Practical things to help you to make your presentation fit:

Before the Presentation: Talk to the opinion formers

Before you start to prepare anyhting, do a bit of research among your audience. Ask a few of the more inluential people for the 3 most important things they'd like to get out of the presentation you're going to give them. How? Go and see them, ring them, e-mail them, talk to their PA's, but make the effort. Even if they can't really tell you what they want, they'll probably be able to give you a whole list of things that they don't want, and that gives you a real advantage when you get in fron to of them. What it if they don't respond at all? They'll know you tried and appreciate you for that.

If you really can't get to see the audience: Use your imagination

Ask yourself or a close colleague to think of the most difficult or embarrassing question that anyone of the likely audience could ask you, and prepare an outline of the presentation from that stand-point until you feel you have covered every possibility.

Draw up a list or a mind-map of all the things that you could include in your presentation and send it to your key audience members for them to highlight the key things they'd like you to concentrate on in your presentation.

Put yourself in the minds of the audience and ask yourself" If I was the Managing Director of this business, sitting in the audience, looking at me make this presentation. What are the key things I’d like to hear?" and prepare to answer those questions.