Maddie recently wrote a post about Tweckling (Twitter heckling) and Maggie McGary left a great comment with a link to Dana Boyd’s personal experience as a speaker at Web2.0 Expo. Lisa Junker also picked up Dana’s post on Acronym. Dana had some very specific, preventable issues that conference organizers can learn from, and I think it’s worth spelling it out here.
“A week before the conference, I received word from the organizers that I was not going to have my laptop on stage with me.”
Really? Why not? What difference did it make to them?
“I only learned about the Twitter feed shortly before my talk.”
Huh? That needs to be communicated early and often. And she should have had the option to have it turned off during her talk.
“When I walked out on stage, I was also in for a new shock: the lights were painfully bright.”
Perfect. So right now, she can’t see the Twitter stream, she can’t see the audience, and all she knows is that people are laughing at all the wrong times. Ugh. Anyone would get rattled.
“The Twitter stream was initially upset that I was talking too fast. My first response to this was: OMG, seriously? That was it?”
If she’d known the problem was so minor, she wouldn’t have gotten rattled–which just made the problem worse. Who had her back? Couldn’t someone have given her the feedback she needed, when she needed it?
Twitter backchannels are an important trend. But don’t forget to prep your speakers. Even if you don’t plan to have a live Tweet-to-screen feed, you should still plan–as Maddie suggests in her post–to have someone monitoring who is prepared to step in to help.
By the way, I don’t think having a Twitter feed up during a session is a bad thing, necessarily. It depends on the audience, the nature of the presentation, and how the speakers interact with the stream. At Buzz2009, we had the Twitter stream up throughout. It was a nice way for attendees in the room to see who else was engaged from around the country. But it was not as prominent and overwhelming as the Web2.0 Expo example.
What have you guys been doing to prep speakers? Can’t wait to hear.
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52 responses to "Preparing Speakers for Audience 2.0"
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I’ve been thinking about that incident a lot since last week, and it truly upset and angered me.
Most of what you say, Lindy, I agree with. But conference organizers have screwed up since the beginning of time. So issues about the laptop, the lights, etc., have happened before and will happen again, because human beings run these things, and we make mistakes. We always will.
What turned careless mistakes into a disaster was the stupid decision to display the back channel behind the speaker. I say “stupid,” because the organizers should have known better. We’ve all read about other events with publicly displayed back channels that disrupted events, disrespected speakers, and brought dishonor to the people attending. This should not have been a surprise.
The lesson is to NEVER display a back channel behind the speaker. The event becomes about the back channel, and the speaker becomes the side show. It’s s cruel trick played on the speaker for the amusement of the audience, some of whom may or may not had the emotional maturity of adolescents.
More important, people can’t effectively take in both experiences at the same time – and recent studies have debunked the myth of productive multitasking.
Back channels? If you want it, go for it. But keep it in the background. It’s not the event; it’s a complement to the event. If you want to discuss, at least give the speaker the courtesy of your attention for 30 or 60 minutes. You might actually learn something if you listen to someone’s voice other than your own.
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More on the backchannel: Preparing Speakers for Audience 2.0 http://bit.ly/5bqehG #sciwri09 #heweb09 [hey, somebody should write a book...]
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Preparing speakers for audience 2.0 (by @lindydreyer) http://ow.ly/HPj6
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RT @maddiegrant: Socialfishing: Preparing Speakers for Audience 2.0 (http://bit.ly/6okmXa) #socialfish http://bit.ly/6okmXa
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Preparing Speakers for Audience 2.0: Maddie recently wrote a post about Tweckling (Twitter heckling) and Maggie.. http://bit.ly/7d63rx
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RT @lindydreyer: Preparing Speakers for Audience 2.0 http://ff.im/-cjM1R [Followed by a fairly cranky comment from me.]
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I see where you’re coming from, Frank. Just to play devil’s advocate for a moment–at the Web2.0 Expo, the backchannel was pretty mainstream. I wonder how much it would have mattered that it was on the back wall. Wouldn’t enough people in the audience have seen it and taken part in the tweckling anyway? I’ve seen it happen. Also, there are some situations where the interaction between the audience is absolutely more meaningful than what’s going on at the front of the class. A good speaker can tap into that and bring out the backchannel interaction for the good of the order.
I’d submit that having the backchannel projected behind the speaker is not always evil. But you do need a purpose.
Having the backchannel projected behind the speaker isn’t evil, but it’s definitely unfair, especially if the speaker isn’t told until right before the presentation. You need to know to be ready for it if you want to successfully integrate it into the session.
And, it should be where the speaker can see it. If they can’t, it’s the equivalent of putting your fingers in the “vee” shape behind someone’s head in a photo.
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FrankFortin
Love your cranky comment, @frankfortin.
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<great stuff from @SocialFishFood as always!>
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While I don’t discount Danah’s harsh learning experience, as a event professional and conference organizer, I would never secure her as a speaker. Who is the presentation for? The audience or the presenter?
That’s where the real fault lies at the beginning…Danah should not be presenting. To me, the entire situation misses the point that Danah is better as a writer and researcher than a speaker. Her presentation was not for her audience. It was for her and it’s clear as she stated that she usually reads her presentations. Reading presentations if for book signings not conferences. That’s a major “don’t” in the presentation world. I left a hard and strong comment on her site – Here is part of it…
Danah:…Let’s assume for a second that the “backchannel” had not happened. You would have delivered your presentation thinking you were doing a great job meeting your attendees’ needs. Your audience would have sat quietly and you would not have had an emotional highjack. However, you would have been deceived because in reality you were not meeting your audience’s needs. You lost their attention within the first few minutes. Your audience was thinking, “Slow down,” and you were not doing it. You would have walked out with a false sense of accomplishment…
Speaking is a skill that is deveoloped through study and experience. What’s happening for the first time in conferences and events is that the speaker is having to deal with “real time” information from the attendee. It’s as if the speaker can suddenly see thought bubbles above each attendee’s head with how they are reacting to the presentation. If someone wants to become a speaker, they should get some formal training, coaching and event tips from improv actors. Then they could manage “real-time information” along with their presentation.
I have attended many events where the back channel was not displayed behind the speaker, but only on my iphone or netbook. What I found is when I was reading or typing on twitter, I missed stuff the speaker was talking about. Sure I enjoyed the back channel, and it’s my choice to set my focus, but that’s my choice (and it doesn’t affect the speaker). So the question on this point is “can I as an attendee focus on both and learn?”
I haven’t yet attended an event with the twitter feed displayed behind the speaker so I cannot speak to that, but agree with all the comments above – Especially the comment… “The event becomes about the back channel, and the speaker becomes the side show.”
As a college hockey coach for 10 years, I have had to talk in front of people (my team) hundreds of times. There is nothing worse when there is a distraction and your audience is not focused on you as the presenter. I can’t imagine any speaker EVER wanting a back channel displayed behind them.
Maybe the best way to experience how a speaker feels is to wait til your spouse is talking to you about a family vacation, then turn on the TV, flip on the travel channel (behind her)… half listen to her while half watch the TV and see how she reacts.
My suggestion (idea) is to have a room moderator on the backchannel monitoring it… And make sure the speaker is aware there is a backchannel and if something floats to the top on the backchannel agree to have the moderator chime in to lead/guide the speaker (e.g., mr speaker… a few people are asking about …. and have the speaker address those topics)… or just address backchannel issues online.
Good topic Lindy!
More great comments on the post about backchannels and tweckling. Thanks @ceciliasepp, @jeffhurt and @chrisuschan. http://bit.ly/6okmXa
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I have limited experience with Twitter Backchannels. I have only seen one used (or something like it) at one event. However, it was administered by a colleague of the presenter. It did not give information in real-time; it showed the best tweets at regular intervals.
Two points about Danah’s experience and mine.
1. Danah was at the Web 2.0 Expo. She should have been ready for some kind of Web 2.0 interaction, where informal discussions are appropriate or expected. Even while speaking at more traditional events, I have quickly realized that my crowd was laughing AT me… and I have had the agony of realizing too late. To insure a speaker is informed, s/he must look back at the Backchannel screen, or s/he will quickly become a clown on stage.
2. I agree with @JeffHurt. Reading a presentation is not a good idea at a conference. Especially when it’s Web 2.0, I would want to use more tools and methods of getting people engaged.
3. EDUCATE! Every presenter should take a class in Educational Psychology. Presentations should be about learning. *If students/listeners can not use the new ideas of a presenter and put them into action, real education has NOT occurred.* Presenters, read the last sentence again, please!
If you want some ideas about how to implement Educational Psychology into your presentations, E-mail or Tweet me.
Whoops — it was three points, not two.
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Good post about preparing speakers for backchannel by @socialfish http://bit.ly/4CXvS6
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RT @kanter Good post about preparing speakers for backchannel by @socialfish http://bit.ly/4CXvS6
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RT @kanter Good post about preparing speakers for backchannel by @socialfish http://bit.ly/4CXvS6
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RT @kanter: Good post about preparing speakers for backchannel by @socialfish http://bit.ly/4CXvS6 #uwmcdm
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Great idea for speakers to take clues on improv from drama school. Don’t think a backchannel is ever going to work with a speech that is read. Speakers really are going to have to deal with backchannel because it’s not going away. I confess I find it entertaining and engaging, adding another level to presentations. As others have mentioned, where there is an opportunity for a colleague, MC or person other than the speaker to monitor the backchannel and raise key themes or questions coming through, that’s ideal and could be woven into the format of the presentation. If it’s a keynote that’s more difficult and that’s where improv. skills will come in, imho.
Backchannels pros and cons: RT @kanter Good post about preparing speakers for backchannel by @socialfish http://bit.ly/4CXvS6
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RT @kanter Good post about preparing speakers for backchannel by @socialfish http://bit.ly/4CXvS6 (via @suzieis)
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RT @kanter: Good post about preparing speakers for backchannel by @socialfish http://bit.ly/4CXvS6
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RT @kanter: Good post about preparing speakers for backchannel by @socialfish http://bit.ly/4CXvS6
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RT @kanter: Good post about preparing speakers for backchannel by @socialfish http://bit.ly/4CXvS6
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RT @kanter: Good post about preparing speakers for backchannel by @socialfish http://bit.ly/4CXvS6
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Preparing Speakers for Audience 2.0 — SocialFish http://bit.ly/8GGmif #postrank #frienderati
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Great post by @lindydreyer bonus…connects 2 other gr8 posts Preparing Speakers 4 Audience 2.0 http://bit.ly/6okmXa #socialfish
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Preparing Speakers for Audience 2.0 by @lindydreyer [Gr8 tips in comments for #eventprofs & #speaker] http://ow.ly/Tn1b
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RT @JeffHurt: Preparing Speakers for Audience 2.0 by @lindydreyer [Gr8 tips in comments for #eventprofs & #speaker] http://ow.ly/Tn1b
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Without actually being there to experience Dana’s presentation, I’m not going to render judgment on whether she should be speaking or not. But reading the comments on her post about the experience, however, suggest he has a lot of fans who think she’s a great speaker. And I don’t think reading a talk is 100% evil — IF — and it’s a big one — it matches the participants’ expectations or it best serves the content. At some conferences it’s actually the norm and doing anything but that would be out-of-place or less welcome.
I think the backchannel example is just a new (and significant) wrinkle in the conversation speakers and sponsoring organizations need to have in advance: What is the learning experience we want to be creating, what are our respective roles in creating it, and what are the critical logistics for its creation? I present 50-75 times a year and almost without fail, if i don’t bring up those questions, the conversation isn’t going to occur. Education directors and meeting planners simply have to own the outcomes of their entire conference and engage the supporting cast (invited speakers, paid speakers, SMEs, and the like) in creating the ideal experience. Speakers can’t be the only artistic directors, managing directors, and stage managers for their event.
I haven’t read it yet, but Cliff Atkinson’s new book, The Backchannel, http://www.backchannelbook.com/, is in my briefcase for my next flight. i’ sure he can inform our thinking in this area.