Like any good presentation, yours should have a theme that carries the judges through the entire install and ties it all together. I like to go through the car front to back, taking the judges from the engine compartment to the interior and finally to the trunk, highlighting the finer points of my system. Focus on the concept of your system, whether it is a stealth approach, a wild custom job, or a combination of both. Come up with a catchy introduction that grabs the judge's attention right away and sets you apart from all of the other cars they will judge that day. I also like to finish by thanking the judges for their time, for which they receive very little money. Don't be afraid to use props to get your point across either-an example of the steel used in your amp rack, or the special conduit you used to protect your wiring, for example. If you actually let the judges touch it, they get a sense of how solid and durable the material is, driving that point home in their minds. Take a picture of a nice hidden aspect of your system, have it blown up, and hand it to the judges when you talk about it so they can see what you are talking about. Grab your amp rack and rock the car side to side to show how solid it is. These visual elements will always impress the judges and make your system stand out.
If you've ever wandered over to the Pro or Expert area at a larger show, you will be blown away by the lengths these competitors go to impress the installation judges. Many guys use a computer to display a Powerpoint presentation, giving the judges a lot of eye candy. Another popular technique is to have the presentation recorded onto a CD, then played through the system while the competitor points out the details.
I've even seen some cars that have lighting or motorization timed to work with the presentation. In my BMW, we had a custom DVD produced for my presentation, so I just hit play and let the video monitors throughout the car tell the story. The point here is that the sky is the limit, so try to come up with a creative presentation that impresses the judges. Even if you don't have an unlimited budget, your creativity will go a long way towards getting your car noticed.
That's all for this month, keep those questions coming to Sbrown@alpine-usa.com, and I'll see you in the lanes.