Live panels and Q&A sessions are great ways to engage your audience, showcase your speakers, and share valuable insights. However, they also require careful planning, preparation, and facilitation to run smoothly and effectively. In this article, you will learn some tips and best practices on how to facilitate live panels and Q&A sessions for your next live event.
One of the most important decisions you will make as a facilitator is who to invite as your panelists. You want to select speakers who are experts in their field, have diverse perspectives, and can communicate clearly and confidently. You also want to avoid panelists who are too similar, too controversial, or too self-promotional. Ideally, you should have three to five panelists, depending on the length and format of your session.
Well, I can give the perspective of a Switcher/Director during a live show on on to handle a multi camera cut. Work with the producer and the assign seats to the panelists or interviewee. It's always better if the moderator directs the question to one person at a time. Then I number the seats, say 1 though 5, from stage left to right and put the moderator in seat 1. I write down the panelist name to there assigned seat. This way I can then tell let's say camera 2 seat 4 to pick up the answer quickly. Also, I listen to what they say and sometimes you can figure out who the question is going to. Also, people have tells when their about to say answer something. I like to use reaction shots as well, which can make a statement in itself.
In my experience not all controversies are avoidable. When they occur it is helpful to guide participants to agree to disagree and continue to move on with the topics at hand.
I have been facilitating panels at tech conferences for several years, and based on my experience, I find that having three panelists is the ideal number for an hour-long session. This allows ample time for each participant to actively engage and contribute to the discussion.
From my personal experience in organising countless live webinars, I believe that having more than 3 panellists is too much and will make the session too long thus risking the audience to lose interest and focus. Ideally, get 3 speakers that will discuss about 3 different topics in 20 minutes max. Yet again, this depends on the length and format of your session, so it's not a common rule that applies to all situations. Speakers must be experts in the same field, regardless of whether they agree or disagree. Don't let their different perspectives make you feel worried that the panel discussion will not work. On the contrary, if you create a good structure in advance, you will be able to use their different opinions to your advantage.
When it comes to speaking on panels for students, it's all about creating an engaging and educational experience. I love to take them on a journey through the intricacies of the industry. My goal is to demystify the world of production, from crafting the perfect resume to mastering the art of networking. I also bring real-life scenarios into the conversation. I've had the privilege of sharing insights into producing live shows and managing talents at concert events. I've walked students through the process of creating show rundowns and decoding talent hospitality riders. It's all about delivering the knowledge with a dash of fun and an open forum for questions. It's fun to mentor the next generation and show them how production works.
Once you have your panelists confirmed, you need to prepare your questions and format for your session. You should have a clear objective and theme for your panel, and craft questions that are relevant, engaging, and open-ended. You should also decide how you will structure your session, such as how long it will last, how much time you will allocate for each question, and how you will transition between topics. You should share your questions and format with your panelists in advance, and ask them to provide feedback and suggestions.
I agree but sometimes the conversations take a turn for the best and it is very helpful to keep the conversation going following the flow and taking breaths as the prepared questions have to be put aside.
Look at the big picture. Who is your audience and what do you want them to walk away with? It's great to have a starting question to set the pace and the panel, but once things start rolling, you'll miss A LOT if you stick to a pre-planned outline. Instead, focus on what you want your audience to walk out with and trust yourself to ask the right questions to make this happen. Don't kill a moment in progress to stick with a pre-planned outline that's going to break rapport with panelists and not ask the questions or followup on topics that your audience is thinking.
My #1 rule for moderators: there is no need to ask each panelist every question. It's completely okay to have different questions for each panelist, and not get everyone's viewpoint on every question. Great panels bring together such interesting groups of people and to get to the best part of the conversation should not mean simply going down the line with questions.
After you get your speakers on board, schedule a meeting with all of them together so that they can meet each other. During this meeting, you will be able to hear all their opinions and see how the live session will flow. Before this meeting, create a document containing all information about the panel discussion: topics to discuss, opinions to support, statistics from reliable sources, and most frequently asked questions about each of the topics. Ask the panellists to dedicate 30 min before the meeting and to add their comments, feedback and suggestions to the document, so that you can discuss them during the meeting.
Based on my experience, it is beneficial to have a set of prepared questions ready for panel discussions. Typically, I bring three pre-selected questions to engage the panelists. One question serves as a conversation starter, while the remaining two can be utilized if the discussion veers off track or loses momentum. However, I have found that the most successful panels are the ones in which the audience actively participates by asking questions right from the beginning. This can be done immediately after the initial "hook" question that I mentioned earlier.
Before you start your session, you should set the ground rules and expectations for both your panelists and your audience. You should introduce yourself and your panelists, explain the objective and theme of your session, and outline the format and timing. You should also encourage your panelists to respect each other, avoid interrupting or dominating the conversation, and provide concise and honest answers. For your audience, you should let them know how they can participate, ask questions, and give feedback.
Part of setting ground rules and expectations is coming out strong. Know who your panelists are and make their introductions for them. You are in charge as a moderator and you need to establish this control from the beginning.
And as a moderator don't forget to LISTEN. Remember the audience is not there to hear the moderator speak. So limit your voice to the important stuff
A few days before the live session, schedule a rehearsal. This always helps the speakers loosen up and practice what they will say during the actual live event. During the rehearsal, tell them the exact steps of the panel discussion and how much time you will dedicate to each, for instance: intro, topics, discussions, Q&A, and outro. Also, provide them with clear rules about how the conversation should flow. Tell them that you will guide the conversation and ask questions along the way, to keep the discussion going. And, last but not least, ensure them that they are not alone and that you are there for them in case they feel stuck somewhere in the live session.
Establishing ground rules and expectations is crucial. Clear communication of objectives, format, and respect guidelines ensures a harmonious and productive discussion. Encouraging concise, honest responses from panelists avoids dominance and keeps the discussion focused. For the audience, guidelines on participation, questions, and feedback empower them, fostering an interactive and enriching session. Example: I've implemented this strategy. At a marketing panel, setting clear expectations ensured a respectful and insightful discussion. Panelists abided by the guidelines, resulting in a vibrant and engaging session that resonated well with the audience.
As a facilitator, your role is to moderate the discussion and interaction between your panelists and your audience. You should start with a warm-up question that breaks the ice and sets the tone for your session. You should then follow your prepared questions, but also be flexible and responsive to the flow of the conversation. You should balance the speaking time among your panelists, ask follow-up questions, and summarize key points. You should also monitor the audience's engagement, invite them to ask questions, and acknowledge their comments.
In my experience keeping the questions in separate cards is helpful in keeping the pulse of the conversations and audience reactions.
When moderating, I like having an opening question that establishes each panelist and lets those in the audience know where each stands. Many times this is the same question done in a "speed round format." For example, "I'm going to go down the line and I want you to answer this question in three sentences or fewer. If you had $500 to invest in your podcast, where would you put it." In addition to letting the audience know who is on the panel, this also established your authority as the moderator, with both the audience and panelists.
For optimal Q&A during a panel discussion preparation and structure are key. Before the event, consider sourcing questions from the audience ideally through an event app. During the discussion, have someone dedicated to filter questions so the moderator can focus on the discussion and time management. (Try to avoid redundancy and to ensure a range of topics is covered). It is important to add enough time and DEDICATED time for audience Q&A and encourage concise, relevant questions. For the audience questions you won't be able to answer live, capture these and answers in the event follow-up, maximizing the long-term value of the discussion.
The moderator isn't there just to nod with the head and listen to the panellists talk. The moderator's role is to guide the conversation and keep it interesting, especially in a situation when the speakers don't know how to proceed with the conversation. You as a facilitator need to prepare a good outline of the panel discussion in advance and write a script that you will approximately follow during the live session. Of course, this doesn't mean that you need to stick to the script at all cost, but it's a good reassurance for the speakers in case they are nervous and feel like they might forget what they were supposed to say. By creating this script, you can follow the discussion and enter at any time to save the situation, if needed.
When I moderate panel discussions, I generally come with a few questions prepared but most often lead with my curiosity. I want the conversation to feel natural and have the opportunity to ask follow up questions based on panelist responses. Doing my research ahead of time and ensuring that I'm not getting the answers I'm looking for during any prep calls/meetings with panelists generally leads to the best outcomes.
Sometimes, you may encounter challenges and difficulties during your session, such as technical issues, unresponsive panelists, or disruptive audience members. You should be prepared to handle these situations calmly and professionally. For technical issues, you should have a backup plan, such as a phone line, a chat tool, or a pre-recorded video. For unresponsive panelists, you should try to involve them more, ask them direct questions, or give them positive feedback. For disruptive audience members, you should remind them of the ground rules, mute them if necessary, or remove them from the session.
One of the most common challenges I encounter is dealing with panelists who tend to dominate the discussion and not allow others to participate. In such situations, my approach is to proactively intervene by redirecting the conversation and inviting other panelists to share their views on the subject. This helps ensure a more balanced and inclusive discussion. Fortunately, I have been fortunate enough to not experience any disruptive incidents involving audience members in the past 10 years.
Understanding your speakers is vitally important. Not only do you need to know their history, where they've worked, what they think (THANKS LinkedIn, you are great for this). But what TYPE of speaker are they? I categorize speakers into the following groups - have a plan for each of them: ??Know It All Nathan ??Nattering Nancy ??Wallflower Willy ??Sponsor Sally ??Quipster Carol ??Pondering Pete ??Agreeable Amy ??Misfit Mike ??Overprepared Oscar Once you know their style, you will know how to approach them, when to ask them questions and when and how to interrupt them. Also key: how many panelists? I draw the line at 4 max, with 3 ideally. Many organizers will throw 5 or 6 on stage. That's not a conversation, that's a basketball team.
Prepare yourself for challenges in advance. When creating that outline for the webinar, create a backup plan for each of these unwanted situations that might happen. 1. For technical issues, ask the panellists to join the call 10 min before the live session in order to try out the platform. 2. For issues with unresponsive panellists, hold an introductory meeting when you pick the speakers and then a rehearsal a few days before the live session. This will enable the speakers to get to know each other and to rehearse how the conversation will evolve. 3. For disruptive audience members, you can work with the settings of each online streaming platform before the live event, or learn how everything works so that you can react fast.
Acknowledging challenges and making light of the situation helps. It invites calmness through the challenge as the conversations move on.
Challenges are part of moderating, one should always think something is going to go wrong in a discussion. I would always recommend having extra mics that can be shared and passed amongst the speakers. Limiting audience questions to one per person with no follow up is another technique I use.
At the end of your session, you should wrap up and follow up with your panelists and your audience. You should thank your panelists for their time and expertise, and highlight the main takeaways and learnings from your session. You should also thank your audience for their participation and feedback, and provide them with any resources or links that are relevant to your session. You should also ask them to fill out a survey or evaluation form, and share their opinions and suggestions for improvement.
At the end of the live session, thank your panellists and your audience for taking the time to join the discussion. Also, invite them to follow your media profiles and stay in touch for future similar discussions. Once the live event is done, make sure you send the recording and resources to all the participants and registrants who were unable to join live. Asking them to fill out a survey for free will not bring any results. Instead, if you want them to complete the survey, give them a free present (may be one of the resources connected to the live session).
You are in charge of your panel. Just like you should do intros for panelists, you should also close things out for them. For example, "For more information on Ron, visit ron.com. If you have questions about __________, Julie can be reached at julie.com." Thank the panelists, thank the support staff, and thank the audience. Then let people go.
Concluding a session isn't just a goodbye—it's a chance to cultivate lasting connections. Imagine hosting a live podcasting panel. Summarize the enriching discussion, emphasizing key insights. Thank panelists sincerely, acknowledging their valuable contributions. Express gratitude to the engaged audience, directing them to related resources for further learning. Encourage feedback through a post-session survey, valuing their input. Following up with a personalized email, summarizing the session's highlights, solidifies rapport. Each session is an opportunity to nurture a community, fostering enduring relationships beyond the virtual stage, and that's where the real impact lies in media and content creation.
Really think about how much time you are setting aside for the panel conversation and Q&A. I often see only 5 mins being left for Q&A at the end and then is really not enough if you have 2-4 panelists and a number of questions. Think about the audience experience and the value they are looking to get out of the session. Sometimes the Q&A is the most important part for them so bear this in mind.
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Successfully moderating a live Q&A session is undoubtedly an important point to focus on. Audience members want the chance to pose their questions, and your guests will need the opportunity to provide detailed and thought-provoking answers. -hold a briefing session; plan the time; stick to the limit; get a great moderator; prepared questions; notify the audience; collect questions throughout; don't start a debate
Moderating live Q&A is a skill. Limit audience questions to 1 question per person and no follow-ups, otherwise there's a debate between speakers and audience members, and other audience members don't get a chance to speak as we have to respect the time.
In the realm of media, adaptability is your closest ally. Imagine hosting a live TV interview when breaking news disrupts the schedule. Swiftly pivoting to cover the unfolding event while keeping the audience informed demands immediate adaptation. Additionally, embracing new platforms and trends, like live streaming on emerging social media, extends your reach and engagement. This flexibility and willingness to evolve are crucial in an industry that's constantly shifting. Stay nimble, ready to adjust your sails when the winds of change blow, for therein lies the true essence of mastering the media landscape.