The Pecha Kucha presentation format has gained popularity in the past few years for its fast pace and fixed duration. It was designed to prevent presenters from digressing and going on tangents which would lead to long presentations.

What Is Pecha Kucha?

Pecha Kucha is a style of presentation from Japan. It was popularized by two architects from Tokyo in 2003. Since then, a community has formed around this style of presentation. Pecha Kucha nights are organized in some cities regularly. These events have reached more than 900 cities worldwide according to PechaKucha.org

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The 20 x 20 Slides Approach

Pecha Kucha literally means chit chat. It uses the 20 x 20 presentation format. 20 slides appear for only 20 seconds each. This approach results in a presentation which is 6 minutes and 40 seconds long. It is like a conversation, but more organized.

Topics Suited for Pecha Kucha

Due to the nature of this presentation format, it is typically not used for business presentations. However, there are some ways to use this presentation format to fulfill business presentation needs as well.

1. Determine The Overall Purpose of the Presentation 

First, you must determine your purpose. Just like a conversation, you should have a clear purpose. Since it is a very short 6 minutes and 40 second presentation, you can’t talk about a lot of things. Make sure to have one main point and present it in the time provided, all slides pointing towards one clear idea or analysis.

2. Only One Point Per Slide

You don’t have the option to use a lot of slides since you’re only allowed to use 20 slides and 20 seconds per slide. Therefore, only make one simple and clear point per slide.

3. Practice Transitioning from One Topic to Another

Having a small amount of time means that you can’t spend time explaining something in detail. Since the slides will be changing automatically after 20 seconds each, you’ll need to transition from one topic to another on the fly. This is also where having a few topics in the presentation will help.

Find a Pecha Kucha Near You

Check out PechaKucha.org to go to an event near you; organize one of your own; or check out one of the many recordings available online.

This specific format might not become the standard anytime soon, but shorter and more conversational presentations are gaining popularity as the art of presentation continues to evolve in response to contemporary needs.

Have Fun!