Attending a conference in Hamburg, Germany...by Skype

Unfortunately it's not working out so well. I've been listening in on talks at this interesting conference on port city networks (link is pdf) at HafenCity Universitat in Hamburg. And tomorrow I'm supposed to present. There are challenges to making this work, however. If I were to organize something like this on my own, I would try to prepare the following:

• A solid, ethernet connection rather than wireless.
• A microphone that reaches the speaker's podium. Sound would still be imperfect but much improved.
• Ideally two computers with cameras signed into two Skype accounts and linked to other attendees in a group video chat. One computer would face the speaker and screen. The other would face the audience. So much of being in a place is picking up on ambient cues. Only seeing the speaker creates a social awkwardness that inhibits the ability to participate.

I think it can work, but it requires so much solid bandwidth that a decent experience may still be a decade away.