If your PowerPoint attendees take breaks in an area nearby your presentation stage and they can see at all times what goes on the screen, then using a set countdown slides may help them become aware of the need to return to their sits without waiting for the last second.
Countdown slides let everyone know when the break is over.
Personally I have a PowerPoint file of only countdown slides.
When I create a new seminar, I import countdown slides from this file and let them assume the design of the seminar presentation.
Here is how I made the countdown slides set.
- Create a new presentation.
Do not apply a design template or background.
- Choose Slide Layout on the Format menu, and then select the blank slide layout.
- Insert any shape you like from the AutoShapes menu or create one using the drawing tools.
- In the center of the shape, type the number one (1).
You can also use a background and type the number on the background.
- Enlarge the font size to at least 36.
If the seminar room is large, make the font size as large as possible.
- Make a duplicate of this slide for each minute you want to countdown. My full-day seminars have a 15-minute break before and after lunch, so my countdown slide show has 15 slides.
- On each slide, select the number and replace it with the next number in sequence. I do my countdown from the largest to the smallest number. Your slides will look something like this:
- Open Slide Sorter and select all of the slides.
- Choose Slide Transitions from the Tools menu or click the Transition button or select Slide Transition on the Task Pane drop-down menu.
- Select a transition or select None for no transition effect.
- In Advance Slide, choose Automatically After and enter one minute (1:00).
Each slide displays for one minute and then advances to the next slide.
Import the countdown slides into any presentation.
- In the presentation in which you want a countdown, choose Slides From File on the Insert menu.
- Browse to find your countdown slide file.
When opened, you can select as many of the slides as you need or click Insert All.
Leave Keep Source Formatting unselected to have the countdown slides adopt the design of the presentation they are being added to.
- Click Insert to insert selected slides or Insert All to insert all of the slides in the file.
You can use countdown slides before a seminar, too, to let people know when to sit down and pay attention. Add music or even insert spoken announcements to catch people's attention.
Countdown slides are no guarantee against stragglers coming back late, but I've found it means fewer people starting to sit when you have already started your presentation.
