It’s official.  I’m on the Gelato diet — I may have invented it.  Every noon I am absolutely committed, no matter how difficult a sacrific it is, I give up salads and sandwiches to walk to the center of Wellesley and spend $4 at Rosie’s Bakery for a cup of the most delicious Gelato imported straight from Italy.  It’s as close as you can get to heaven on earth.  

My obsession is now so complete, I’m thinking not only about how to consume Gelato, but to BE gelato.

Seriously though, it made me wonder- what if you could be the Gelato of the business presentation world- a memorable, wonderful experience?  What can Gelato teach us about making great presentation?   

Gelato, or the plural Gelati, is Italian ice cream made from milk and sugar, combined with other flavorings. The gelato ingredients  are frozen while stirring to break up ice crystals as they form. Like high-end ice cream, gelato generally has less than 35% air, resulting in a denser and more flavourful product.

In a “Gelato presentation” - you would father together fresh, rich information and combine it carefully through a process that made it flavourful.  You would “present it” in a beautiful glass “vase” or package, and audiencees would never forget you; they would seek you out and pay any price to listen to you.

Just to carry this analogy to the extreme, I looked up how Gelato is made.  I went to the source of all sources — Wikipedia –(Smile) to learn that Gelato is typically made with FRESH fruit or other FRESH ingredients such as chocolate (pure chocolate, flakes, chips, etc.), nuts, small confections or cookies, or biscuits. 

The Gelato presentation has FRESH information - something NEW - something your audience hasn’t heard, doesn’t know.  That enlivens their brains, the way Gelato enlivens the taste buds.

Traditionally, milk based gelato originated in northern Italy,  while the fruit and water based sorbetto came from the warmer parts of southern Italy.  Either way, it comes from Italy, the food mecca of the world.

What we know about Italy and food - is they take it seriously.  Food is life.  That’s why real Italian food reigns.  When we take the creation of our presentation as seriously as Italians do their food, we put our heart and soul into every bite. 

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What you want to create with a presentation is rich visual imagery and a lasting impression.   When people walk away, they should have a picture, a taste, a feeling about you and your topic.

Put your heart and soul into the next presentation — and treat your audience to a rich, fresh, memorable experience.

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