Handling meal speech hell

I am NOT a fan of speeches during meals.  Advice for anyone or any organization who wants a speaker during your breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner--please don't ask anyone to speak during the meal.  

I just saw a speaker who did a presentation in a college dining hall while the audience was eating lunch.  On top of not having a microphone, he had a large room with two large groupings of tables.  I felt bad for the guy, especially since his organization sponsored the luncheon and he felt compelled to get as much information about his organization out as he could.  To make it worse, the audience was kind of rude.

Here's what you can do if you cannot get the organizer's to move your speech out of the meal window:

• Wait as long as possible for people to get toward the ends of their meals.  It's better to shorten your speech or presentation for a more attentive audience than to fight with the clangs of silverware and table conversations.
• Even after the meal, the audience will be engaged in table conversations.  If they are still "chatty" while you're introducing a speaker or, if you're the guest speaker, folks are still talking through the speaker introduction, let them see you at the podium for about a minute.  Most times, audiences will quiet down when they see someone in the ready position for a speech or presentation.
• Acknowledge that folks' enjoying their meals and assure them that you will be brief.
• If you say that you are going to be brief, then BE BRIEF.  Let the organizer know, ahead of time, that you may shorten your speech due to the distractions among the audience.  You don't want to make things worse with your fighting to be heard while they fight to maintain their conversations.
• If you have specific pieces of information to give to the group, repeat the information at least three times and let them know that you will be available to take questions after your presentation.

To organizers, always budget enough time to schedule your speakers after folks have eaten.  If you're serving plated meals, keep tabs on when the last meals in the room are served.  If there is a buffet, keep tabs on the last few who get their food, then watch the progress of the meals.