International Association of Speakers Bureaus Convention

Last week when I attended the International Association of Speakers Bureaus convention, we used a similar technique as to what Jim Carroll talks about in his article below. They gave us a number to text to and it instantly recorded our answers and projected them on the screen. It was a great way to get our feedback and show it immediately.
 
Here is an article and even video clip showing how you can use texting at your conferences.
 
 
What happens when 250 high school students are told to text in class?
By Jim Carroll: Author, columnist, nice guy
Futurist, innovation and trends expert
 
 
They get a rush of excitement — and participate in the text message polling service that I often use to provide for interactivity from the stage.
 
This is something you need to watch….
 
I was recently asked by my son to speak to 250 grade 12 kids at his school about the future of their careers. Although I can easily get in front of 5,000 people in Las Vegas, I was a little intimidated about speaking to this audience — after all, this generation is not known for having the longest attention span.
 
So I opened the talk by asking them a question related to the future of their careers. Watch what happens:
 
http://www.vimeo.com/22125235
 
It’s fascinating to watch the results flood into the screen…. as they use their cell phones to text in their answer….
 
Here’s the thing — we all know that our clients are demanding more interaction from their speakers – whether in a workshop or an onstage keynote. I’ve been providing this interactivity for close to four years now, using a unique text message polling service.
 
I’ve put up a page that details how this works…
 
http://www.jimcarroll.com/keynotes-workshops/interaction-from-the-stage/
 
On this page, you can see how I used the text message polling service when on stage for 500 golf pros at my keynote for the Professional Golf Association of America 94th annual general meeting. Several folks came away from that event and said that the way I worked the insight of the room through the 5 polls I did through the keynote — made it one of the most effective presentations they’ve ever seen.
 
I now incorporate 4 or 5 polls throughout the average keynote, and I can tell you that this type of audience interaction is taking my keynotes to a fascinating new level …. particularly as the nature of the event and audience expectations change…
 
For more information on Jim Carroll, click on the following link
http://www.speakernow.com/espeakers/4071/Jim-Carroll.html