Lowly Overhead Projector Shines Again in Corporate Presentations

You figure it out. In this day of sophisticated, computerized, synchronized and what-have-you visuals, the fastest-rising sales curve belongs to the lowly overhead projector.

Yes, you read right. That same little light box with the mirrored extension arm that, along with the fold-up screen, has been a classroom staple for decades.

According to Vincent Hope, president of Hope Reports Inc., a Rochester, N.Y., newsletter that tracks corporate communication activities, the renewed popularity of the overhead projector is largely the result of a backlash against the high-tech budget-busting productions that have become commonplace among big business.

“People are looking for a lower-cost presentation, fewer bells and whistles,” Hope said. “This is a very recession-sensitive business, and when the pinch is felt, people want less Hollywood.”

Still, overhead projectors represent a small segment of the total $13.5 billion spent last year on corporate communications. The lead belongs to 35-mm. slides and multi-image slide presentations, which together account for 44% of the total, or about $6 billion.