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How do you successfully moderate a panel discussion?

How do you successfully moderate a panel discussion?

How To Moderate a Panel Like a Pro

  1. Don’t prep with your panelists.
  2. Sit with your panelists.
  3. Moderators can’t also be panelists.
  4. No slides.
  5. State your objective at the outset.
  6. Never let the panelists introduce themselves.
  7. Involve the audience within the first five minutes.
  8. Don’t go down the line every time.

How many panelists are too many?

Choose 4 panelists (maybe 5) and no more. Too many panelists will negatively affect timing and the liveliness of the discussion (see below on timing). Get good resumes or LinkedIn profiles of all panelists to the moderator. The moderator and organizers should develop a list of 4-6 pre-event interview questions.

How many people can a panel discussion have?

The panelists are a group of people typically 3-4 experts or practitioners in the field, who share facts, offer opinions, and responds to audience questions either through questions curated by the moderator or taken from the audience directly. The panel session typically lasts for 60-90 minutes.

What should a panel moderator do in a panel discussion?

The moderator’s job is to help the audience get their needs met through a panel format. The moderator sets the tone, the pace, and control of the content, staying ever-vigilant in keeping it relevant for the audience. It is the moderator’s responsibility to make sure the panel is lively, engaging, and worthwhile.

How do you introduce yourself in a panel discussion?

  1. Keep your panel introduction short. Be succinct.
  2. Use big, bold ideas in your introduction.
  3. Name-check yourself in your conference panel introduction.
  4. Speak to the audience during your conference panel introduction.
  5. Show energy and enthusiasm in your introduction.
  6. Prepare beforehand for a memorable introduction.

How do you introduce yourself as a moderator?

At the beginning of the session, welcome attendees and participants. Be sure to mention the session name in case someone is in the wrong room. Finally, introduce yourself as the moderator of the session, providing your name and affiliation. Outline the ground rules at the very beginning of the session.

What is the most ideal number of member in a panel?

Three or four panelists are ideal as this gives enough time for them to present their ideas, engage with each other and the audience. A mix of men and women is ideal as it is so much more interesting for the audience to hear and see different views on a panel.

What is a good size for a panel discussion?

The ideal length for a panel discussion is 45 minutes to one hour. The ideal number of participants is 4-5, plus moderator. I tend to book five guests for many panels, on the assumption that one of them sometimes drops out at the last minute, leaving me with four.

How many questions are on a 45 minute panel?

2) Be brief and encourage panelists to do the same. At 3 minutes per answer with each panelist answering, that means a typical 45-minute panel can only handle 3 or 4 questions.

How do I choose a good moderator?

The ideal moderator should be well-organized, friendly, a little bit provocative, punctual and a little bit funny with a touch of modesty. Once again, you should prioritize the characteristics which are aligned to your target audience.

How do you kick off a panel discussion?

How to Start Out Your Panel Discussion

  1. Welcoming Comments. Start with a friendly, warm hello and then lead into the topic with a short, interesting fact, statistic, quotation, anecdote or poll.
  2. Process. Provide a high level review of the process as well as any ground rules.
  3. Your Role.
  4. Panelist Introductions.

What’s the best way to moderator a panel?

Give your panelists the OK to speak up out of turn. Ask them to respond honestly and to each other, not just to you, the moderator. Poll the audience. One fun improvisational tip is to leverage a yes or no topic. Ask the audience: “Let’s pause and see what our audience thinks of that.

What’s the best way to moderate a panel discussion?

1 Know your panelists in advance. Read their bios and arrange for a phone call if you can. 2 Know your audience. 3 Go off-script. 4 Give your panelists the OK to speak up out of turn. 5 Poll the audience. 6 Have more questions than you need. 7 Use comfortable armchairs, not tables! 8 Practice.

How many minutes does a panel discussion need?

Do the math: five mins for the intro and five minutes for the summary. That leaves 50 minutes divided by 12. This gives each panelist about 4 minutes of airtime – as long as the moderator doesn’t say anything and the audience doesn’t ask any questions! Bottom line: 12 is too many.

What’s the best way to ask a question on a panel?

Give your panelists the OK to speak up out of turn. Ask them to respond honestly and to each other, not just to you, the moderator. Poll the audience. One fun improvisational tip is to leverage a yes or no topic. Ask the audience: “Let’s pause and see what our audience thinks of that.