It goes way faster than most people anticipate. Start quick and keep up with your slides.

Arrange to have vado there to hand you a full beer immediately after you come off stage because you WILL be out of breath!

Seriously, rehearse it on your computer and out loud a couple times.  It goes much, much faster than you expect, and if there are particular phrases you really want to include and/or have difficulty saying clearly out loud you want to be aware of them beforehand.  

Humor can't hurt, ever.

Are you talkign about the pre-fabs?!

Yeah,

The title idea is something along the lines of 'Architecture in the Garage - DIY, open source and prefabrication' - but pithier....

Be funny! And not too much info on one slide, like the others say, it goes very fast.

How to be funny about architecture:

http://www.cracked.com/article_18927_6-bizarre-ways-architecture-designed-to-ward-off-ghosts.html

http://www.cracked.com/article_17597_5-amazing-buildings-future-and-how-theyll-kill-you.html

http://www.cracked.com/article_19198_the-5-craziest-buildings-ever-proposed-with-straight-face.html

Its hard to say all you want - seems to go out of your head. But seeing your work projected in large size around you and getting a bit of appreciation is fab.

I've never done PK, but I have given research presentations that are timed.  As Paul and Donna suggest: rehearse using the same timing!  Rehearse more, then rehearse again.

My gigs are usually 20 minutes, much longer than the 20 x 20 seconds you'll have.  Still, I'm always surprised at how fleeting even that much time is relative to how much I want to cover.

This won't make your talk sound "canned," but it will prepare you for that relentless ticking clock that doesn't care that you haven't finished what you wanted to say.

One more thing: rehearse!  Oh, and have fun, too.  The more you prepare, the more you'll be able to relax and enjoy yourself.

having done two i would say prepare less than more in term of notes etc. As others have said the time flies.. having enough to say hasn't been the problem for me. just making sure it was exactly what you wanted in terms of narrative/arch.

Also, mine always seem to come off more comically than intended. Maybe a result of timing.... Not laughing at me but with my presentation.

Thanks all,

I am gradually getting a picture in my mind as to what to present. This one will be in a boxing ring...

did SF a few years ago.  remembering to breathe is the hardest part.

take a tip from american idol: do a shot of olive oil before you hit the stage.

Bluuuewwgghghaahhhh what does olive do?!?

I love olive oil. Bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar is a common weekend lunch in the dia household.

Its all set for Thursday night. Donna, if you got on a plane straight away you could probably make it. Auckland had snow yesterday, the first time since the year I was born - 1976.

Snow?  In August?!  You guys are nutty down there.  Wish I could make it, dia!

Not as nutty as you guys over there...

dia ain't that the truth!

Truthfully, you guys may be nutty or not, but the States is downright lunatic. Good luck with the PK!