Logitech backs NZD $5,500 speaking scholarship in Auckland

Logitech and Naked Audience have launched a NZD $5,500 scholarship for presentation training in Auckland. The initiative centres on a two-day masterclass led by Executive Public Speaking Coach Miriam Chancellor.

The scholarship will fund one professional to attend Chancellor's Presentation Mastery Masterclass, which focuses on message development, delivery, and handling questions in front of an audience. Applicants must complete a short question-and-answer process and may also submit a one-minute video explaining why the course would matter to their career.

The announcement coincides with Logitech's New Zealand launch of its Spotlight 2 presenter device, designed to help speakers manage the practical aspects of presenting while keeping their attention on the audience.

Miriam Chancellor, Founder of Naked Audience, said she has seen a growing gap between polished presentation materials and authentic delivery as more professionals use artificial intelligence tools to prepare what they say.

“The mistake I see most is people letting AI write the presentation for them. They get up to deliver it and the words are not theirs, so it comes out sounding like something they would never actually say, which means the message ends up with the personality of a potato,” Chancellor said.

She said AI can still play a useful role in sharpening ideas and identifying key points, but argued that spoken delivery should remain personal.

“AI is very good at refining a message and helping you work out what your key points really are. It should not write the thing you stand up and say. The more AI there is around us, the more we crave the human in the room,” she said.

Human delivery

Chancellor works with senior professionals and leadership teams on board presentations, high-stakes pitches, conference talks, and difficult question-and-answer sessions. In her view, stronger automation in communication has increased the value of live speaking skills rather than reduced it.

“Being good at something and being able to speak effectively on it are two very different skills. They should be complementary but, in my experience, they rarely are.

The most common thing I see is people over-preparing the words and under-preparing the delivery. Speaking well is a learned skill. A little training goes a long way,” Chancellor said.

That reflects a wider debate over how far workplace communication should be delegated to generative AI. Many office workers now use such tools to draft slides, speeches, and briefing notes, but presentation coaches and trainers warn that software-generated language can flatten individual tone and make delivery less convincing.

For Logitech, the scholarship also links a hardware launch to a broader discussion about how people present in meetings, pitches, and public forums. Spotlight 2 includes haptic feedback for cues, digital highlighting for on-screen emphasis, and guided breathing through vibration pulses before a talk.

Jamie Hall, Country Manager for New Zealand at Logitech, said the device was built to assist presenters rather than substitute for the judgment and presence effective speaking requires.

“Technology should give people more confidence to communicate without getting between them and their audience,” Hall said.

“Spotlight 2 can support the mechanics of presenting, but technology can only take you so far. Knowing how to shape an idea, read a room, and deliver it with confidence still comes down to the person,” he said.

Training market

The scholarship highlights continuing demand for executive communication coaching, particularly among managers and specialists whose roles increasingly require them to explain ideas clearly in high-pressure settings. Companies often invest in technical expertise first, but communication training remains a common gap for people moving into leadership or client-facing positions.

In that context, Naked Audience's course is aimed at professionals who want structured feedback on how they present, not just what they present. The funded place covers the full course fee for the winner.

All applicants will also be entered into a draw to receive a Spotlight 2 presenting device. The successful candidate will attend the masterclass at Woodhouse Lodge in Kourawhero, north of Auckland.