Alyssa Henry talks with Matt Mulcahy after he presented at 140cuse.
Backstage the tables were lined with sleek monitors, laptops, iPads and guys with headsets. Cables streamed under the tables out the doors and through the ceiling connection a complex in-house television streaming operation. The 140cuse technical crew was in command of the video, power points, photos and microphones of 35 presenters sharing their stories about the way the real time web is changing how we communicate, interact and engage.
Out in the house giant video images projected on white stretched fabric behind the slightly elevated stage. Several hundred people filled the rows of chairs. Many of them had their heads down as they tapped out Tweets on iPhones and Droids. Others opened wafer thin laptops or poked at the flatscreens of their iPads. They had programs running like Hootsuite and Tweetdeck as they monitored and contributed to the rapid fire silent dialogue taking place as an undercurrent to the thought leaders who were sharing their stories on stage.
The speakers on the stage were subject to instant response and feedback. Rotten fruits and vegetables were checked at the door, but hashtags attached to tweets instantly rated the on stage performance. The real-time tweeters in the audience were the equivalent of sports play by play guys. They grabbed quotes, bits and bites of poignant, humorous and insightful moments from the presenters.
A clock reset to ten minutes every time the next expert took the stage. As soon as the masterful introduction from Professor Anthony Rotolo wrapped up the countdown began. Before saying hello each speaker was already down to 9:45. The forced pace demanded concise delivery or rapid speech. The spirit of brevity of expression inherent in the event title required focus and clarity. The most effective deliveries offered only a few ideas with specific examples.
140cuse was the first 140 conference on an American campus. It keeps Syracuse University's iSchool on the forefront of social media integration into our communication systems. By the way, it was a lot of fun too.
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