The “Typical Presentation” Game

Believe it or not, we are almost halfway done with the conference! I’m sure many of you have already settled into your conference routine. Often I find myself asking a fellow INFORMite (INFORMian? INFORMster?) how their day is going. If they are a longtime attendee, I often get a shrug and a comment about how the session was “typical.”

But to keep things fresh, allow me to present the “Typical Presentation” Game, to see which one of you has attended the most typical INFORMS session ever. Can you score a Typical 10? Keep yourself alert during this last session with this lighthearted little gimmick.

Award +1 if a presenter nervously asks “Is anyone coming?” before it starts.

+1 if there are technical difficulties at the start of the presentation

+1 if 5+ people rush into the room promptly at 4:30PM

+1 if the presenter mentions someone “who couldn’t be here today”

+1 if the author makes promises of more data or simulations at a later date

+1 if the phrase “Cannot be solved analytically, but…” is used

+1 if one presenter gives significant portion of talk with name badge flipped backward

+1 if an audience member starts question with “Have you thought about…?”

+1 if the presenter uses computer programming or operations slang such as “take you offline on that” or “program you into my schedule.”

And last and delightfully not least,

+1 if members of an enthusiastic crowd are still present in the room 15 minutes after the scheduled end of the talk.

Enjoy the last session of the day!