Custom Shows and Hidden Backup Slides

The lobby loop needs only three slides; the full talk needs fourteen; Q&A may need a hidden fees slide nobody saw in rehearsal.

James Okonkwo creates Lobby Loop — slides 1–3 only — for automatic playback before 10:30. Slides 15–17 stay hidden with fee tables and SEND details until Dr. Helen Marsh jumps to them during questions.

Custom shows do not duplicate files. Hidden slides stay in NorthgateOpenDay.pptx but skip during the main show. Combine custom shows with rehearsed timings and Hide Slide for a complete delivery toolkit.

Fee structure and SEND support details matter to some parents but clutter the main flow.

• 1After the Contact slide, add Title and Content slides: Fees and bursaries, SEND support, Transport options.
• 2Add short bullets or tables — full policy text can live in speaker notes.
• 3Right-click each backup thumbnail → Hide Slide.
• 4Expected result: Slide numbers appear crossed out. Main Slide Show skips them.

When three parents ask about fees, show the hidden slide instead of reading numbers from notes.

• 1During Slide Show on any slide, press Ctrl+S (or right-click → Go to Slide).
• 2Select Fees and bursaries from the list → Go to.
• 3After discussing fees, advance to Contact or press Ctrl+S again.
• 4Expected result: Hidden slide appears on screen when chosen from Go to Slide.

Fix: If a hidden slide is not listed, confirm the slide is hidden, not deleted.

Reception can run the short loop without scrolling past the full deck.

• 1Click Slide Show → Custom Slide Show → Custom Shows.
• 2Click New. Name it Lobby Loop.
• 3Select slides 1, 2, and 3 in the left list → Add → OK.
• 4Select Lobby Loop → Show to test.
• 5Expected result: Lobby Loop plays only three slides.

Tell James Okonkwo the exact custom show name. Reception staff should run Lobby Loop, not From Beginning, on Open Day morning.

The main 10:30 talk should flow Welcome → Tours → Apply → Contact without fee slides unless requested.

• 1Slide Show → Custom Slide Show → Custom Shows → New.
• 2Type Open Day Main.
• 3Add slides 1 through 14 (or all visible slides). Do not add hidden fee/SEND slides.
• 4Optional: Slide Show → Set Up Slide Show → Show slides → Custom show: Open Day Main.
• 5Expected result: Open Day Main runs the public flow; hidden slides stay available via Go to Slide.

During Open Day Main Slide Show, hidden slides are skipped unless you jump to them with Go to Slide. Hide is reversible — the slide is not deleted. Hidden slides are full slides with content, not notes-only pages.

Example — Create a named slide list for the lobby: Slide Show → Custom Slide Show → Custom Shows → New builds a named playlist such as Lobby Loop. Design → Variants changes colours; File → Export saves a copy — neither creates custom shows.