My guidelines for the use of technology in presentations are very simple. You should be able to give an effective presentation using nothing but your own voice and, perhaps, a drawing board and marker. If your presentation succeeds under such constraints then you can add almost anything else to it, such as outline slides, video clips, pictures and sound without damaging it too much. There are times you are forced to do presentations under the worst circumstances. I was still able to send the students away with a basic understanding of the Internet.
Communication is the goal.
While technology can help in communicating your ideas you should be able to do your presentation with the most limited resources. This is the best protection against technical problems that you can find. Picking the right player Nothing can ruin a presentation faster than picking the wrong player to deliver the pitch. Too often seniority and egos can influence the decision when the only thing that matters is skill. You have to overcome this bias and find the best person for the job.