I know there are a lot of beautiful, functional dashboards but I don’t have one. Instead, my home automation is based on as little interaction as possible; therefore, minimal dashboard info. I just want things to work without having to interact with HA. My family and guests feel the same way 
Dashboards are nice but not necessary for a “smart home.” I am guessing that your talk will include other smart home topics too like basic automations (timed lights, presence detection, etc.), advanced automations (e.g., Bayesian), notifications (to mobile devices), reporting, trending, etc. Examples of these might be appreciated by your audience. Some of mine include:
- using presence detection for arming / disarming the security system
- timed lights, triggered lights, motion detection lights, etc.
- event notifications - someone rings the doorbell, low batteries, unavailable entities, alarm conditions, etc.
- remote monitoring and control using the companion app (remotely disable the security system for temporary access by tradesmen, etc.)
Good luck with your talk and please share it and any feedback you get.