The format is transformational because it addresses, not just the person's speech, but the entire individual. At the same time, the situation is made totally safe by the particular ways in which the audience supports the speaker. It is this combination of risk and safety that has such a powerful impact. Let's begin with how the room is set up. In the ideal setting, there is a microphone, a floodlight trained on the speaker, and a camcorder so that each person's talk can be videotaped.
Some groups even have a small collapsible platform that they set up just for the meeting.
These props help to create the experience of a real public speaking situation. The Speaking Freely program, can also be run effectively without all these components, but if you can provide them, they are useful in adding a measure of realism. The venue can be someone's living room or a small public room. Every week, you bring your own videotape on which your talks for the evening are recorded. You then take the tape home at the end of the evening to view at your leisure.