Wonder why we don't have more forums?

In case you think it's easy hosting a political forum with fields as large as we have, here is, as I've just received, the actual instructions we're getting for Research Bureau/Chamber of Commerce forum for School Committee on the 21st:

While we have a large number of candidates, we would like to make this an opportunity for real (but structured) debate of key issues. 

1) Each candidate will start the event with an opportunity to provide a two minute (2 minute) opening statement.

2) Each candidate will be asked two (2) direct questions and will serve as a respondent on six (6) other questions.

During the course of the event, we will ask twenty (20) unique questions.  Each question will be given to one candidate for a 60 second response.  Following the candidate’s response, three other candidates will be given an opportunity for a 30 second comment on the same question.  After that, the original candidate will be given 15 seconds to provide a quick rebuttal/summary.  Thus, the format will be:

·         Question

o   Candidate 1 (60 second response)

o   Candidate 2 (30 second comment)

o   Candidate 3 (30 second comment)

o   Candidate 4 (30 second comment)

o   Candidate 1 (15 second rebuttal/summary)

Ultimately, each candidate will be asked two direct questions.  Each candidate will also serve as a respondent on six other questions. (Please note that The Research Bureau recently released general questions for candidates, but that these do not necessarily represent the specific questions that might be asked of the candidates during the debate.)  We have created a randomized order that ensures that candidates will be broadly distributed among questions/responses.  Please note that all candidates will respond to the exact same number of questions.  It is also important to note that due to the effort to create a mix of candidates on each question, every candidate will see a short gap period (up to 5 questions) in which he or she will not be speaking.