Long silences are awkward for everyone, so have a topic ready that you can discuss with the audience should the need arise. Someone who doesn't have to be at a workplace every day, and doesn't have a problem with finances, and has a friendly, outgoing nature, and can take them sightseeing or to a dutch-treat dinner, it will make scheduling vendors in to your group a lot easier. If you ask them to come, and they have these great memories of previous visits, you can definitely expect a higher return rate. But if they believe what you're offering them is totally unrelated to computers, and believe it will probably be fun, they will generally take advantage of the offer to go, do, see, be. If you can start a PIG SIG after the general meeting, some vendors enjoy it, as do some members.
Presenters have a tendency to be too tense to eat anything prior to the meeting.
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