Bringing the Wrong Mac Projector Adapter to a Talk

I just got back from giving a talk off campus. I brought the wrong Mac adapter. 

 

What I meant to grab was the standard Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter. This is the dongle that I always bring. It plugs into the project VGA cable.

 

For some reason I grabbed my Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter. This is the dongle that is attached my external monitor. I had forgotten that my monitor is DVI, not VGA, and quickly grabbed this adapter before running off to the airport.

 

It is no fun to have the wrong dongle. 

 

My PowerPoint was looking good.  I had tweaked it the night before.  I had prepped and rehearsed and was ready to give a killer talk.  It wasn’t until I made it to the venue, pulled out my MacBook Air, and tried to connect my computer to the projector, that I realized that I had the wrong adapter.  

 

What do you do when you have the wrong projector adapter? 

 

What do you do when no one in the room has the correct dongle?

 

I thought about presenting without PowerPoint. Every time I present without PowerPoint the audience seems more engaged and more connected. But I had worked so hard on my slides. They were visual. They had few words. They packed an emotional punch. My slides were there to control the tempo of my presentation.  I wanted to use my slides.

 

Luckily, someone had a spare laptop. I always ask for a backup laptop to be available where I give my talks. Things go wrong. You need a plan B. I had my deck backed up on a USB stick. The PowerPoint played fine from the Windows machine. No dongle necessary.

 

The talk went great.

 

How many times have you forgot your adapter?  How many times have you brought the wrong dongle?