At a recent keynote in London at the CPA Australia CPA Congress the audience were asking questions for more than 20 minutes after I had finished, and I was the last speaker of a long event held on a Saturday. Their questions were so good that I’m starting a series called #AskTheActionableFuturist.
Below you can watch the answers to an audience question about the uses for 5G and they include my #futurist predictions for 5G and AutonomousCars.
If you’re booking a keynote speaker, make them work for their fee and ask that they take questions as part of their engagement. Experienced presenters will allow 45 minutes for a keynote and the balance of their allotted time for Q&A.
The Q&A part of a speaking engagement is by far my most enjoyable part. Often audiences challenge my thinking which is what a Actionable Futurist needs to stay current and relevant by testing my theories and predictions on a commercial audience. It also shows how I can add real value to the event and showcase my experience and expertise on a particular topic – which is hopefully why I was hired in the first place.
I always offer to stay after my session to ensure those that did not want to ask a question in front of their management or peers have a chance to ask a question one-on-one. Great speakers will offer to do this as part of their engagement and not rush off when they’ve left the stage. I’ve had some amazing conversations (and booked new business) as a result of simply staying behind after my talk.
Expect more #AskTheActionableFuturist posts soon and if you have a burning question please do get in touch here via my contact page.