Tell the speakers that you liked their talks

Ana Rodrigues recounts her time at SmashingConf Freiburg and as MC at CSS Day to argue that audiences should tell speakers when they enjoyed a talk. She describes pushing shy attendees into conversations, being mistaken for a mystery speaker, and physically bringing a presenter into a small after‑party group to facilitate chat. As MC she asked every speaker at the dinner permission to encourage audience interaction, showing concrete practices - introducing people, live-posting, visibly supporting speakers - that bridge the stage/audience divide and make events more welcoming and conversational.

She contrasts that proactive approach with the speaker’s experience of feedback scarcity since Twitter declined, noting that silence after a talk can leave speakers anxious and doubting their performance. Rodrigues admits she sometimes assumes friends know she values their work and that she needs to praise and share more. Her plain recommendation is that even brief, in-person compliments or a short message matter: speakers put significant effort into talks and hearing that something landed is both encouraging and useful.