[QUOTE=Digital Stimulus]
Certainly! I feel like I’m casting a pall over this, which I don’t mean to do. So, an attempt at levity:
Yes, a relevant Simpsons clip would likely go over well… 
[/QUOTE]
Our keynote speaker last year was one of the founders of Nvidia, and, yes the animation went over well.
[QUOTE=Ol’Gaffer]
This seems like a good time to post Geoff Pullum’s Five Golden Rules. Words to live by!!
[/QUOTE]
Excellent rules.
On questions, I’ve noted that maybe ten people out of five hundred ask 25% of the questions. (I’m one of them.) Anyone else notice this?
We try to get someone primed to ask a question, if no one else does. I’ve seen some conferences request the speaker produce some, but these are usually so detailed that it is obvious they are a plant. Usually the session chair asks one if no one else does, but unless he or she is really involved, they don’t inspire follow ups. I usually try to get the session moderator (the PC member responsible for the session) to ask one from the back of the room as a more credible shill.