Main Topic: A Very Different Emphasis in Conferences & Meetings

Hosts: James Stanworth, Clyde Warden

Guest: Robert Reynolds, Ph.D.

High-Tech, But Boring

One interesting aspect of life in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore is how making rules for everything seems to be the standard approach to all issues. When students need to get more excited about their studies and increase their feeling of esprit de corps, the standard response is to require attendance to some activity and require everyone to have fun. All is documented in detail with video and photos. Later, the evidence is enthusiastically pointed to as proof positive of the increased esprit de corp. This authoritarian approach to issues is often a bit of a shock to Westerners. At conferences and meetings we can see these issues surface. The mind numbing presentations given, often by junior researchers standing in for their masters, is very difficult going at times.

Our team has sat through innumerable such meetings and presentations, but for Clyde, the best was when a professor was invited to give a lecture on making interesting presentations. During the presentation, the speaker was literally reading from the power point, on the screen, with his back to the audience. The text he was reading said that one should always face the audience and not read from the screen when making a presentation. No one in the room even raised an eyebrow though; the purpose to be there was not to actually listen and learn, but to sign in when entering so they could prove they attended the required presentation—proof of their esprit de corps.

The word is SCHMOOZE, or in Chinese, a better word is BAI BAI 拜拜.

The Show:

Photos:

1) Flowers and big signs at the entrance. 1) Flowers and big signs at the entrance.

2) Flower arrangements include wishes of success and show clearly who they are from. 2) Flower arrangements include wishes of success and show clearly who they are from.

3) Conferences in Asia tend to be very well organized at the front end. 3) Conferences in Asia tend to be very well organized at the front end.

4) Students, including grad. and Ph.D.s, man the sign in tables. 4) Students, including grad. and Ph.D.s, man the sign in tables.

5) Long scroll like papers are opened for special guests to sign in (vertically for Chinese characters). 5) Long scroll like papers are opened for special guests to sign in (vertically for Chinese characters).

6) Normal attendees get the small block area to sign in. 6) Normal attendees get the small block area to sign in.

7) More best wishes, this one from a president of another school. 7) More best wishes, this one from a president of another school.

8) I was searching if the flowers I had paid for showed up, but with so many, it was hard to find. 8) I was searching if the flowers I had paid for showed up, but with so many, it was hard to find.

9) Entrance to the keynote speech. 9) Entrance to the keynote speech.

10) Found the flowers from my company! 10) Found the flowers from my company!

11) High tech rooms are common in Asia. 11) High tech rooms are common in Asia.

12) Advanced conferencing devices are quite normal. 12) Advanced conferencing devices are quite normal.

13) These include headset jacks (used for translations), and Ethernet jack. 13) These include headset jacks (used for translations), and Ethernet jack.

14) Power, and other jacks--I'm not sure what they do. 14) Power, and other jacks--I'm not sure what they do.

15) One of the presenters, reading, reading, reading, reading. 15) One of the presenters, reading, reading, reading, reading.

16) In case you can't follow what she is saying, you can read it. 16) In case you can't follow what she is saying, you can read it.

17) While the presenter is reading, reading, reading. 17) While the presenter is reading, reading, reading.

18) Five minutes later; reading, reading, reading. 18) Five minutes later; reading, reading, reading.

19) Five minutes later, reading, reading, reading. 19) Five minutes later, reading, reading, reading.

20) A presenter from Australia starts his presentation. 20) A presenter from Australia starts his presentation.

21) Slides with figures and tables. 21) Slides with figures and tables.

22) Shots of the research location, from the air! 22) Shots of the research location, from the air!

23) The speaker moves away from the podium. 23) The speaker moves away from the podium.

24) Every conference has an MC, keeping things moving along. 24) Every conference has an MC, keeping things moving along.

25) Audience looking on. 25) Audience looking on.

26) With huge screens, it is hard to miss anything. 26) With huge screens, it is hard to miss anything.

27) The keynote speaker. 27) The keynote speaker.

28) Three huge screens assure no small gesture will be missed. 28) Three huge screens assure no small gesture will be missed.

29) Audience members can plug in and get work done. 29) Audience members can plug in and get work done.

30) A Western speaker, moving about, generating interest.30) A Western speaker, moving about, generating interest.

ConsumerCam:

Vid. 1) A mind-numbing presentation example by a student, representing her professor.
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Vid. 2) A typical example by a professor, a bit better, but still emphasis on reading.
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Vid. 3) A presenter from Australia, who starts out with Google Maps, to show where research location, and right away moves away from the podium.
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Vid. 4) Technical difficulties are SOP in Taiwan conferences.
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Vid. 5) Others have experienced this issue in Japan (from YouTube).

Show Links:

• How to make an interesting presentation (Clyde's online training).
  
• Some points to avoid boring presentations in the tech area.
  

Bottom Line:

• Flower arrangements at the doors, podium, and on lapels.
• Anyone can be asked to send flowers and support the conference.
• Its all about face and connections.
• Conferences tend to be very organized at the front-end.
• Very high technology rooms and equipment.
• Commonly, no one is in charge of the equipment, and it may not function.
• Taiwan’s leading research institute, Academia Sinica 中央研究院.
• Presentations are often made by underlings, and can be very boring.
• It is not uncommon for attendees to talk during presentations, walk in and walk out.