Attendees...
...You can vote with your feet, but you don’t have to
If you’re an audience member, you are allowed to take control of the session. You don’t just have to show your dissatisfaction by walking out. In rare instances, attendees can interrupt, but most don’t because they’re too embarrassed or think it’s insulting. Don’t feel that way. You paid a lot of money to be there and you should get the value you paid for. If the session is really inappropriate or severely off topic, chances are your fellow attendees will feel the same way. But this is really a judgment call. Don’t do it liberally.
For example, I was at one session about podcasting that was entitled “Do’s and Don’ts of Podcasting from Top Podcasters.” It was a one hour session and the moderator let the panel of seven (uggh) all talk about themselves. They ate up 20 minutes of a one hour session. I could have walked out, but I wanted to learn from these podcasters. So I just raised my hand in a very silent crowd (it was obvious everyone was bored) and said, “This panel is entitled, ‘Do’s and Don’ts of Podcasting from Top Podcasters.’ We’ve just wasted 20 minutes and I haven’t heard a single do or don’t. You all have knowledge we don’t have, so could each one of you please offer a single do and a single don’t from your experience as a podcaster?” The room was ecstatic, and as a result the conversation shifted and became valuable for everyone.
A successful session results in a rush to the stage to talk to the speakers. To get more time with them and to not be locked in that trap…
