Conference Presenting – Rule 7 – Don’t Use Gimmicks

“You know the Segway, it was invented to solve a problem that didn’t exist” I’m paraphrasing a bit but that’s the gist of what a delegate said at a conference.

I don’t suppose one can argue with that, can you? Although fun, I can’t see any practical applications for the self-balancing two-wheeled electric vehicle.

Within a few minutes of the statement being made, the panel discussion ceased and a Q & A commenced. The facilitator decided to make use of a device called a Catch Box.

It’s a cubed box with a soft exterior with a microphone inside. It’s designed to be thrown at an audience member, who is meant to catch it and speak into the microphone. This is located on one of the panels.

As you can see, it looks a bit like a child’s toy and not the sort of thing you’d expect to see at a business event. The facilitator, after asking for the first question, threw the device about 20 feet towards a young woman in the audience. Mercifully, she caught it and asked her question. Once answered, she then had the onerous task of throwing the Catch Box to the next questioner. Some in the audience thought this was fun. One or two people on my table didn’t. A Q&A session is not meant to be playtime.

In my view, there are three reasons why Catch Box doesn’t work:

1. It’s an accident waiting to happen.
2. The facilitator/host loses control (read a recent post on Q & A sessions)
3. It adds nothing to the proceedings.

If you’re running an event which is business-related, one must come across as business-like and professional. So please, don’t use gimmicks like the Catch Box. Gimmicks are a distraction, they take away from the value of the event.

Tags: events

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