Have you participated in a conference or event back channel?
What’s a back channel you ask?
Open Back Channel picture from Guardain Activate09 source rooreynolds.com
A back channel is where attendees are texting or tweeting information about a presentation or event using SMS, a chat function or Twitter. The front channel, for lack of a better word and as opposed to a back channel, is the main presentation being delivered by the speaker.
Wikipedia has two different definitions of the back channel.
Wikipedia: Back-Channel: In public speaking
In public speaking, back-channeling is the practice of electronically passing notes among some or all of the audience/students during the lecture. When sanctioned, this practice is particularly useful for speakers who are attempting to dynamically modify their presentations based on immediate feedback from the audience… Meebo and Twitter are common back channeling devices, although any chat room style device works well.
Backchannel is the practice of using networked computers to maintain a real-time online conversation alongside live spoken remarks. The term was coined in the field of Linguistics to describe listeners’ behaviours during verbal communication, Victor Yngve 1970.
The term “backchannel” generally refers to online conversation about the topic or the speaker. Occasionally backchannel provides audience members a chance to fact-check the presentation.
First growing in popularity at technology conferences, backchannel is increasingly a factor in education where WiFi connections and laptop computers allow students to use ordinary chat like IRC or AIM to actively communicate during class.
So why should you encourage and use a back channel at your next conference or event?
1. To reach and communicate with virtual attendees who could not attend the face-to-face event.
2. To encourage attendees to take byte-size notes. In 140 characters if using Twitter. It also helps them synthesize and condense the presentation into content nuggets which are often more memorable than long spoken or written paragraphs of information.
3. As a form of audience engagement especially if the presenter is lecturing and primarily using one to many style of presentation. Encourage attendees to further discuss the presentation with each other
4. To market your event.
5. To allow attendees to ask the presenter questions and provide comments. Use an online application like Wiffiti and project the tweets or SMS to a screen for everyone to see. See Wiffiti Twitter screen example below.
6. To allow attendees to interact with the content. Some will look up definitions, other articles and additional links about the presentation, especially if they are inquisitive or need further clarification.
7. To allow attendees the ability to share additional resources and links related to the presentation.
8. To create a historical record and transcript of the presentation from many different perspectives. Go to WTHashtag , enter the conference hashtag, add date parameters and click the view transcript button. Then you have a transcript of the presenters information from the perspective of many attendees that were tweeting with the hashtag. This great tool allows attendees to read others views once the presentation is completed.
9. To listen to conference attendees and provide real time changes to the presentation or event.
10. To extend the life of the content and message besides a one-time hit of the presentation and reach a larger audience.
Bonus tip: Why should you use a back channel?
Because some of your attendees already are using it whether you want them to or not. They are going to talk about your conference, event or presentation using social media. Go ahead and encourage them to do that and you’ll have an audience that has a higher level of trust and respect of the presenters and conference organizers.
Additional Tips
A. If you’re using Twitter for your back channel, you’ll want to establish a hashtag of the conference and share it with others.
B. Then encourage attendees to use a third party twitter tool like Tweetchat, column in Tweetdeck, Tweetgrid, Twubs or WTHashtag to filter the noise and focus on the content coming from that conference or event.
C. You might also consider using image magnification of the back channel so the entire audience can view what is being said. Wiffiti is one of my personal favorites.
Add your reasons for a using a back channel in the comments below.
Bon Texting!
Hi Jeff – This is a great list. Here are some additional reasons that I have on my list:
(1) The backchannel helps integrate the online and the face2face audience. By allowing the online audience to share thoughts and ideas with the face2face audience, you can allow all participants to collaborate and communicate with each other. This is especially useful when you are live webcasting sessions.
(2) Improve and/or reinforce learning. E-learning experts say that students use the archived transcripts from the backchannel chat to review the questions, answers and additional resources that were presented during the sessions. This creates an alternative learning resource and helps the students learn more.
(3) Make better use of the Q&A time. One of the major challenges in face-to-face is the turn-taking that occurs during the Q&A sessions. One person asks a question, the microphone moves to the next person, etc. There is a lot of downtime. People either forget their questions or don’t get a chance to ask the questions. (3a) The backchannel allows the audience to ask questions when they think of them. (3b) Then the speaker can process more questions during the Q&A session than they would have been able to otherwise. (3c) Finally, for introverts or non-native english speakers that are not comfortable speaking in-front of a microphone the backchannel creates an opportunity for them to join the conversation.
Hope that this helps! I look forward to hearing additional ideas from others!
- Sam
[...] This post was Twitted by tojulius [...]
@SamSmith
Great additions to the list. I’m diggin your #2, improve and reinforce learning! Yes, yes, yes.
Great post, Jeff and great additions, Sam. What great resources you both are to the events community. I love the use of the back channel, even if I am not attending the event. I will always add a search column in my Tweetdeck, hoping to catch a few key takeaways that the attendees may tweet, and it also helps me to find more relevant people in the events business.
As a planner, I feel that the use of a back channel may end up being less of a choice, and more of a neccessity for resistent planners. Like you said, whether or not the organization is embracing social media, the attendees will likely be using social media in regards to the event somehow, be it Facebook, Twitter, or a blog, etc. It looks terrible to not be represented in these networks, and the use of a back channel embraces social media.
I was the lone wolf tweeting about IAEE SE Classic and hope that next year, that wont be the case. People were VERY interested in this use of social media though.
Thanks for the great post!!
Jeff and Sam, BRAVO!
When I’m attending an event IRL, I always find that I retain more of the knowledge when I can sit at my laptop and Tweet about the content with my virtual friends. It’s reminiscent of taking notes in college…and I used to fill up PAGES of notes for just one day of classes.
Twitter is a beautiful way to accommodate the needs of visual and tactile learners.
Also, I think one tiny but monumental word that’s (sort of) missing is “Networking”. You’ve definitely covered it with mentioning communication and engagement between all types of attendees, but the key word of networking reminds us that Social Media is a powerful business tool that allows people to connect on a professional level. Plus, a back channel permits laser-focused networking. We don’t have to fumble around a lounge gawking at name tags to try to find those five friends we had hoped to run into
The democratization of communication through socmed allows for a new b2b interaction. BigB can mimic LittleB and LittleB can actually get the attention of BigB.
It’s a beautiful thing for a small business owner like myself!
If I could add one more little thing?
It’s FUN!!
@GreenA_V
Midori Connolly
Pulse Staging and Events, Inc.
10 Reasons Why You Should Use A Back Channel At Your Conference…
“A back channel is where attendees are texting or tweeting information about a presentation or event using SMS, a chat function or Twitter… So why should you encourage and use a back channel at your next conference or event?” Jeff Hurt has 10 + 1 g…
@Christina – I agree that meeting planners may have less of a choice and more of a neccessity for using the back channel. I’m like you too, as a virtual attendee, I look for the takeaways from others tweeting from the event. It really boils down highpoints and gems that are worth remembering.
@Midori – My, my, my. How could I have forgetten the obvious: networking and fun! Thanks for adding those here and they are two excellent reasons too!
A back channel is a necessity! Associations are able to get to the pulse of what is happening in their meetings and conferences in real time. I love the fact that I can be moderating a conference and I’m able to address the concerns of the audience that are brought up virtually and in person. There’s no waiting to clarify points or misunderstandings. It brings so much more value to the attendees (live and online).
Isn’t is awesome that so many of us attend conference sessions via Twitter (not in person), and we are still able to contribute to the session.
Thanks Jeff for such relevant posts!
Glenn Thayer
The Voice Of Meetings & Events
@glennthayer
@Glenn – Thanks for stopping by and adding your comments. I greatly appreciate it.
As a presenter, you know the value of following a back channel during the presentation. As the meeting professional, I’ve learned to put a monitor in the floor for the presenter so they don’t have to turn around a look at a screen if we are using image magnification for a back channel stream, or so they don’t have to look at their lap top. I also have a moderator that helps the presenter keeping track of any questions that may have passed by that are good for the presenter to address.
I look forward to the day that I see you in action at a face-to-face event too!
[...] 7. Setup a Backchannel: Virtual participants need to lean over and whisper comments to their neighbor, too. So, use a backchannel to help them chat. This could be through the Hashtag or a private chat. If this is a commercial conference or an association conference – please use Twitter as part of your solution. It is much easier for everyone. (Backchannel Explained by Jeff Hurt) [...]
Jeff, another winning post! I’m a very focused person, so usually get more out of a presentation when not being distracted by the back channel and engaging directly. I’m all about F2F! With that said, I do see the benefits, especially as it pertains to extending the reach of your events with virtual participants.
Other main reasons for a back channel, echo Christina’s and others.
1) If the meeting host doesn’t create the back channel, the attendees will do it on their own. (not good community leadership)
2) Increasing interactivity, including virtual participants. More learning happens.
3) Connecting/Networking – OK I admit it. I follow people that ask really smart questions or give helpful advice from the back channel. Connections are everything in my/our business.
4) Real-time qualitative feedback. If you’re in charge of education, you’ll get a lot more info on whether to invite a speaker back by scanning the back channel than you will likely get from real surveys. (don’t tell my technology clients this one).
There also can be a dark and interruptive side to back channels. If I’m speaking and trying to monitor the back channel…and some jerk-off posts negative comments, incomplete thoughts or incorrect information, it can really take things off track for both the in-person and virtual participants. Back Channels need jerk-off filters!
@Dave Lutz (@VelChain)
Thanks for adding your comments. Yes, #4 is a great way to get some real time feedback and if that speaker is presenting a second time and the feedback was negative, you can try to make changes onsite quickly.
I also agree that it can be tough for a speaker to monitor the back channel although I think all speakers should know how to handle hecklers and negative comments during their presentation. I’m not a fan of filtering the back channel although I know there are some systems that allow that. I’m of the belief that you can’t control the conversation and hiding negative or unprofessional comments from the audience is a sign of a lack of transparency. I’ve watched online communities police the attendees on their own and manage “jerks” without the organizer’s assistance.
@Dave Lutz (@VelChain)
Thanks for adding your comments. Yes, #4 is a great way to get some real time feedback and if that speaker is presenting a second time and the feedback was negative, you can try to make changes onsite quickly.
I also agree that it can be tough for a speaker to monitor the back channel although I think all speakers should know how to handle hecklers and negative comments during their presentation. I’m not a fan of filtering the back channel although I know there are some systems that allow that. I’m of the belief that you can’t control the conversation and hiding negative or unprofessional comments from the audience is a sign of a lack of transparency. I’ve watched online communities police the attendees on their own and manage “jerks” without the organizer’s assistance.
Thanks again.
[...] Setup A Backchannel [...]
[...] media technologies will play a big role in this, as events will rapidly see as a basic requirement the integration of back-channels, the provision of digital facilities for participants to learn and contact each other [...]