I’ve never given a presentation (or attended one) where there is sufficient time for questions from the audience.  It is too frequently the one piece of every session that gets cut short, and all too often is the reason a conference schedule gets thrown out of wack, shortchanging the presenters at the end of the day.

At your next event, try something different:  Dump the Q and A.  Instead, designate a room where the speakers from each session will go for the hour following their presentation.  Tell the attendees that if they wish to ask questions, meet the speakers, or just continue the discuss the themes raised in the session, they should move to that room.  Make sure the room is comfortable, and (if you can) arrange all the chairs in a large circle.  Add a skilled facilitator if you’d like to keep the conversation moving forward and a scribe to collect the ideas generated.

There are several benefits to this approach:

• Like-minded attendees get a chance to meet one another as well as the speakers in a more collegial atmosphere.
• Attendees who may not want to ask a question in front of a large room will be more likely to do so in a small one.
• Because the questions and answers must no longer be accommodated in the schedule, sessions can be shorter. 
• Conference organizers get real-time, unbiased feedback on what (and who) attendees liked.
• Attendees who didn’t like the session get to move on more quickly to the next one and remain engaged in the event.

What do you think?  As a conference attendee, would you like this approach?