Drawing its name from the Japanese word for the sound of “chit chat,” PechaKucha (pronounced Petch-aa Koo-chaa) is a worldwide phenomenon that began over 15 years ago in Tokyo and that can now claim regular events in over 1,000 cities across the globe.
The PechaKucha format uses a quick and concise 20×20 presentation that allows each presenter to show 20 images for 20 seconds each. Presenters share their stories as the images transition automatically. Every presentation lasts just 6 minutes and 40 seconds.
You can learn more about PechaKucha and its history on the PechaKucha International website.
PechaKucha Night Burlington
PechaKucha Night Burlington (or “PKN Burlington”) is a visual storytelling event that celebrates the creative power and diversity of our community here in Burlington, across Vermont, and beyond.
Since our inception in 2010, we’ve hosted 30 (and counting!) PechaKucha Nights, featuring over 260 unique presentations. We’ve held events at the University of Vermont’s Fleming Museum of Art, Burlington City Arts, Shelburne Museum, ECHO-Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Main Street Landing and FlynnSpace.
We host 3 shows annually, all at FlynnSpace. See below for details.
Presentation Archive
The power of PechaKucha doesn’t end on the evening of the event. Head to our youtube channel for more 6:40 snapshots of Vermont creativity, captured by our partners at Media Factory.
Additionally, we upload recordings of our local presentations to the international PechaKucha Night website, where you can see tens of thousands of other presentations from around the globe.
Anyone can present – that’s the beauty of PechaKucha!
Depending on the amount and variety of submissions we receive for our next event, we may contact you to see if you’re okay with presenting at a later event. We appreciate your commitment and will carefully select presenters for our next event to maximize diversity.
Making a PechaKucha presentation is simple. We promise!
First, think of something you’re passionate about that you want to share. The key to a great presentation is to present something you love…your passion. It could be your latest creative work, a fascination you have about something, or a story you wish to tell. We always give the advice of “more passion than pitch.” If it sounds like a sales pitch or promotional gab, then PechaKucha is the wrong forum. Good PechaKucha presentations are the ones that uncover the unexpected – unexpected talent, unexpected ideas. Some PechaKucha presentations tell great stories about a project or a trip. Some are incredibly personal, some are incredibly funny, but all are very different, and they turn each PechaKucha Night into a memorable event.
Next, map out your general idea with a pen and paper and a new folder on your computer where you can collect the 20 images that will help you share your story.
Once you have your presentation outlined and images selected, it’s time to build your presentation. We’ve created a Google Slides presentation template that you can use to populate your presentation and share with us. Here are step-by-step instructions on to how to do that.
And that’s it! (Oh yeah, we also suggest practicing a bit…)
For some folks 20 seconds speeds by, for others it is an eternity. A few practice run throughs can help get your timing down and keep the presentation flowing.
We usually host PechaKucha Night four times a year – in the winter, spring, summer, and fall.
Doors open at 6:30pm and the event starts at 7:00pm. We usually have 10-12 presenters with a brief 15 minute intermission (beer, drink, or bathroom break!) after the first five or six presenters. The average PechaKucha Night runs about two hours.
Purchase tickets in advance via the events section below.
PechaKucha Night Burlington is a non-profit, as is the international organization. Admission fees help cover our facility rental costs, filming expense, and outreach. $1 of each admission fee goes to support PKN International.
PechaKucha Night Burlington is a 501(c)(3) organization made up of a small, but mighty team of community volunteers who meet throughout the year to plan and put on our events.
We’re always looking for passionate volunteers to join the team. If you’re interested in joining us, please fill out this form, or email us at hello@pknburlington.com.
