Ugh :( Idk what the conference topic was but it sounds like that it failed to involve the voices of the audience/people at the heart of it. In my discipline area/academic circles, I'd like to think we're better at it, but then again the non-academics we most often collaborate are criminal justice professionals and thus pretty empowered to say if something needs clarifying. This idea where you'd redo the papers but in a different way and in the home ground of the intended audience, sounds excellent if you can make it happen. More you talk about your experiences of higher education there, more I wish you'd had a chance to experience it here.