design templates tailored for presentations. It's user-friendly, and even if you're not design-savvy, you can create professional-looking slides in no time.

If you’re in sales and marketing

Your presentations are often the first impression you make, so they need to be top-notch. You'd benefit from tools that are optimized for engagement, integrate seamlessly with CRMs, offer detailed analytics, and allow for real-time edits.

This is where Storydoc truly shines. Unlike traditional slide decks, Storydoc focuses on crafting a narrative that resonates with your audience. It has intuitive design capabilities and emphasis on storytelling, ensuring that your pitches aren't just informative but memorable.

If you’re in education

The classroom, whether physical or virtual, thrives on engagement. You'd want a tool that allows you to embed videos, create interactive quizzes, and maybe even throw in some animations to keep things lively.

Genially fits the bill perfectly. It blends creativity with technology, letting educators design interactive educational materials that keep students motivated and make learning genuinely enjoyable.

Hi, I'm Dominika, Content Specialist at Storydoc. As a creative professional with experience in fashion, I'm here to show you how to amplify your brand message through the power of storytelling and eye-catching visuals.

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6 online presentation tools that’ll engage your audience

Get your team on prezi – watch this on demand video.

Meghan Ryan April 09, 2021

Online presentations are more common in the workplace than ever before. Maybe you just launched a new product and you need to create a product demo for a remote client. Or maybe you want to do online sales training for your employees. Presentations like these are really different online than they are in person, and many things that helped you stand out and engage your audiences in the office won’t help you when you present online. It helps to have all the virtual presentation tools at your disposal to make your presentations stand out and get people’s attention online . 

What we look for in online presentation tools  

A free version to try.

Free trials and free basic plans allow you to try out the platform and decide whether you like it before you make a purchase. You don’t want to spend a lot of money buying the product and then realize you’re not going to use it. 

Ease of use

Good online presentation tools should be easy to learn and easy to use. Learning how to use a new tool takes a little time and effort, so you should choose a virtual presentation tool that has clear instructions, intuitive design, and starting blocks like templates and color schemes to help make designing presentations easier. 

Audience engagement

It’s tempting for online audiences to multitask or tune-out during a presentation, so your online presentation tools should help you grab their attention and keep them engaged. . Use virtual presentation tools that allow you to add interactive multimedia elements, such as moving text, audio, images, GIFs, and videos to your presentations. Something as simple as a unique slide animation can help your presentation stand out. 

Cloud storage and access

With cloud storage and access, you don’t need to carry your computer around to edit or use your presentations in different places. Your online presentation tools should have online access, so you can work on your presentation anywhere, anytime as long as there is an internet connection.

Team collaboration features

Got a project you need to work on with your teammates? It’s very inefficient if only one person can work on a project at a time, especially in a remote work environment. Find a web presentation tool that allows multiple people to edit at the same time. Real-time teamwork and collaboration leads to better productivity and communication. 

What online presentation tool could possibly cover all of those requirements? Keep reading to discover our top online presentation tools for 2022:

1. Prezi Video

Prezi Video is a video presentation tool that lets you bring text, video, images, and GIFs onto the screen with you, resulting in a professional-looking presentation that’s more engaging for your audience. At the same time, your audience can react with unlimited on-screen responses using Prezi Video. Creating a presentation is easy with Prezi’s free video templates or by reusing slides from a past presentation. You can sign up for a free trial or get your whole team using Prezi with our business solutions . Reach out for more details.

Presenters love the ability to make unique presentations that help them stay connected to their virtual audiences. Try out Prezi Video for your next training, sales pitch, webinar, online class, team update, and more.

Otter is a note-taking tool that can transcribe audio to text. Run Otter in an online meeting to record the conversation and create a written record of what was said. Afterward, Otter will provide an automatic summary of the most commonly said phrases and generate a nifty word cloud.

Virtual audiences can use it to capture information without breaking focus during a presentation or an event, and presenters can rely on it to connect with more audiences. Check out Otter to learn more about using it for your virtual events .

3. Creatopy

Creatopy lets you create animated GIFs for slideshows, emails, banners, and presentations. You can use one of their pre-designed templates and customize it with your own text, or start from scratch and make a GIF with your own imagery and content. Either way, you’ll create animations that’ll pop on screen.

Creating a GIF is easy with Creatopy’s drag-and-drop editor, so you can create professional designs in minutes. Get started and learn more at Creatopy.

Grain is a tool for recording and sharing highlights from virtual meetings. It’s great for record-keeping and recapping for your teams. Instead of reading or listening to the summary of a presentation, your team can just watch the best moments themselves.

Grain is a useful addition to the virtual presentation toolbox, especially in the post-event phase of a presentation. Send attendees highlights of the most important parts and avoid diluting your message through different media. Check out Grain to learn more.  

Docket is a workspace for collaboratively building meeting agendas and creating reminders so no items go undiscussed. Since it’s a shared workspace, it helps keep your team aligned and up to date on learnings. Use it to organize a virtual presentation with a client or stakeholder and to store notes on the presentation post-facto. 

Integration is currently available on several platforms , including Google and Zoom. Check out Docket to learn how it can help your team.

Krisp is a noise cancelling tool that can be used to improve audio quality on any conferencing, voice messaging, and communication app. Turn it on and remove background noise from yourself and other people on the call. It’s quick to set up and works with a wide range of headsets and microphones. 

Krisp is a crucial online presentation tool whenever you’re presenting from a shared space. Try it during your next call or presentation.

See these tools in action and explore the best virtual presentations on Prezi when you visit the Video Gallery . Or get started today and make your own virtual presentation on Prezi Video.

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The Best 6 Interactive Presentation Tools

Giving a presentation is hard enough without worrying about getting crickets from your audience. Whether you're presenting an idea to your colleagues, speaking at a conference, or lecturing in a classroom, making your presentation interactive is a surefire way to increase audience engagement (and enjoyment).

With years of experience, we're experts in the field of interactive presentation software. We've put together a list of the top tools you can use to get your group interacting, engaging, and having a great time during your talk.

Without further ado, here's the list:

1. Slides With Friends

What is Slides With Friends?

Slides With Friends is an interactive presentation tool that offers slide decks similarly styled to PowerPoint —but this tool is different from PowerPoint because its slide decks have interactive features to engage your audience. Those features include live polls, ratings, live word clouds, videos, gifs, live photo sharing, live trivia, live quizzes, and more. 

How does Slides With Friends work? 

After creating an account, you'll have access to hundreds of presentation templates that fall into different categories, some of which are conferences, trivia, happy hour, team building, and education. Once you pick a slide deck template, you can customize it by changing the colors, fonts, images, and backgrounds. You can also add or remove interactive features based on your preferences.

When you're ready to start your presentation, all you have to do is share your screen. Then, your audience should scan the QR code to join the fun. Participants can submit responses to your presentation questions and engage in your activities and games from anywhere using their mobile devices!

‍ Pros of using Slides With Friends:

• Live features: With live polling, word clouds, photo sharing, charts, graphs, quizzes, and trivia, your audience will stay energized during your entire presentation! 
• Real-time insights: The many live features provide real-time updates to keep your audience engaged , intrigued, and in the know!
• Easy to use: You don't have to be tech-savvy to customize a slide deck or build an interactive presentation from scratch. Slides With Friends offers an easy and clean user experience. 
• Customizable: You can choose from a plethora of design options, like changing the background, updating font pairings, creating color palettes, and much more. 
• Mobile-first: Some interactive presentation software asks audience members to download an app to submit responses. With Slides With Friends, all people have to do is scan a QR code and submit responses using their mobile devices.  

Cons of using Slides With Friends:

• Need a paid plan for larger audiences: Ten people can engage with your presentation for free, so if you have a larger group, you'll need a paid plan. The good news is that those paid tiers are affordable, so you don't have to worry about breaking the bank.  

‍ Main Takeaway

The simplicity and fun, unique features that Slides With Friends offers makes it one of the top interactive presentation software, which is why everyone from teachers to speakers to managers use it. The slide decks are straightforward, and the templates are easy to customize—and when you're ready to start your presentation, participants can join without any hassle or downloads.

2. AhaSlides

What is AhaSlides?

AhaSlides is another interactive presentation tool that makes it easy for you to engage your audience. Similar to Slides With Friends, this tool has tons of customizable presentation templates, and they fall into many different categories like work, games, meetings, surveys, and holidays. Each template comes with interactive features to entertain your audience, including word clouds, a spinner wheel, polls, Q&A, sliding scales, and quizzes. 

How does AhaSlides work?

Getting started with AhaSlides is easy. After signing up, simply build your presentation from scratch or choose one of the many templates that AhaSlides offers. Once you're ready to present, make sure everyone can see your screen and ask your audience to join the fun by using the QR code or URL link. 

Pros of AhaSlides:

• User-friendly interface: AhaSlides has a similar setup and style to many other interactive presentation tools, so the learning curve is minimal. 
• On-slide editing: This software provides more options for on-slide designs and editing. 
• Cost-effective: All of AhaSlides' plans are affordable. Its most expensive one is under $20/month.
• Good for large groups: You can interact with up to 10k participants during your presentation, making this tool great for big conferences and large events.

Cons of AhaSlides: 

• Limitations: There aren't many different types of surveys and poll questions you can ask. 
• Customizing photos: All of your images on AhaSlides must be square.
• Can't undo: If you make a mistake while building your presentation on AhaSlides, you can't undo any changes. 

Main Takeaway

AhaSlides is a great interactive presentation tool that lets you achieve the same goals and add the same interactive features as other software. You may especially enjoy this tool if you want something that's budget-friendly— but beware that the low cost comes with some serious drawbacks, like the inability to undo mistakes and add different types of images. 

3. Mentimeter

What is Mentimeter?

‍ Mentimeter is an audience engagement platform that lets you build full presentations with interactive features and slides. This tool lets you add live polling , surveys, word clouds, Q&As, and quizzes, as well as Truth or Lie, Guess the Number, and This or That slides to engage your audience. It also offers many presentation templates for you to build on and customize. 

How does Mentimeter work?

Once you sign up, Mentimeter will ask a few questions to understand how you plan to use their service. Then, the software will analyze your responses to suggest specific templates based on your needs. If you don't like their recommendations, you can access all of Mentimeter's templates to find what you want. 

After you create your presentation and are ready to launch, your audience can respond to your questions, react to your content, and ask questions using any device. All of their responses are anonymous, too—and their feedback will appear on the screen immediately after they submit them. 

Pros of using Mentimeter:

• Feedback gathering: Mentimeter is great if you want to gather insights from your audience or gauge your audience's sentiments about a particular topic. 
• Customization capabilities: You can tailor every template to fit your needs. You can even include your own branding. 
• Integrations: Mentimeter is a corporate-friendly tool that integrates with Zoom, Hopin, Microsoft Teams, and PowerPoint. 

Cons of using Mentimeter:

• Restrictive free plan: The free version doesn't offer a lot of features and comes with many restrictions. 
• Expensive paid plans: If you want to access more features, you'll need a paid plan, but Mentimeter's paid tiers are significantly higher than other interactive presentation tools. 
• Steep learning curve: Mentimeter isn't intuitive—some features are complex, so first-time users may struggle.
• Inefficient customer support: Because of the company's location, the support team and support hours will be an obstacle for users in different time zones.
• Editing restrictions: On-slide editing is not possible . Instead of editing content on the actual slides, you'll have to edit text fields on the side. 

Mentimeter has many features you need to make your presentation interactive, but accessing those features comes at a hefty cost. Also, because Mentimeter isn't intuitive, implementing certain elements can be difficult and time-consuming. However, if you're tech-savvy, Mentimeter could be a powerful and useful presentation tool. ‍

What is Slido?

Slido is a Q&A and live polling platform that lets you interact with your audience during your presentation . With this tool, you can ask poll questions and receive audience feedback in real time. Your audience can also submit questions and vote for their favorite ones. Because of these features, Slido is an interactive presentation tool that's best for Q&A sessions, Ask Me Anything, curating and brainstorming ideas, quizzes, and feedback gathering. 

How does Slido work?

Slido integrates with other presentation and video conferencing tools like Microsoft Teams, Vimeo, PowerPoint, and Google Slides. After signing up, you can access the tool and add its polling and Q&A features to your presentation slides. Once you're ready to present, your audience can join the fun by using the event link or QR code to participate. People can submit their responses using their mobile devices or laptop.

Pros of Slido: 

• Integrations: Because it has so many integrations, you can use Slido on essentially any presentation builder. 
• Good for large groups: Slido lets you add up to 5K participants, so it's good for large grounds. 

Cons of Slido: 

• Learning curve: Many users believe Slido is hard to learn and comes with too many steps for presenters. Some needed multiple explanations from other users on how to utilize the tool. 
• Limited features: All you get with Slido are polling and Q&A options, so you won't have many ways to engage your audience. 
• Limited free option: The free plan has very basic features. With this plan, engaging your audience will be challenging.
• Expensive: Slido is one of the more expensive options, with the enterprise plan reaching $200/month. 
• Delays: Some users have experienced delays in displaying participants' responses on slides. 

Main Takeaway 

Slido is a good tool with great integrations. But its features are limited, and its plans are expensive. If you add the learning curve some users complain about, you may not find many benefits in using Slido—however, it's still worth considering if you care about integrations.  

What is Vevox?

Vevox is a live polling, quiz, and Q&A platform that helps you engage your audience . This interactive presentation software integrates with multiple tools, including Powerpoint, Blackboard, and Microsoft Teams. 

With Vevox, you can gather anonymous feedback to ensure everyone has a voice, gauge your audience's views on topics, and jumpstart a fun, competitive atmosphere with a quizzing experience. Vevox also lets you showcase participants' responses with unique visuals like word clouds.

How does Vevox work? 

After signing up for Vevox, you can use its integration feature to convert slides on your presentation into Vevox polling, Q&A, or quiz slides. During your actual presentation, participants can interact with you by scanning a QR code or entering an event ID, both of which will be present on your Vevox slides. Audience members can submit their questions and responses from anywhere and on any device. 

Pros of Vevox:

• Great free plans: Vevox has two free plans—one for businesses and one for educators. Both allow up to 100 participants to interact with your presentation, and each tier provides integrations with Microsoft Teams and Powerpoint. 
• Easy to run: Most users believe Vevox is easy to use and run. 
• Integrations: With Vevox's many integrations, you can use the presentation tools you prefer. 

Cons of Vevox:

• Expensive: Vevox is one of the most costly interactive presentation tools, with plans reaching $799/month. 
• Poor design for end-users: Some presenters have expressed issues with how answer options appear on end-users' mobile devices. 
• Best for Microsoft products: While Vevox integrates with many tools, it works seamlessly with Microsoft products like Teams, PowerPoint, and Windows. With other platforms, the integration is a bit more challenging. 
• Few interactive features: Many users believe Vevox doesn't offer enough features to engage audiences, especially when compared to similar options. Users also think Vevox doesn't provide enough dynamic ways to present participants' poll answers. 
• Data Gathering: Some users report issues getting data exported to another file. 

If you want an interactive presentation tool with basic engagement features, then Vevox is a good option. You can include a lot of participants with its free plans and use various integrations, which are bonuses if you typically speak to a large audience and have preferred presentation tools.

However, if you want interactive features that go beyond polling, quizzes, and Q&As to keep your audience glued in, then Vevox may not be the best solution. It's also quite expensive for lacking so many engagement features. 

6. Poll Everywhere

What is Poll Everywhere?

Poll Everywhere is a live polling tool that helps you gather feedback, gauge your audience's thoughts, and receive questions during your presentation. With Poll Everywhere, you can ask multiple-choice questions and open-ended questions and present participants' responses with word clouds. This interactive application also integrates with many presentation tools and meeting platforms, including PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides, Microsoft Teams, and Slack. 

How does Poll Everywhere work?

You can access Poll Everywhere after creating an account. From there, you'll need to download Poll Everywhere on your device to enjoy the full, interactive experience. Once you download the application, you can use it when building your presentation by adding interactive poll questions to your slides. 

During your presentation, your audience can answer your poll questions using any device. Just share the activity link provided by Poll Everywhere. Then, participants can use that to see and respond to your questions. You can also dive deeper into participants' responses using the application's reporting capabilities—the tool lets you analyze audience insights using executive summaries, pivot tables, grade books, and participant response history. 

Pros of Poll Everywhere:

• Easy PowerPoint integrations: Users believe Poll Everywhere seamlessly integrates with PowerPoint. 
• Reporting capabilities: You can better understand your audience using one of the many report types that Poll Everywhere offers.
• Customer support: This application has a good tech support and customer service team. 
• Easy to use: Presenters and educators agree that Poll Everywhere is simple and straightforward.
• Consistently improving: Many users believe the company does a great job implementing feedback and enhancing features.

Cons of Poll Everywhere:

• Limited features: Like Vevox and Slido, Poll Everywhere doesn't have features beyond the basic interactive capabilities. 
• Learning Management System integration: Some users have trouble integrating Poll Everywhere with BlackBoard and other LMS platforms. 
• No enhancements: Other than word clouds, users think Poll Everywhere lacks the visual and audio enhancements that would make participants' responses fun to watch and hear. 
• Expensive: While Poll Everywhere isn't the most expensive interactive presentation tool, it's not the cheapest. To get a good amount of features, you need the "Engage" plan, which is a little less than $50/month. 

Poll Everywhere is a good live polling tool—and its reporting capabilities are especially great. However, it's like many other interactive presentation tools; it doesn't offer a lot of features, even though it's somewhat pricey. It also doesn't integrate well with platforms outside of Microsoft PowerPoint.

‍ Prevent the Glazed Eyes

With an interactive presentation tool, you'll increase your chances of building something that not only sticks but holds your audience's attention—and that's exactly what you need. In an age where people have trouble concentrating and regularly scrolling on social media is normal, you have about ten minutes to grab and keep your audience's attention. Failure to do so means you'll be another statistic people use when explaining the importance of having an interactive presentation. 

You've got 10 minutes. That's the span of time most people can stay mentally engaged with a presentation before they check out. So, unless you can create stimulating content and deliver it masterfully, you will find your audience scrolling through TikTok and checking their email. Studies have shown that 4 in 5 business professionals, regardless of age, shifted their focus away from the speaker in the most recent presentation they watched! - Jane Hanson, The 30-Point Rule, And Other Tips To Prepare A Killer Presentation That Will Keep Your Audience Off Their Phones

So, if you want to nail your presentation, don't go in with slides that only feature bulleted lists and a photo here and there. Liven things up by using a tool that'll enhance your presentation's interactivity. Then, you'll give a presentation so good that it'll prevent people from scrolling and potentially lead to a standing ovation instead. 

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Blog Marketing 15 Interactive Presentation Ideas to Elevate Engagement

15 Interactive Presentation Ideas to Elevate Engagement

Written by: Krystle Wong Aug 04, 2023

As attention spans continue to shrink, the challenge of engaging audiences in a short timeframe has never been more significant. Let’s face it — grabbing and keeping your audience’s attention can be quite the challenge, especially when time is ticking away. But fear not, I’ve got the perfect solution: interactive presentations!

Believe it or not, creating an interactive presentation is easier than you might think. In this guide, I’ll show you how to effortlessly turn ordinary slides into captivating experiences with 15 interactive presentation ideas that will leave your audience begging for more. From quirky polls and fun games to storytelling adventures and multimedia magic, these ideas will take your presentation game to the next level.

Venngage is a game-changer when it comes to empowering interactive presentations. With just a few clicks, users can customize their favorite presentation templates , add multimedia content and create immersive experiences that leave a lasting impact. Whether you’re a seasoned presenter or a newcomer, get started with Venngage to elevate your presentation game to new heights of engagement and creativity.

Click to jump ahead:

What is an interactive presentation?

15 ways to make a presentation interactive, 7 best interactive presentation software, what are some common mistakes to avoid when creating interactive presentations, interactive presentation faqs, how to create an interactive presentation with venngage.

An interactive presentation is a dynamic and engaging communication format that involves active participation and collaboration between the presenter and the audience. Unlike traditional presentations where information is delivered in a one-way manner, interactive presentations invite the audience to interact, respond and contribute throughout the session.

Think of it as a two-way street where you and your audience have a friendly chat. It’s like playing a fun game where you ask questions, get live feedback and encourage people to share their thoughts. 

To make a good presentation , you can utilize various tools and techniques such as clickable buttons, polls, quizzes, discussions and multimedia elements to transform your slides into an interactive presentation. Whether you’re presenting in-person or giving a virtual presentation — when people are actively participating, they’re more likely to remember the stuff you’re talking about.

Interactive presentations leave a lasting impression on the audience. By encouraging active participation and feedback, interactive presentations facilitate better understanding and knowledge retention. Here are 15 innovative 5-minute interactive presentation ideas to captivate your audience from start to finish:

1. Ice-breaker questions

Start your presentation with intriguing and thought-provoking questions or a fun icebreaker game. These questions should be designed to pique the audience’s curiosity and encourage them to think about the topic you’ll be covering. By doing so, you create an immediate connection with your audience and set the stage for a more engaged and attentive audience.

For example, if you’re giving a business presentation about management and leadership training, you could ask audience questions such as “What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received, and how has it impacted your career?”

2. Live polling

Incorporate live polls during your presentation using audience response systems or polling apps . This allows you to collect real-time feedback, opinions and insights from active participants. Live polling encourages active participation and involvement, making your presentation feel like a collaborative and interactive experience.

3. Q&A sessions

Encourage the audience to ask questions throughout your presentation, especially for pitch deck presentations . Address these questions in real-time, which fosters a more interactive and dynamic atmosphere. This approach shows that you value the audience’s input and promotes a two-way communication flow.

4. Clickable buttons

Add clickable buttons to your slides, allowing the audience to navigate to specific sections or external resources at their own pace. For example, you could include links to your social media accounts or extra reading materials in your education presentation to give further information about the topic and get your students engaged.

By providing this autonomy, you empower the audience to explore areas of particular interest, creating a more personalized and engaging experience through your interactive slideshow.

5. Storytelling

Incorporate anecdotes or personal stories related to your topic. Storytelling is a powerful way to emotionally connect with your audience, making your presentation more relatable and memorable. A little storytelling along with a set of creative slides draws the audience in and keeps them engaged as they follow the narrative.

6. Interactive charts and graphs

Use interactive charts and graphs that respond to user input to make your presentation interactive. For instance, allow the audience to click on data points to view more detailed information or to change the displayed data series. Creating charts with interactive visuals help the audience interact with the data, fostering better understanding and engagement.

7. Animated infographics

Add animations to your infographics, making them visually dynamic and progressive. Animated infographics reveal information gradually, keeping the audience curious and attentive. This transforms complex data into an easily digestible and engaging format.

Venngage’s extensive library of infographic templates is a powerful tool to visualize data and elevate the interactivity of your presentations. Personalizing the visuals ensures a cohesive and professional look throughout your interactive presentation. The templates are highly customizable, allowing you to adjust colors, fonts, and styles to match your presentation’s theme and branding. 

8. Gamification

Introduce an interactive quiz, puzzles, or challenges related to your presentation content. Gamification adds an element of fun and competition, motivating the audience to participate actively and boosting their learning experience. Here are some gaming presentation templates you could use. 

9. Virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR)

If applicable, leverage VR or AR technologies to provide immersive experiences. These interactive presentation tools transport the audience into a virtual or augmented environment, making your presentation more captivating and memorable.

10. Collaborative whiteboarding

Get your audience involved in your presentation by utilizing digital whiteboards or collaborative tools to brainstorm ideas collectively. This fosters teamwork and creativity, enabling the audience to actively contribute and feel a sense of involvement in the presentation.

11. Hyperlinked text

Keep the information in your slides minimal with a simple presentation and incorporate hyperlinks to direct viewers to relevant websites or blogs , resources, or additional information. This encourages self-exploration and gives the audience the opportunity to delve deeper into topics of interest.

12. Role-playing

Engage the audience in role-playing scenarios to explore different perspectives. Role-playing promotes active learning and helps the audience relate the content to real-life situations, enhancing their understanding and retention.

13. Embedded videos

Include video clips in your slides to provide visual explanations, demonstrations, or interviews. Videos add a dynamic element to your presentation, enriching the content and keeping the audience engaged.

14. Audience-generated content

Encourage the audience to contribute ideas, stories or examples related to your professional presentation . Audience-generated content fosters a sense of ownership and involvement, making the presentation more interactive and personalized.

15. Slide transitions

Use slide transitions to create smooth animations between slides. Well-planned transitions maintain the audience’s interest and keep the presentation slides flowing seamlessly.

Interactive elements aside, enhance your presentation with these guides on how to summarize information for a captivating presentation and how to make a persuasive presentation to captivate your audience. 

If you’re looking to create engaging and interactive presentation slides that captivate your audience, these presentation software options are sure to elevate your game:

Prezi is renowned for its dynamic and non-linear presentation style, enabling users to craft visually stunning and interactive presentations. With an array of templates and animation effects, Prezi enhances audience engagement, making your presentations more captivating and memorable.

2. Mentimeter

Mentimeter serves as an audience response system, empowering real-time interaction during presentations. Users can create interactive polls, quizzes, word clouds and more, allowing the audience to respond using their smartphones or other devices. This fosters active participation and provides valuable feedback instantly.

3. Google Slides

Google Slides is a free cloud-based presentation software that not only offers collaboration features but also enables real-time interactions. It includes add-ons and third-party integrations to further enhance interactivity, making it an excellent choice for collaborative and engaging presentations.

4. Microsoft PowerPoint

PowerPoint, a classic presentation software, has evolved to incorporate more interactive features like live captions, real-time collaboration and interactive elements such as quizzes and forms. With its familiar interface and versatile functionalities, PowerPoint remains a reliable choice for interactive presentations.

5. Prezentor

Prezentor caters to sales-oriented presentations focusing on interactive storytelling and data-driven content. It offers analytics to track audience engagement and behavior during presentations, allowing you to fine-tune your approach and keep your audience hooked.

6. Opinion Stage

Opinion Stage is a visual and interactive data collection tool designed to engage and excite audiences whether sitting in a lecture hall, participating in a live Zoom, or watching an on-demand webinar. The Opinion Stage tools are simple and intuitive, making it easy to create attention-grabbing quizzes, surveys, and polls in minutes. A great way to spice up any presentation, encourage audience participation, and collect authentic feedback.

7 . Venngage

Venngage stands out as a versatile design tool that facilitates the creation of interactive infographics, data visualizations and presentations with ease. Offering various interactive elements and animations, Venngage empowers you to craft visually appealing and engaging presentations effortlessly.

With these interactive presentation software options at your disposal, you can unleash your creativity and deliver presentations that leave a lasting impact on your audience. So, go ahead and make your presentations interactive, captivating and memorable!

For more presentation software options, check out this blog on the 12 best presentation software for 2023.

Creating interactive presentations can be a game-changer for engaging your audience and enhancing your presentation skills, but steering clear of common pitfalls is essential. Here are some key mistakes to avoid when crafting your interactive presentations:

1. Overloading with interactivity

While interactivity is fantastic, bombarding your audience with too many interactive elements can backfire. Strive for a balanced approach that enhances engagement without overwhelming your listeners.

2. Ignoring audience relevance

Failing to tailor interactive elements to your audience’s interests and preferences can lead to disconnection. Make sure your interactions resonate with your specific audience for a more meaningful experience.

3. Not testing interactive elements

Skipping thorough testing of interactive features before showtime can spell disaster. Avoid technical glitches by diligently testing all interactive components in advance.

4. Poor timing and pace

Timing is everything, especially with interactive activities. Ensure seamless integration by planning your key points and the timing of your interactive elements carefully.

5. Lack of clear purpose

Every interactive element should serve a purpose and contribute to your presentation’s objectives. Don’t add interactions just for the sake of it — ensure they add value and align with your message.

6. Failing to engage beyond interactivity

While interactive elements are powerful tools, remember that content is king. Combine your interactive features with compelling storytelling and valuable insights to create an immersive and impactful presentation.

Incorporating animated slides into your interactive presentations enhances the overall appeal and interaction, turning an ordinary presentation into an engaging experience. Try it out with one of our animated presentation templates to get started. 

How do you start an interactive presentation?

Begin by grabbing the audience’s attention with an intriguing question or a surprising fact, setting the tone for a dynamic and engaging session.

Which type of presentation is the most interactive?

Workshops and seminars are often the most interactive types of presentations as they encourage active participation, discussions and hands-on activities.

How can interactive presentations enhance audience engagement?

Interactive presentations foster a two-way communication flow, involving the audience through polls, quizzes, discussions and multimedia elements, leading to increased interest, attentiveness and better retention of information.

What are some common interactive elements to include in a presentation?

Common interactive elements include clickable buttons, hyperlinked text, polls, quizzes, interactive charts, multimedia content and audience participation activities.

Can interactive presentations be used for educational purposes?

Absolutely! Interactive presentations are highly effective for educational purposes as they promote active learning, encourage critical thinking, and provide real-time feedback and knowledge exchange opportunities.

Need inspiration on how to give an engaging presentation ? Here are 120+ presentation ideas you could use. 

Venngage makes it easy for anyone to infuse interactivity into their presentations. From clickable buttons and hyperlinked text to interactive infographics and dynamic charts, Venngage offers a diverse range of interactive elements to captivate and engage the audience. Here’s how you can make your presentation more fun and interesting with Venngage:

• Sign up or log in to Venngage to access the platform.
• Choose a presentation template or start with a blank canvas to begin designing your interactive presentation.
• Add and edit slides in the Venngage editor to structure your presentation content effectively.
• Customize the design by selecting themes, fonts, colors and backgrounds to match your style and branding.
• Use interactive elements like buttons, links, pop-ups and hover effects to engage the audience during the presentation.
• Enhance engagement by incorporating interactive media such as videos and audio clips.
• Preview and test your entire presentation to ensure everything works smoothly before presenting it to your audience.
• Save your interactive presentation on Venngage and share it online or download it in various formats for presenting purposes.

Well, I hope these 15 5-minute interactive presentation examples can help unlock a new level of audience engagement for your next presentation. From fun quizzes and interactive storytelling to multimedia magic and gamified challenges, the possibilities are endless. So, don’t be afraid to experiment, tailor the ideas to suit your audience members and let your creativity shine.  

That said, remember to strike a balance and keep the interactivity purposeful and relevant. Some common mistakes to avoid when creating interactive slides include overloading the presentation with too many interactive elements and failing to align the interactive elements with the overall presentation goals and content. 

Got it? Great. Now let’s turn that boring presentation around!

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Frequently Asked Questions

An interactive presentation is a dynamic form of delivering information that allows audience participation, engagement, and active involvement in the content.

You can create engaging interactive presentations using software by incorporating multimedia elements like videos, animations, interactive slides, quizzes, polls, and other interactive features that encourage audience participation and involvement.

Look for features like customizable templates, multimedia integration, interactivity tools (polls, quizzes, chat functions), collaboration capabilities, analytics for tracking engagement, and compatibility across devices and platforms.

Some of the latest trends in interactive presentation technology include AI-driven personalization, virtual and augmented reality integration, real-time collaboration features, and seamless remote presentation capabilities.

The greatest benefits of an interactive presentation include increased engagement, better retention of information, and improved audience understanding.

Many interactive presentation software integrate with platforms like Slidone, Mentimeter, or Slido for seamless presentations and interactions.

Yes, most interactive presentation makers provide analytics or tracking features that allow users to measure engagement metrics such as views, time spent on each slide, audience responses to polls or quizzes, and interactions during the presentation.

Yes, interactive presentation makers typically allow easy embedding of multimedia content like videos, audio files, images, and external links to create a rich and engaging presentation experience.

Traditional presentations often involve one-way communication with static slides, while interactive presentations encourage two-way communication, engagement, and participation from the audience through interactive elements like quizzes, polls, and multimedia content.

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In a remotely distributed, always-online world, virtual meetings are the norm. On a typical week, more than 50% of employees spend between one and three hours in virtual meetings. That’s a lot of time spent looking at cameras and screens! 

An effective online meeting can help teams get aligned, plan tasks and feel connected in less than an hour. The right tools help facilitate this process and help improve productivity too.

In this guide, we’ll share some of our favourite online meeting tools that we use across our teams at SessionLab. Here, you won’t find a recommendation that we haven’t used ourselves! 

Looking for free online meeting tools ? All but one of these tools has a free option! We’ll share some insight about price and how we’ve used each app so you can easily decide what to bring to your next virtual meeting without needing to worry about pricing.

SessionLab: Your Meeting Design Ally

Best meeting design tool

Key Features:

• Fast, effective agenda design.
• Drag & Drop agenda builder.
• Automatic timing calculation.
• Real-time collaboration.
• Beautiful printouts.
• Templates and reusable agendas.

SessionLab is more than just a virtual meeting tool; it’s your secret weapon for designing, facilitating, and documenting effective meetings and workshops . Whether you’re a professional facilitator, a trainer, or a team leader, SessionLab empowers you to plan and run engaging virtual sessions with ease.

Simple, effective agenda design: SessionLab provides a comprehensive platform for designing workshops, meetings, and training sessions. The intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes designing your agenda a breeze. Add blocks to easily create your meeting structure and build from there.

Stay in control of time: Add clear timing to every activity and create a minute-perfect agenda. Use Time Tracker to help you stay on time while running the meeting. When you need to make changes, your timing will update automatically. Save time on manual adjustments so you can focus on running an effective session. 

Session Templates and Reusable agendas: SessionLab simplifies the meeting planning process with pre-designed templates and reusable agendas. Ensure that your meetings and workshops follow a structured format across your entire organization. Save time by reusing and adapting your recurring meeting agenda. 

Does it have a free version? Yes. You can design up to 10 meeting agendas in SessionLab for free!

Zoom: The Video Conferencing Giant

Best video conferencing tool

• High-quality video and audio.
• Screen sharing and annotation.
• Breakout rooms for group discussions.
• Robust mobile app.
• Integration with third-party apps.

Zoom almost needs no introduction. Renowned for its reliability, ease of use, and comprehensive feature set, Zoom is a top choice for video conferencing, webinars, and more.

Whether it’s for internal meetings or running events in our community, we’ve found that Zoom offers a solid, reliable platform for video calls. It’s easy to do screen sharing with participants, set-up breakout rooms for group work and control the flow of the meeting. It’s also a good choice when we want to record sessions or invite external collaborators to meet. 

Zoom’s integrations are also a massive boon when it comes to collaboration. We often pair Zoom with an online whiteboard such as Miro or Mural and have our SessionLab agenda on the second screen to keep everything running smoothly.   

At this stage in the game, Zoom is a great choice of online meeting tool because everyone is so familiar with it. Your meeting attendees are likely to know how to navigate between chat channels, jump into breakouts and send emoji reactions. This means they can focus on the content of the meeting, rather than fumbling with controls.  

Does it have a free version? On Zoom’s free plan, you can run an online meeting with up to 100 attendees for up to 40 minutes.

Miro: Unleash Creativity in Virtual Sessions

Best online whiteboard tool

• Online whiteboard and collaboration platform.
• Visual thinking tools for brainstorming.
• Pre-built templates for workshops.
• Integration with popular apps.

Miro is a powerful digital whiteboard for encouraging creativity and collaboration in virtual workshops and meetings. It’s a versatile tool for visual thinking and ideation and we use it in many of our more involved workshops and meetings. 

Collaborating in real-time on a shared digital canvas with notes, ideas and other resources is a great way of making a virtual meeting more interactive. We often use Miro’s voting features to help us sort and prioritorize ideas during many of our sessions. The extra features available to the meeting host are really helpful when it comes to facilitating more complex sessions.

Miro is also great to use before and after a meeting. We’ll often add ideas or topics to a Miro board ahead of a meeting and use it as a continuing workspace for remote team members afterwards. 

Visual thinkers will be immediately at home in Miro. It includes many visual tools including sticky notes, flowcharts, and mind maps, to facilitate brainstorming and idea generation. We love being able to add images and GIFs to a board too! 

Does it have a free version? Miro’s free plan is enough to get started, with a single workspace and 3 editable boards.

Calendly: Simplified Scheduling for Online Meetings

Best meeting scheduling tool 

• Automated scheduling and appointment booking.
• Personalized meeting availability.
• Integration with calendar apps.
• Customizable meeting types and durations.
• Meeting reminders and notifications.

Calendly is an efficient scheduling and appointment booking tool that streamlines the process of arranging meetings, consultations, and appointments. It simplifies scheduling by allowing users to share their availability and book appointments effortlessly.

With Calendly, you can automate the scheduling process, eliminating the back-and-forth emails to find suitable meeting times. Share your Calendly link, and participants can book appointments based on your availability.

At SessionLab, we use Calendly extensively when arranging external virtual meetings, whether that be user interviews or partner meetings. It’s simple, easy to set-up and takes a lot of hassle out of arranging meetings. The integration with Google Calendar is a particular benefit here!

Calendly also sends automated reminders and notifications to participants, reducing the likelihood of no-shows and ensuring that everyone is prepared for the meeting.

Does it have a free version? Calendly’s free plan you to have unlimited meetings of a single event type, and we’ve found it plenty to get started with!

SpatialChat: a Space for Virtual Networking

Best tool for virtual offices

• 3D spatial audio for natural conversations.
• Virtual spaces for events and meetings.
• Networking features for social interaction.
• Customizable virtual environments.

SpatialChat brings a fresh approach to online meetings by creating immersive, 3D audio-based virtual spaces for events and meetings. If you’re looking to create a shared office feel or create a space where spontaneous conversation can occur, SpatialChat is a great option in a crowded video conferencing market.

In SpatialChat, you and your team can create virtual spaces for events, conferences, or team meetings, complete with customizable environments and layouts. Coupled with proximity-based chat, it can create a space where participants can network and socialize naturally. At SessionLab, our product team uses their space to engage in spontaneous conversations during the workday and have made it their own! 

Does it have a free version? SpatialChat offers video conferencing for up to 5 users for 2 hours a day on its free plan.

Otter.ai: Transform Virtual Meetings into Searchable Content

Best tool for meeting transcription

• Automatic transcription of meetings.
• Searchable and shareable meeting notes.
• Integrations with popular conferencing tools.
• AI-powered summarization.
• Real-time transcription.

Otter.ai is an intelligent assistant for turning spoken words into searchable, shareable, and actionable meeting notes. It’s been very useful for creating meeting transcripts, particularly during customer interviews or discussions. 

Otter.ai transcribes your meetings in real-time, capturing every spoken word with  accuracy. The transcriptions are searchable, making it easy to find specific discussions or topics. You can also share these notes with team members for reference.

While not every virtual meeting calls for Otter.ai, I’ve found it can be a great way to speed up the process of transcription and summarization. 

Does it have a free version? With 300 monthly transcription minutes at 30 minutes per conversation, Otter.ai’s free plan is well positioned to start supporting your online meetings.

TeamRetro: Elevate Your Retrospectives

Best tool for running team retrospectives

• Agile retrospective and feedback platform.
• Pre-built retrospective templates.
• Collaboration and voting features.
• Action item tracking.
• Integration with project management tools.

TeamRetro is a dedicated platform for agile retrospectives and feedback gathering. It streamlines the retrospective process and empowers teams to continuously improve their work. When we’re running retrospective meetings, we often kick-off asynchronously by asking team members to add input to TeamRetro before presenting and discussing items during the session. 

While you could run an agile retrospective without it (or recreate the process in your online whiteboard) we’ve found it much more effective to use a dedicated tool. Not only does it save time, but it ensures the process is followed across our various teams. 

Team members can collaborate by adding feedback and voting on important issues, ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard. After the virtual meeting is done, we can also easily track, assign and manage action items. While you won’t bring TeamRetro to all of your virtual meetings, for retrospectives, you’ll be glad you did! 

Does it have a free version? TeamRetro does not currently have a free plan.

Google Meet: Video Conferencing with Google’s Power

Best tool for simple meetings

• Integration with Google Workspace (formerly G Suite).
• Secure and reliable video meetings.
• Screen sharing and collaborative features.
• Calendar integration for scheduling.
• Encrypted video meetings.

Google Meet , integrated with Google Workspace, offers a seamless video conferencing experience. If you’re already invested in Google’s suite of productivity tools, this is a natural choice. 

At SessionLab, we use Google Meet for arranging simple internal meetings. The ease of organizing a video call (and reorganizing!) with Calendar and jumping in for a chat make this a great tool for our regular virtual meetings. It’s one of our favourite free online meeting tools, with so much value being offered without needing to go anywhere near the business plan.

Google Meet features all the bells and whistles you’d expect from modern video conferencing software. With simple integrations, screen sharing, secure and reliable video meetings and more. 

The choice between this and other meeting tools often comes down to your existing ecosystem (Google or Microsoft) and whether your virtual meetings tend to be internal or external. In our case, it makes sense to primarily use Google Meet for simple meetings and Zoom for external sessions and those where we’ll be recording. If you need a simple tool for video calling, be sure to give Google Meet a go – especially with it’s native Google Calendar integration!

You can also integrate your Google Drive with SessionLab, making it easy to add your files and resources to your SessionLab agenda. 

Does it have a free version? As a standalone meeting tool, Google Meet offers video calling without limitations. When using Google Workspace on a business plan, pricing starts at $5 per user, per month.

Mentimeter: Engage Your Audience with Interactive Presentations

Best tool for meeting engagement

• Interactive presentation and polling tool.
• Live audience engagement.
• Real-time feedback and surveys.
• Versatile question types.
• Integration with presentation software.

Mentimeter is a go-to tool for creating engaging and interactive presentations that captivate your audience and gather real-time feedback. It was the most cited engagement tool in the State of Facilitation 2023 report and with good reason. 

Mentimeter transforms traditional presentations into interactive experiences by adding polls, quizzes, and audience engagement activities. If you’ve found your team all hands a little lacking or want to easily gather insights from your whole team during an online meeting, a tool like Mentimeter is a great way to engage your audience. It plays well with video conferencing tools and features a mobile app too!

If you’re looking for a surefire way to improve the quality of your team meetings and get your meeting participants engaged, try adding interactive elements via Mentimeter. You’ll be surprised at how much more dynamic it can make proceedings! 

Does it have a free version? Mentimeter’s free plan offers 50 participants per month.

Microsoft Teams: Collaboration in the Microsoft Ecosystem

Best tool for integrated meetings 

• Integration with Microsoft 365.
• Team chat and collaboration.
• Video conferencing and screen sharing.
• File sharing and storage.

Microsoft Teams is a comprehensive collaboration platform that integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365 apps and services, making it an ideal choice of online meeting tool for organizations deeply entrenched in the Microsoft ecosystem.

Whether it’s collaborating on documents within the platform or hosting video meetings and screen sharing sessions directly within Teams, everything you’d expect is here. While some of the other video conferencing software on the list is great when standing alone, Teams really comes into its own when you leverage it’s integrations and complete workspace.

Choosing between Teams and other options likely comes down to preference and what your organization is already using though when running external meetings, stay open to alternatives that might best serve your audience. 

SessionLab integrates with Microsoft Teams too, so you can easily access your files and resources and link to them in your SessionLab agenda. 

Does it have a free version? As with many desktop and mobile platforms, Microsoft Teams has a basic free plan you can use to get used to the software, but it really comes into its own once you start on even the first business plan.

Google Docs: Collaborative Document Editing

Best tool for simple collaboration and note taking

• Real-time collaborative document editing.
• Commenting and feedback features.
• Version history and revision tracking.
• Integration with Google Drive.
• Accessible from any device.

Google Docs is a staple for collaborative document editing. While not a traditional virtual meeting tool, it’s indispensable for simple note taking, collaboration and sharing documents in real-time. 

Multiple users can edit the same document simultaneously, facilitating real-time collaboration and feedback. While you might want to use an online whiteboard for deeper visual collaboration, the simplicity of a word processor like Google Docs can ensure everyone in your meeting is able to get involved. These kinds of free online meeting tools are an indispensable part of your toolkit as a facilitator!

Google Docs automatically tracks changes and comments, allowing you to review previous versions and see who made specific edits. It’s also easy to share different access rights, meaning you can let people view a file without editing during a meeting if you wish! If you’re looking for a quick way to add simple note taking or text collaboration to your video conferencing offering, Docs is likely your best shout.

Does it offer a free version? As with the rest of Google’s suite of tools, Google Docs has an option for free Google users that only gets more powerful when integrated in a business plan.

Notion: A Comprehensive Workspace for Collaboration

Best tool for project management and meeting notes

• Workspace for notes, documents, and databases.
• Real-time collaboration on content.
• Kanban boards and project management tools.
• Customizable workspaces.

Notion is more than just a note-taking app; it’s a comprehensive workspace for teams to collaborate, plan, and manage projects in real-time. As a online meeting tool to support our sessions and remote workflows, Notion has been wonderful for us at SessionLab. We use it as the hub for all our company documents, and so it naturally follows to keep our meeting notes there too! 

Notion combines notes, documents, and databases into a unified workspace, making it easy to organize and collaborate on content. Link items well and it’s easy to turn discussion points from your meeting into a task or a project. 

You can even add them to a database, kanban board or other project management tool to help your team plan and track their work. Notion’s power really comes into play when centralizing your documentation and enriching it with the output of your meetings. We attach our SessionLab agenda to our meeting notes so everything is well organized too! 

Does it have a free version? Notion offers unlimited content for individuals though when collaborating with your team, you’ll likely want to graduate to the basic paid plan.

Slack: Streamlined Communication and Collaboration

Best tool for messaging 

• Team messaging and chat.
• Channels for organized discussions.
• Integration with various apps and services.
• Voice and video calls.
• File sharing and collaboration.

Slack is renowned for its team messaging and collaboration capabilities, making it a valuable addition to any toolkit for virtual meetings and communication. While we don’t use Slack during the running of the actual virtual meeting, it’s where almost all of our inter-team communication happens. Facilitating communication before and after the meeting is often as important as the meeting itself, so be sure to consider a tool for this. 

Slack provides a centralized hub for team communication through channels, direct messaging, and group conversations. You can create channels for specific teams, projects, or topics, ensuring organized and focused discussions. You can also integrate channels with external tools and services, getting updates when you get a new survey response or support ticket, for example.

Slack also supports voice and video calls, allowing you to transition from text-based discussions to face-to-face meetings whenever needed. We’ve found it to be less robust than other options such as Google Meet or Zoom, but as a communication tool for day to day work is where it really shines.   

Does it have a free version? Slack’s free plan includes up to 90 days of history and support for team conversations. It’s more than enough to get started and supporting your online meetings and team collaborations!

PowerPoint: Hold Participants’ Attention with Visual Presentations

Best tool for virtual presentations

• Create and design presentations.
• Slides with text, images, and multimedia.
• Animation and transition effects.
• Presenter mode for virtual presentations.
• Integration with collaboration tools.

Microsoft PowerPoint is a versatile presentation software that empowers users to create visually engaging and informative presentations for virtual meetings, webinars, and conferences. 

While it might not be your immediate thought for a virtual meeting tool, PowerPoint plays a crucial role in delivering compelling content during online interactions. It was one of the most mentioned tools that facilitators use in the State of Facilitation 2023. Facilitators also use PowerPoint Online as a space to collaborate in real-time, inviting participants to join them in the tool during a virtual meeting. 

Depending on the ecosystem you’re in, you might prefer Google Slides or even Canva for your visual presentations, though in our experience, PowerPoint offers a powerful toolset that you can use for a variety of purposes. 

Does it have a free version? PowerPoint Online has a version that is available for free online, though for teams and more robust needs, you may need to purchase the software or grab a subscription to Office365.

In the digital age, online meetings have become the cornerstone of collaboration and communication. Whether you’re looking to design engaging workshops, conduct video conferences, gather real-time feedback, or streamline collaboration, the right virtual meeting tools can transform your interactions and enhance your productivity.

From SessionLab’s specialized meeting design capabilities to the robust video conferencing of Zoom and the immersive collaboration of Miro, these tools cater to a wide range of needs and preferences. Consider the needs of your virtual meeting and use those tools that support your goals and the format of your sessions.

Explore these options, experiment, and discover the perfect virtual meeting toolset that works for you and your team. Remember that we’ve focused on (mostly) free online meeting tools, so you can get started without worrying about pricing.

With the right tools at your disposal, you’ll unlock new levels of efficiency, creativity, and collaboration in your virtual meetings. Want to go further? Read about how to run more effective team meetings in our guide or explore how you might develop and use facilitation skills to augment your online meeting tools!

James Smart is Head of Content at SessionLab. He’s also a creative facilitator who has run workshops and designed courses for establishments like the National Centre for Writing, UK. He especially enjoys working with young people and empowering others in their creative practice.

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6 Tools to Create Interactive Virtual Presentations

Do you ever find yourself thinking of new ways to keep an audience engaged in a virtual presentation? Are plain, linear PowerPoint presentations losing their charm (if they ever had any to begin with)? If you answered yes, then it’s time to consider trying interactive virtual presentation tools.

An interactive virtual presentation requires the audience to interact with it directly. This interactive content come in many forms from hotspots to pop-up boxes. Regardless of the method, this feature keeps viewers on their toes and ready to engage.

Today, we’re going to take a look at 7 tools that are perfect for building and running virtual presentations.

 1. Teleprompter 

One of the problems with virtual presentations is that your train of thought can be easily derailed. You need something to help you stay on track no matter what. You need a script.

Teleprompter is just the app for that. It offers a user-friendly UI to make setup a breeze and provides users with a script they control. That’s right, with Teleprompter, you can easily customize the scroll speed to your reading speed and be ready to record in minutes.

What’s more, the app allows you to shoot video on any iOS device in 4K to give your video a professional appearance for your audience. With over 6.3K 5-star reviews, it’s safe to say Teleprompter is excellent for reducing the stress and anxiety that naturally come with presentations. The controllable script allows you to pause and resume anytime to help you navigate your virtual presentation smoothly.

2. PreziPresent

Prezi is a well-known presentation solution. It’s helped students and professionals alike to create impressive presentations for over a decade now. Prezi Present takes it a step further to accommodate virtual presentations just as effectively.

Prezi present allows you to combine live video streams with pictures and graphics in the same camera shot. That means no screen sharing, no boring slides, and no talking head in the corner of the screen. Rather, your audience really gets to see a full-picture view of you alongside your presentation material.

Best of all, there are no technical skills required so you can focus on building your presentation rather than reading ten tutorials and calling it a day.

All-in-all, Prezi Present is a good option for creating impactful and engaging virtual presentations.

3. SlideDog ‍

SlideDog supports almost every type of file format out there, making it easy to combine different types of media into a single presentation. It also allows you to create pop-ups for your slides with videos, graphics, animation, and more. That’s what makes it a perfect tool for multimedia presentations.

Plus, this tool allows you to auto-loop your presentation to free your hands and focus on delivering the presentation rather than stopping to change slides. Rather, it shares a playlist format to automatically run your presentation slides in the background without manual input.

In terms of interactivity, SlideDogs offers powerful interactive features to attract and retain audience attention, including custom polling to engage viewers and promote conversation.

Canva is another one of those tools that have been around for quite some time. Since its founding in 2012, Canva has become one of the most popular graphic tools available. Although the app itself doesn’t offer many options in terms of interaction function, it does have powerful customizations to help animate presentations.

Canva also has a large content library that provides access to more graphics and pre-designed slide themes than a presenter could ever use in their life. The animation features are equally robust. As such, Canva is a powerful tool to really beef up your PowerPoint presentations.

This app also recently partnered with Pear Deck to create and provide customers with interactive templates for engaging audiences. With Canva, you’re able to embed questionnaires, multiple-choice, and audio files, adding a layer of interactivity to your presentations. 

Don’t let the silly name fool you, Publuu has a lot to offer. In fact, Publuu specifically has seven things to offer - seven types of interactive virtual presentation material. The app itself provides a flexible and easy-to-use multi-media maker to help design a visually appealing report. Plus, Publuu comes with robust customization options to alter the color scheme of your presentation, add brand logos, and any type of video or infographic you may need.

For those concerned with security, Publuu generates shareable links to invite select participants only. You can also add password protection as an extra security feature to ensure only the right people receive your files. Publuu is a solid choice for making an interactive presentation.

6. Mentimeter  ‍

Another exciting tool for creating interactive virtual presentations, Mentimeter allows you to add quizzes and real-time voting to your presentation. This way, you’re able to engage your audience and gather data simultaneously.

As a cloud-based tool, Mentimeter is ready to use as soon as you sign up. Then you’ll be able to create presentations via templates and themes. When selecting these templates, remember that Mentimeter allows users to insert images and even GIFs from its integrated free stock images. As such, Mentimeter is an excellent tool for building interactive presentations intended to gather feedback-based statistics in businesses and schools.

Best Practices for Using Virtual Presentation Tools

• Understand Your Audience: Tailor your presentation to the needs and preferences of your audience. Consider their level of familiarity with the topic and use language and examples that resonate with them.
• Keep It Interactive: Use the interactive features of your chosen tool to keep your audience engaged. This could include live polls, quizzes, or interactive charts.
• Maintain Visual Consistency : Ensure your presentation has a consistent visual theme. Use the same color schemes, fonts, and styles throughout to create a professional look.
• Focus on Key Messages : Identify the core messages you want your audience to take away from your presentation. Structure your content around these key points to ensure clarity and impact.
• Incorporate Storytelling : People remember stories better than facts and figures. Use storytelling techniques to make your presentation more memorable and relatable .
• Use High-Quality Visuals : High-quality images, graphics, and videos can make your presentation more engaging and easier to understand. Avoid cluttering your slides with too much text.

The Bottom Line

This list is certainly not all the software and services available, but they’re some of the best virtual presentation tools available.

There are a lot of tools out there that make creating interactive virtual presentations a breeze. It’s only a matter of finding the right tool that works for you and the kind of presentation you want to create. Don’t be afraid to try something different.

And although there are a lot of tools out there for creating interactive virtual presentations, Teleprompter stands out as the perfect app for creating and running presentations.

‍ Download Teleprompter today from the app store, and see what it can do for your next presentation firsthand.

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10 Interactive Presentation Techniques | 2024 Reveals

Ellie Tran • 31 July, 2024 • 12 min read

All you need is the right tool and the right tact. Check out the ten best interactive presentation techniques below! These days, you might find your presentation audiences lost somewhere in your words, staring dead-eyed at you in the room or through Zoom. It's time for a change.

You might have heard that the secret to a good presentation comes from creating great interactive experiences with your audience, but the big question is how ?

Table of Contents

• Why interactive presentation techniques?
• #1: Icebreakers to warm up the room
• #2: Tell a story
• #3: Gamify the presentation
• #5: Present with props
• #6: Ask short questions
• #7: Brainstorming session
• #8: Host speed networking
• #9: Use a social media hashtag
• #10: Pre and post-event surveys
• 3 general tips for presenters

Frequently Asked Questions

Practice for better presentation.

• Complete Guide to Interactive Presentation
• Interactive Presentation Games
• Interactive Presentation Software for Mac

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Why Try Interactive Presentation Techniques?

Ever stood before a crowd and spent every bit of your nerve presenting something, but all you could see was the audience yawning or looking at their phones? 

You’re not alone here…

• One in five people constantly looked at their phones or laptop screens during a presentation. ( Decktopus )

Audiences get bored and lost quickly during one-way presentations, so making it more interactive and engaging is best. Let us walk you through some stats:

• 64% of participants found two-way presentations more appealing than linear ones. ( Duarte )
• 70% of marketers believed that interacting with the audience was essential to making presentations more effective. ( Duarte )

10 Ways to Create a Fun Interactive Presentation

Interactivity is the key to your audience’s heart. Here are ten interactive presentation methods you can use to get it…

1. Icebreakers to warm up the room

It can be daunting and make you more anxious if you jump into your presentation without a short introduction or warm-up. Things are easier when you break the ice and allow the audience to know more about you and others.

If you’re hosting a small workshop, meeting or lesson, go around and ask your participants some simple, light-hearted questions to make them feel more comfortable.

That could be about their names, where they come from, what they expect from this event, etc. Or you can try some questions in this list:

• Would you rather be able to teleport or fly?
• What was your dream job when you were five?
• Coffee or tea?
• What’s your favourite holiday?
• 3 things on your bucket list?

🧊 Check out top 21+ Icebreaker Games for Better Team Meeting Engagement | Updated in 2024

When there are more people, get them to join the icebreaker to build a sense of connection through an interactive platform like AhaSlides.

Save time with ready-made icebreakers

Word Cloud Icebreakers

Monthly Team Meeting

Icebreakers for Class

2. Tell a story

People love hearing a good story and tend to immerse themselves more when it’s relatable. Great stories can help boost their focus and understanding of the points you’re trying to get across.

Finding compelling stories that engage the audience and relate to the content can be challenging. As many people have different backgrounds, it’s not easy to find common ground and come up with something mesmerising to tell.

To find things in common between you, your content and your audience and craft a story from that, try asking these questions:

• What are they like?
• Why are they here?
• How can you solve their problems?

💡 More interactive presentation tips with AhaSlides:

3. Gamify the presentation

Nothing rocks the room (or Zoom) and keeps the audience bouncing better than some games. Fun games, especially those that get participants moving or laughing, can do wonders for your presentation.

With the help of many online tools to host live quizzes , icebreaker games , AhaSlides word clouds , and spinning wheel , you can make interactive presentation games directly and effortlessly.

Need some inspiration? Try out these interactive games in your next face-to-face or virtual event:

🎉 Pop quiz - Liven up your presentation with fun polling or multiple-choice questions. Let the whole crowd join and answer by using an audience engagement platform ; there are many for you to choose from (AhaSlides, Quizziz, Kahoot, etc.).

🎉 Charades - Get participants up and use their body language to describe a provided word or phrase. You can divide the audience into teams to make it more competitive and heat up the atmosphere.

🎉 Would you rather? - Many participants prefer sitting on their chairs while enjoying games, so juice up your presentation with an easy-peasy one like Would you rather? . Give them two options, like would you rather live in a forest or a cave? Then, ask them to vote for their favourite option and explain why they did.

💡 We’ve got heaps more games for an interactive presentation , along with games for virtual team meetings , games for adults and games for students !

Presenters usually host an ‘ask me anything’ session at the end of their presentations to collect questions and then address them. Q&A time ensures everyone is on the same page after getting a bucketload of information to digest while also giving you a chance to talk and interact directly with your audience.

To not miss a beat, we recommend using an online Q&A tool to collect and display questions so you can answer one-by-one. This kind of tool helps you manage all questions flocking in and allows people to ask anonymously (which is a relief for many people, I’m sure). 

5. Present with props

This old trick brings more power to your presentation than you might think. Props can grab the audience’s attention faster than when you only speak or show 2D images, and they’re great visual aids that help people understand what you’re talking about. That’s a presenter’s dream.

Bring some props that link to your message and help you communicate visually with the audience. Don’t pick something random irrelevant to your topic, no matter how ‘cool’ it is.

Here’s an example of how to use props the right way…

6. Ask short questions

Asking questions is one of the best interactive presentation methods for checking in on your audience and making sure they’re paying attention. Still, asking in the wrong way can result in an awkward silence instead of a sea of hands in the air. 

Live polling and word clouds are safer choices in this case: they let people answer anonymously using just their phones, which guarantees that you’ll get more answers from your audience. 

Prepare some intriguing questions that can spark creativity or debate then choose to show everyone’s answers however you want - in a live poll , word cloud or open-ended format .

7. Brainstorming session

You’ve done enough work for this presentation, so why not turn the table a little bit and see your participants put in some effort?

A brainstorming session digs deeper into the topic and reveals the audience’s different perspectives. You can gain more insights into how they perceive your content and even be surprised by their brilliant ideas.

If you want everyone to discuss directly, instruct them to brainstorm in groups and share their combined ideas with everyone.

Try a live brainstorming tool to let everyone have their say and vote on their favourites amongst the crowd 👇

📌 Tips: Divide your team randomly to generate more fun and engagement within your brainstorming session !

8. Host speed networking

One of the main drivers that bring your participants to come and hear you present is networking. Joining social events like yours means that they have more chances to meet new people, socialise, and maybe add new meaningful connections on LinkedIn.

Host a short networking session, ideally during a break or after you finish your presentation. All participants can freely mingle, talk to each other and dig deeper into any topic they’re keen on. This is one of the best interactive presentation ideas for large groups of participants.

If you do it online or hybrid, breakout rooms in Zoom and other meeting apps make it very easy. You can automatically divide your audience into different groups, or you can add a topic to each room’s name and let them join based on their preferences. Having a moderator in each group is also a good idea to help people feel comfortable at first.

There are also some tips for hosting a networking session in real life :

• Prepare a tea break - Food heals the soul. Participants can talk while enjoying the food and hold something when not knowing what to do with their hands.
• Use colour-labelled cards - Let each person choose a card with a colour representing a popular hobby and tell them to wear it during the networking session. People sharing things in common can find and make friends with others. Note that you need to decide the colours and hobbies before the event.
• Give a suggestion - Many people want to but shy away from talking to a stranger at an event. Write suggestions on pieces of paper, such as ‘say a compliment to a person in pink’, ask the participants to choose randomly and encourage them to do so.

9. Use a social media hashtag

Make your event go viral and keep people interacting virtually before, during or after the event. When you have a hashtag to accompany your event, all participants can join related conversations and not miss any info.

This is a great way to promote your event. Not only can your audience engage with your message, but so can other people on the net by interacting with posts using hashtags. The more, the merrier, so get the hashtag trending and let more people know about the fascinating things you’re up to.

Here’s how to do it:

• Choose a (fabulous) hashtag containing your event’s name.
• Use that hashtag in each post to let people know you have one.
• Encourage audience members to use that hashtag when sharing photos, opinions, feedback, etc., on their social accounts.

10. Pre and post-event surveys

Surveys are smart strategies to connect with the audience when you’re not with them. These surveys help you understand them better and measure your success.

In this tech era, sending surveys via emails and social media is convenient. There are some common questions you can put in the surveys and customise them based on the purpose of your event.

• Common questions - Ask about their names, age, hobbies, preferences, areas of interest and more .
• Tech-specific questions - It’s helpful to know about their internet connection and tech devices to set up activities in an online event. Find out more here . 

Post-event:

• Feedback questions - Collecting audience feedback is vital. Ask about their opinions on the presentation, what they liked and didn’t, what they want to know more by relevant survey tools , to gain better engagement by asking the right questions.

3 General Tips for Presenters

Presenting is much more than what you say or write on the slides. Well-prepared content is great but not really enough. Practice these amazing hidden languages to show your charisma and nail the presentation. 

#1. Eye Contacts

A quick gaze in the eyes helps you engage with the audience and further impress them. It’s key for grabbing their attention; you’re talking to them after all, not to your presenting screen. Remember to cover every part of the room and not stare at only one or two; that’s pretty weird and awkward…, right?

#2. Body Languages

You can make this non-verbal communication to build a deeper connection with your audience. A good, open posture with appropriate hand gestures can give you a confident and persuasive vibe. The more they trust you, the more they focus on your presentation.

#3. Tone of Voice

Your tone of voice matters. Your voice, manner, and language affect the audience’s mood and how people perceive what you’re saying. For example, you shouldn’t make it too casual and playful during a conference or don’t speak too seriously and bombard the participants with technical terms when presenting in a workshop. 

Sometimes, in more informal speeches, add a bit of humour if you can ; it’s relaxing to you and your listeners (don’t try too hard, though 😅).

What are interactive presentation tools?

Interactive presentation tools are software or web-based applications that allow users to create and deliver presentations with interactive elements that engage the audience. These tools provide a range of features and functionalities that enable presenters to create dynamic and engaging presentations that can be customized to meet their specific needs. Key features of interactive presentation tools are to add quizzes, polls, and surveys, to make the presentation more interesting!

Can you make PPT interactive?

Some ways to make a PPT interactive including adding hyperlinks, action buttons, using animations and transitions, interactive quizzes or polls, and also adding videos or audio

Which type of presentation is the most interactive?

Various types of presentations can be made interactive. Still, some types lend themselves more easily to interactivity than others, with the following types, including workshop-style presentations, Q&A sessions, Polls and surveys, Gamified presentations and Interactive multimedia presentations.

A lifelong learner, a traveller and content creator eager to explore the best of both worlds: the real and virtual one full of interactive activities with AhaSlides.

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Entrepreneurship, Productivity & Marketing

12 Best Tools & Software to Create Interactive Presentations

Written By Zarqoon Amin on June 4, 2024

Microsoft and Google slide offers you great PPT features to design a well-put-together and professional presentation. But the technology has evolved so much in the last few years that the flat nature of their templates rarely holds your audience’s concentration for long anymore.

To ensure your viewers pay attention to your presentations and fully digest the information; you now need to add something dynamic and “extra” to keep them engaged.

Interactive presentation software provides that “extra” to make your slides visually appealing, fun, and highly entertaining. They encourage people to take part in the conversation and give them a personalized experience.

In this article, I have listed down the 12 best software you can use to create interactive presentations.

Let’s go over their features to see what they offer.

1. SlideDog

SlideDog helps you put together various parts of your content into a coherent and visually appealing presentation.

It’s an advanced tool that supports almost all types of file formats and media, allowing you to pop up your slides with video, graphics, animation , and transitions.

It also offers powerful interactive elements to attract your audience and retain their attention. For instance, you can create custom polling to engage viewers, enable live chat for communication, and keep the audience participation anonymous.

One of the features that specifically makes SlideDog unique is its auto-loop.

It shares a playlist format that automatically runs your slides in the background without any manual input from you. It is a perfect option for those who want to keep their hands free while delivering the presentation.

Here’re its core features.

• User-friendly editor.
• Questionnaire and polls.
• Anonymous responses.
• Transition element.
• Presenter and audience view.
• Auto-looping
• Supports several formats.
• Share link.
• Mobile friendly.

SlideDog offers three subscriptions starting from $19 a month . You can also buy its lifetime plan for $300.

Canva is by far the most popular and versatile graphics tool you’ll find in the market.

While the app itself doesn’t offer advanced interactive functions, it has powerful customizations that can help you animate your presentation.

It provides a large content library that gives you access to tons of graphics and pre-designed slide themes to boost your PPT visuals. Its animation features are pretty robust, offering both free and premium elements to spice up your presentation.

Recently, it also made a partnership pact with  Pear Deck  to introduce new interactive templates for engaging educational lectures. It allows you to embed questionnaires, multiple-choice scenarios, and audio files for special effects.

Let me summarize its core features.

• Template library.
• Transition elements.
• Interactive questions.
• Hyperlinking.
• Supports MS PPT and Google sheet.
• Pear Deck integrations.
• Import, export, and share options.

Canva’s presentation maker is free to use. It only charges for premium templates.

Prezi is designed to help marketers and managers deliver interactive presentations remotely.

It’s an advanced PPT tool that provides you with ready templates, pre-defined blocks, and powerful elements to create eye-catching yet professional presentations.

With its zoom-in and branching feature, you can bring your project to life and make it more exciting for your audience . Its flexible editor lets you add video content, charts, and custom text to your slides. You can additionally change the template’s theme to match it with your brand color palate as well.

Prezi had also recently added an overlay feature that allows you to paste your content “over” your live video. It’s a useful function that comes in handy when you want to present your project on a video conference call.

Let me summarize its core feature.

• Pre-defined blocks and custom charts.
• Zoom in effect.
• Media embed.
• Video overlay.
• Voice over.
• Mobile support.

You can create up to 5 PPT projects for free on Prezi. To unlock the limit, buy its premium subscriptions for $12 a month.

4. Pear Deck

Pear Deck is a Google Add-on that allows you to add animated elements and stunning visuals directly on the Google Slides.

You can use it to embed custom quizzes in live presentations to get instant responses from your audience.

You can also set up an offline interactive activity to let participants control the pace of your presentation and send replies at their convenience. Since it has the option to keep the responses anonymous, you can encourage participation without making anyone feel uncomfortable.

Pear Deck further offers bonus features like drawing tools and audio slides that can help you boost your viewer engagement.

If you’re in an educational industry and frequently conduct lectures, it is an ideal app for you.

• Link-based access.
• Live and offline presentation models.
• Several questionnaires format.
• Drawing tool.
• Hyperlinks.
• Pre-made Templates.
• Preview mode.
• Dashboard sharing.

Pear Deck starter plan is free. To upgrade your subscriptions, you may have to pay an annual $150 fee.

5. Slidelizard

Slidelizard works similarly to SlideDog, but its polling and questionnaire interactive elements are slightly more advanced and engaging.

Besides adding spontaneous voting and multiple choices, you can schedule your polls with a countdown timer so it automatically begins as it reaches the specific slide. Slidelizard also integrates the results directly into the slides, allowing you to  show  results to your audience during the presentation.

Additionally, you can create multilingual voting to conduct your presentation in different geographical locations.

You’ll find marketing elements on Slizelizard as well that can help you generate leads for your business.

• Custom Quizzes.
• Polling and auto-results.
• Anonymous voting.
• Countdown timer.
• Note-taking.
• Multilanguage.
• Live stream.
• Sharing and exporting options.
• Email collection.

Slidelizard’s basic plan is completely free. If you want to avail premium features like email support, you can buy its paid subscriptions for €17 a month.

Publuu delivers seven different types of interactive products, among which one is a flipping effect presentation.

It provides a flexible multi-media maker to design visually appealing reports, add animation elements, and attach clickable hotspots for better engagement. With its robust customization, you can alter the color scheme of your pages, include your brand logo , and attach any type of video and infographics.

It also generates shareable links to invite selected participants only. You can add password protection as a safety measure to ensure the right person receives your files.

Overall, Publuu is a good option for interactive presentations.

• Flipping effect.
• PDF customization.
• Hotspot, links, video, and audio elements.
• Link Tracking.
• Password protection.
• Sharable links.
• Supports multiple devices.

Publuu’s basic plan starts from $19 a month.

7. Thinglink

If you’re looking for a tool to add interactive elements to your publish-ready PPT slides, go for Thinglink.

It’s an advanced presentation app that lets you embed hotspots, branching, clickable buttons, and hyperlinks to static pages. You can add both visual and text labels, attach custom tags to highlight the hotspots, and use translation to tailor your content.

It also shares engagement metrics to help you measure the activity level and determine which elements attract your viewers the most.

It’s the best software for fun educational presentations, tour maps, interactive infographics, and visual company projects.

• User-friendly builder.
• Translation.
• Custom tags.
• Media support.
• Feedback collection.
• Compatible with other apps.

Thinglink’s basic plan starts from $25 a month. You can take a 5-day trial to explore the software.

8. Mediafly

Mediafly is a sales presentation software that amplifies your static slides appeal with animations to make them engaging and high converting.

It provides unique style guides to create a smooth transition between the slides, making your presentation more visually appealing to your audience. With its branching and hotspot, you can build a story and keep your viewers entertained throughout the presentation.

Its tooltip format additionally breaks down your long content into short text so people can easily digest the information. You can also add back-and-forth clickable buttons to encourage your viewers to take part in the activity.

Most of Mediafly’s functions are geared towards marketing and sales, allowing you to provide a personalized experience to generate leads.

• Front and back buttons.
• Icon animation.
• Visually appealing themes.
• Smooth transitions.
• Smart styling.
• Support multiple formats.

Mediafly’s prices are not listed on its official website. Contact sales to get the quotes.

9. Genially

Genially offers a hassle-free way to design interactive presentations.

It provides thousands of ready templates to help you build PPT projects without putting much effort into visuals.

You can also create your slides from scratch and tailor them with interactive functions and basic animation.

A few of its essential elements include hotspots, tooltips, info buttons, and hyperlinks. With these features, you can construct a clickable navigation menu, design interactive graphs, build visual maps and share contact details right on your PPT slides.

It’s an incredibly powerful app that not only is versatile but it’s also beginner-friendly.

• Custom templates.
• Table of content.
• Interactive charts
• info button.
• PDF export.

Genially’s offers different plans for education and business. If you’re an entrepreneur, you can get started for free and later buy its paid plan for $8 to $80 a month.

10. Keynote

Keynote is a traditional PPT tool, but its advanced animation features and versatile content library makes it a good option for interactive presentations.

You can choose from around thirty different custom layouts, cinematic effects, and graphics to design catchy and professional PPT slides.

With its powerful customization, you can embed charts into your slides, showcase complex infographics, and add videos to animate the pages. It also gives you the option to generate project outlines and   attach handwritten notes to the slides.

It continuously upgrades itself to ensure users get up-to-date functions to design interactive presentations.

• Custom themes.
• Cinematic effects.
• Life feed embedding.
• Multiple presenter slots.
• Supports Apple digital drawing tools.
• Team collaborations.

You can download Keynote for free.

But I do want to point out that it’s an Apple software. You can only access it if your device is of the same brand.

11. HyperSay

HyperSay is built to create interactive slides for live presentations and virtual events.

It provides pre-defined blocks that allow you to embed polling, quizzes, and open questions in your slides for on-spot questionnaires.

You can share slides during the live session and activate a chatroom to entertain queries and engage your audience. Your viewers can access your presentation via their smartphone to send replies and save notes on the pages to revisit them later.

HyperSay also lets you invite people without collecting their contact information if they want to remain anonymous. It’s a useful function that can help you run general and random surveys in the middle of the events.

• Custom polls.
• Clapping option.
• Slide sharing.
• Incognito mode.

HyperSay charges $4 per presentation and customizes plans for virtual events . You can also use it for free to conduct small sessions.

12. Mentimeter

Mentimeter provides almost all of the essential interactive tools you’d need to create professional presentations.

With its user-friendly builder and pre-made templates, you can quickly design your slides and tailor them as you see fit.

Its interactive features are pretty flexible, offering you several options to add the element of spontaneity to your presentations.

You can include surveys between the slides to collect feedback on your products, run anonymous polls to provoke responses, and set up word clouds to entertain participants.

It also offers a virtual slide control app to give you an alternative to clickers.

• Word clouds and questionnaires.
• Content library.
• Presenter view.
• Slide Control.
• Word censor.
• Data export.

Mentimeter shares its basic plan for free, but it  does  have some limitations. If you want to invite your team, buy its pro plan for $24 per month.

Now that you have a general idea of what each software offers, find out which features are better suited for your project and buy the related app.

For instance. If you’re creating a financial presentation, the platform with an interactive infographic element would be an ideal choice for you. If you want to arrange your slides in a visual story, advanced tools with branching and hotspot functions might be the best option.

Keep in mind the specific features  you want  while picking out the software.

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How to Design Interactive Webinars 2024 [with Examples]

Hoyin Cheung

August 13, 2024

A webinar is a versatile, efficient, and effective way to deliver content to a remote audience. While a lot of skeptics declared webinars dated and dead, the global shift to remote and hybrid work models has proven otherwise. 

In fact, On24, one of the largest players in the virtual platform industry, hosted 19,294 webinars in April 2020. That's about 640 every single day! In 2024, the numbers are exploding still, with WorkCast reporting an 87% increase in attendance. 

Whether you’re a business, educator, event organizer, or digital marketer, interactive webinars as a marketing channel and sales funnel are a sure-fire way to connect with your audience .

But the problem is that most of these “virtual events” and “online workshops” are snoozefests. 

So stick around, we’re going to dive into our favorite ways to make webinars more interactive. (And more fun for everyone involved!)

{{table-of-contents}}

The Benefits of Interactive Webinars

Picture this: You're presenting to a virtual room full of people, but it feels like you're speaking into the void. You're met with silence—their cameras are off and their mics are muted. Not only is this uncomfortable, but it's also a missed learning and engagement opportunity.

The purpose of a webinar is not to talk *at* your audience, but rather *to* your audience. 

An interactive webinar combines traditional webinars with virtual meetings to increase audience engagement. The right webinar platform —like Remo—allows participants to interact in real-time through live polls, Q&A sessions, breakout rooms , and quizzes. Its technical backbone makes it possible for speakers and attendees to interact seamlessly. 

In contrast to one-way ‘sit-and-listen’ webinars, interactive sessions feel like exciting multidimensional events.

No one enjoys feeling like they’re back in school, sitting through a boring class and constantly watching the clock. It’s all too common for webinar interactions to be passive rather than an active and participative learning experience. The risk you run with hosting a passive webinar is less retention, less engagement, and therefore, fewer leads. 

On the other hand, interactive webinars can do wonders for:

• Avoiding “Zoom Doom”: When attendees look forward to participating, they’re less likely to zone out, get fatigued, or leave the event early.
• Boosting Brand Awareness : They make sales pitches into real conversations, helping people better understand and connect with your brand.
• Generating New Leads : Your audience will typically be interested in the content already, so follow up afterward to nurture those connections.
• Positioning Yourself as a Thought Leader : If you're hosting a webinar, it's likely that you've got a captive audience interested in your expertise, so take advantage of that to earn authority, grow your brand, and gain positive press coverage.

4 Unique Ways to Make Webinars More Interactive

The best webinar interactions are two-way conversations, not one-way lectures.

When it comes to driving engagement and achieving your objectives, organizing the content carefully, selecting impactful interactive elements, facilitating lively participation, and executing a polished production will keep you on track. 

PRO TIP : Set yourself up for success by selecting a catchy webinar name —so that people are drawn to your event from the get-go. 

This is how you can create meaningful connections with your audience and guarantee them an immersive experience—

1) Gamified Webinars

Gamification is the application of typical game-play elements to non-gaming contexts. This is an excellent webinar strategy to increase audience retention, keep them engaged, and boost brand recall. 

• Use points, badges, leaderboards, and challenges in your webinars to make them more interactive. 
• Mix learning with entertainment by including trivia and pop culture in your Q&A sessions. 
• Motivate people to participate by giving out prizes.

2) Shared Whiteboard Collaboration

Make your session a "learning by doing" experience by integrating a shared whiteboard. 

This interactive webinar tool lets participants contribute directly to the content being discussed, which fosters hands-on learning. It's a great way to reinforce the material, value participant input, and make the learning process more collaborative.

‍ Remo offers a shared whiteboard tool for your online sessions to make them more informational and interactive for everyone attending:

3) Start with Polls and Icebreakers

Get your webinar off to a great start with an interactive poll. As well as grabbing attention right away, you get a sense of the audience's interests or pain points. When you address these points right away, you're boosting your credibility and encouraging your attendees to stay engaged throughout the session.

Another great way to kick off a session is to set some time aside for a few quick icebreaker questions that the audience can reply to in real-time. A fun example could be, “If your brand were a TV series, what would it be?”.

4. Host Ask Me Anything (AMA) Sessions

You can personalize the experience by hosting AMA sessions, where you can interact in real-time with your audience. As attendees can ask specific questions, the format fosters a sense of community as well as increasing interaction. 

The ON24 data shows that marketers use Q&A sessions for better engagement, highlighting their effectiveness in making audiences feel heard and valued.

Choosing The Right Interactive Webinar Tools

Platforms like Zoom and Teams are great for simple meetings and video chats, but Remo redefines the online event experience.

The Remo approach replaces the conventional breakout room approach with more natural, fluid interaction. Here’s how:

• Floor Plans : In a custom-designed virtual space, participants can visit exhibitor booths, participate in breakout discussions, and move effortlessly to different segments of the event. 
• Conversation Networking Mode : Remo facilitates private table conversations for small group discussions or one-on-one networking. Each table is equipped with a whiteboard, fostering brainstorming and collaboration. You can also shuffle guests to boost networking by allowing attendees to meet new people. 
• Audience Reactions : By using emojis for audience responses, presenters can gauge audience engagement and energy immediately.

BONUS: Tips for Encouraging Webinar Interaction

• Make sure to include mixed media to make the presentation visually appealing for your audience. These can be infographics, videos, flow charts, memes and even GIFs! If the picture or video is funny and unexpected, it’ll pique curiosity and get people interested in the conversation again.
• Keep pausing to monitor people’s interest in the flow of the conversation and ask questions . Add these every 3-5 minutes to keep the discussion open-ended. Even simple ones like, “I see we have an international audience. Where’s everyone joining us from?” can do wonders to break the monotony of a one-sided speech.
• To illustrate a topic in a practical, visual, and kinesthetic way, show new software, a workflow process, or a soft skills model .

Parting Note

Consider this article as your webinar toolbox. When you see your attendees losing focus, grab their attention again with a story or a poll. But, remember you've got to pick the right webinar platform, too.

When you use Remo, you can concentrate on delivering great content while we take care of the tech—from custom floor plans to shuffling guests to audience reactions, we’ve got you covered.

Get webinar-ing with Remo today by booking a demo !

Hoyin Cheung is the Founder & CEO of Remo, where he focuses on enhancing the authenticity of connections at virtual events. With a wealth of experience in event planning, he translates his insights into compelling content aimed at improving virtual interactions. His mission is to empower event professionals with practical tips to foster genuine connections in every virtual gathering.

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What to Know About Buying An Interactive Whiteboard

Buy the right interactive whiteboard with these helpful tips and guidance.

Connectivity

The right interactive whiteboard can enhance an educational environment massively, if you choose wisely. The key here is to know what it is you want, and need, from the right interactive whiteboard for your situation.

This guide aims to lay out all you need to consider before making an investment in an interactive whiteboard for your school or district.

While cost may be a big concern up front, it's worth balancing that against the features you need as you can now get a lot for your money. It's also important to consider how long a device will last. You could save money now but need to buy a new one in a few years, or spend more now and have it last longer. Which brings us back to it all depending on what you need.

From wifi connectivity and built-in cameras and microphones to high-resolution video and audio playback with a high number of touch sensitivity points, there are many device features to consider. As is the software you'll want to run on the interactive whiteboard.

After familiarizing yourself with what to look for, consider our best interactive whiteboards guide to find which model suits you ideally.

Which type of interactive whiteboard is best?

Before you start, the first consideration is what type of interactive whiteboard you want. Several variants are available, including: Infrared/Optical, resistive touch, electromagnetic, and ultrasonic/infrared hybrid. Essentially these are all differing ways of detecting touch on the display, some being more sensitive than others.

Sensitivity can be important if you want to draw on the screen with accuracy, or you require it to detect lots of kids’ fingers working on a group project at the same time. If you only need the interactive whiteboard to show presentations and occasionally touch to edit or move forward, then this could be an area where you save money by going for a more basic option.

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The most commonly sold type these days is the infrared/optical version, which offers multi-touch, high responsiveness, and great durability. That said, this is generally one of the more expensive options.

The resistive touch type is more affordable but is usually single touch only and is less durable thanks to a soft touch screen.

The electromagnetic whiteboards are very precise when it comes to sensitivity, are durable, and not affected by light conditions, except these require a special stylus and don't support finger touch. These are also generally more expensive.

The ultrasonic/infrared hybrid option is a way of adding interactivity to existing whiteboards with real dry-erase marker use becoming interactive -- this is a good money-saving option.

Screen quality

Another important consideration is screen quality. This includes the size, resolution, and image fidelity that is offered. You'll want to go larger for bigger rooms, of course, but also consider moving up the resolution too. If you go for a very big screen but the resolution stays lower, then the image will appear blocky and less clear. It also means viewing detail is less easy both for the teacher up close and for students further away.

You'll also want to consider brightness of the display as it may be in sunlight, which can make it more difficult to see. Features such as anti-glare coverings or a high-nits brightness count are worth looking at in these instances.

Software compatibility

What you actually need done on the interactive whiteboard is worth considering as these requirements may mean you need access to various software types.

So right up front make sure the screen has a system that is able to work with all the software you use in class. This may also apply to devices, if you plan to use hardware such as webcams or microphones plugged into this screen.

Check the compatibility with existing educational apps and make sure that you can either run it natively on the screen, or run any via a plugged in laptop, for example.

It's also a good idea to think about how easy the software is to learn and use, as something with a more complex layout and steep learning curve may require the need to additionally invest in training as part of the new hardware too.

How your interactive whiteboard works with your school infrastructure is important. You'll want to think about how it connects to the existing network and internet. Will you need Ethernet ports or is wifi sufficient? And if so, what level of wifi are you going to go for so that this is future-proofed enough to last?

If there is a need to plug in laptops, memory sticks, or flash drives, you'll also want to look out for the necessary ports and software to support those options.

The cost you’re willing to pay for your interactive whiteboard, or multiple ones, is of course a big consideration. As mentioned, it’s important to consider the upfront charges, ongoing costs, and eventual replacement figures. You may have been considering new displays in the school and by going for a higher resolution whiteboard, it may be possible to consolidate those costs into a single device that caters to all your needs.

Be sure to check warranty and guarantee coverage as some models offer extended periods to provide peace of mind while also suggesting these are built to last.

• Best Interactive Whiteboards

Luke Edwards is a freelance writer and editor with more than two decades of experience covering tech, science, and health. He writes for many publications covering health tech, software and apps, digital teaching tools, VPNs, TV, audio, smart home, antivirus, broadband, smartphones, cars and much more.

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Computer Science > Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition

Title: sketch2scene: automatic generation of interactive 3d game scenes from user's casual sketches.

Abstract: 3D Content Generation is at the heart of many computer graphics applications, including video gaming, film-making, virtual and augmented reality, etc. This paper proposes a novel deep-learning based approach for automatically generating interactive and playable 3D game scenes, all from the user's casual prompts such as a hand-drawn sketch. Sketch-based input offers a natural, and convenient way to convey the user's design intention in the content creation process. To circumvent the data-deficient challenge in learning (i.e. the lack of large training data of 3D scenes), our method leverages a pre-trained 2D denoising diffusion model to generate a 2D image of the scene as the conceptual guidance. In this process, we adopt the isometric projection mode to factor out unknown camera poses while obtaining the scene layout. From the generated isometric image, we use a pre-trained image understanding method to segment the image into meaningful parts, such as off-ground objects, trees, and buildings, and extract the 2D scene layout. These segments and layouts are subsequently fed into a procedural content generation (PCG) engine, such as a 3D video game engine like Unity or Unreal, to create the 3D scene. The resulting 3D scene can be seamlessly integrated into a game development environment and is readily playable. Extensive tests demonstrate that our method can efficiently generate high-quality and interactive 3D game scenes with layouts that closely follow the user's intention.

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