I don't know if this is some attempt at a joke but I'll answer this.
Apple commits a fair amount of time and resources into the Sessions program.
- Developing the curriculum
- Training employees
- Setting aside time for employees to run the classes for the customers
- Dedicating resources: a couple of tables, largish monitor, projection equipment, amplified headset and speaker, etc.
There are probably ten one-hour sessions on an average day, so they are paying these Geniuses and occasionally outside contractors to work those hours.
So yeah, it would be an incredibly stupid waste of time and money if nobody showed up.
Anyhow, I have attended a couple of sessions myself. Both were on a weekday late morning and both times I was the sole attendee. This allowed me to basically enjoy an hour of personal training each time with a Genius about the topic at hand based on my interests.
The first session was an iPhone Intermediate class and we covered a variety of topics and it eventually drifted toward photography and videography. The instructor himself was a photography/videography buff.
The second session was recent: a Taking Photos on the iPhone session. I learned photography on 35mm film cameras over twenty years ago, so I didn't really need much in the way of photography fundamentals, but I was curious about the capabilities of Apple's built-in Camera app versus third-party apps. We covered those plus some image editing basics.
The most interesting new session to me is the one where they cover editing photos on a Mac, a course that did not exist. Apple's Photos app for Mac OS has steadily added features and better functionality over the past few years so I am interested in learning more about this app that I have long relegated as a crippled tool primarily for filing.
I'm a bit baffled by this. Maybe Chicago customers are different than those in the SF Bay Area.
The Sessions are designed for people seated at one of the wood tables and a reservation is typically required. In fact, I think the table-based sessions are capped at 6-8 people. It's not just a bunch of soundbites that anyone randomly walking by is going to learn from. The amplified speaker isn't there to reach out to the entire store, it's there so the people at the back of the table can hear (the acoustics in Apple Stores are really poor with all of the hard surfaces and no acoustic panels).
In fact, Apple probably doesn't want a throng of thirty people around a session designed for 6-8 people. Do you think the people who registered for the class are going to be thrilled if a couple of random passersby take up all of the presenter's time and attention with their own personal questions? No.
These are one hour sessions. I don't really understand why anyone can't handle their biological needs before or after. Again, maybe this has something to do with those who visit Chicago Apple Stores. I can sit for an hour. Hell, I've been in all day meetings and training sessions (with breaks of course).
I'm pretty sure most Apple Stores have bathrooms. The signage is not prominent.
For sure, the Palo Alto Apple Store has restrooms that customers are allowed to use (back left, up the stairs; elevator access available for disabled people). Again, perhaps the Chicago Apple Stores are different.
I hope this answers your question and brings some clarity to the previous commentor's remarks.
