A big stage changes everything — the lights are blinding, the space is massive, and a gesture that reads fine in a conference room barely registers to someone in the back row. The good news: with the right preparation, the big stage becomes an opportunity rather than a liability.

Here are five tips from iSpeak President Russ Peterson Jr., drawn from nearly three decades of working with speakers in large-venue settings:

1. Get big. On a large stage, your normal gestures disappear. What feels like an emphatic reach to your left looks like a slight arm movement to someone 50 rows back. Intentionally stretch and expand every gesture so the physicality of your delivery matches the scale of the room. It will feel exaggerated to you and read as confident to them.

2. Align your stop-and-go. Plan specific "marks" on the stage — hula-hoop-sized spots where you stop to deliver key points, especially your most memorable lines (what pros call "money lines"). Move between marks with purpose, not nervous pacing. Constant wandering signals anxiety; deliberate movement signals control. Tape on the floor is a common tool — pros use it to pre-plan where they'll stand for each critical moment.

3. Watch your step. Stage lights can wash out the edges of the platform entirely. Always walk the stage during rehearsal, note where the edges are, and plan your marks well away from them. This isn't overcaution — it's what every experienced stage speaker does.

4. Use your stance. Once you're on a mark, how you stand sends a message. A formal stance (equal weight on both feet) reads as confident and authoritative. A casual stance (weight shifted to one leg) reads as approachable and warm. Choose based on what the moment calls for. Avoid the crossover stance — legs crossed while standing — which reads as nervous or uncomfortable to almost every audience.

5. Beware the infinity hole. If the event uses imag (image magnification) technology — live close-up video of you projected on screens behind the stage — you can accidentally step in front of your own projection, creating a disorienting mirror-in-mirror effect. Walk the stage during rehearsal to identify where the imag cameras are pointing and where to avoid standing.

Why it matters: The big stage is often the highest-visibility speaking opportunity you'll have. The audience is larger, the stakes are higher, and small missteps are amplified. Speakers who prepare for the specific demands of large-venue speaking look significantly more polished and confident than those who don't.