"Contagious Humming" to Silence a Room

Often when running meetups you’ll have several lively conversations going at the same time. This is a great problem to have, but it can make it difficult to get everyone’s attention for announcements. Try using “Contagious Humming” when you need to silence a crowd: Move to a prominent place in the room and use body language that says you have something to say. Start humming at a low and constant tone. Recruit a few compatriots to join in. If the crowd has enough people familiar with the technique, generally about 20% of the room, looking expectantly at a few friends is often enough.