How to Run a Succesful Panel

Presenting your authentic self: how to be a successful panel moderator.

Many of our clients are asked to either moderate a panel or to be a panel member. We often hear the question: how is moderating a panel different from making a presentation? How do I ensure that we have a lively and interactive panel session?

Tip #1: Preparation, is, as always, the key

This seems counterintuitive to some, but preparation is almost always the way to appear and to feel confident when you’re in front of an audience. To prepare for your panel, here’s what we recommend:

• Hold at least two phone conversations with your entire panel in advance of your panel
• Meet with your panelists face to face either the night before the panel or the morning of
• Prepare a succinct bio for each panelist 

What should you cover in your pre-panel phone conversations? The first conversation should be for you to introduce yourself to your panelists if you haven’t met before, and to accomplish two important tasks: 1) to tell your panelists the theme of the panel and 2) to ask your panelists what questions they would like to address that are related to this theme.

The purpose of your second phone conversation is to discuss those questions briefly, to get a sense of who’s most talkative and who tends to remain silent, and to ask what questions they anticipate will come from the audience. The purpose of this phone meeting is also to discuss logistics with your panelists. How much time will each person have to speak in total? And, importantly, how will you signal to panelists when you want someone else to speak, or when you’ve run out of time? We suggest planning some verbal signposts and setting your panelists’ expectations. Tell them that you’ll interject when appropriate. For instance, you might say, “If anyone is going over time, I’ll jump in and say, ‘[Name], let me ask [Other Panelist] the same question’. Or I might say, ‘[Other Panelist], what are YOUR thoughts?’” 

This second phone call is also the time for you to go over their bios with the panelists. In advance of this conversation, email everyone with a description of how you plan to introduce them, and then encourage them to edit their bios. Explain that you'll be introducing them on the day itself. This ensures that each bio is the same length.

Tip #2: Meet with your panelists in person

You may have never met with some or all of your panelists. Make time before the meeting to see one another face to face. Carla has found that a drink in the evening, dinner, or breakfast the morning of the panel are all a great way to break the ice. This give you more time to familiarize yourself with your panelists. Who likes to defer to others? Who is more vocal? Your job as the moderator will be to...moderate! (More on that in Tip #4.) Knowing more of your panelists personalities will help you to do your job well.

Tip #3: A panel is NOT a presentation. In fact, what IS a panel…?

Carla and Copie believe that the best panels are those that are lively, real conversations between panelists. We in the audience are “flies on the wall,” listening in to what should come across as an intimate, natural interaction between the experts on stage. Some of our clients, however, confuse panels with presentations, and allow each panelist to have numerous slides that they deliver seated.

Now, if you have the time, let’s say 90 minutes or more for a panel, then it might make sense to have each panelist STAND and deliver one or two slides, and then have everyone sit together and talk. If you have only 45 minutes or so, we advise you to stick with the living room conversation format. Adding slides will be distracting otherwise.  

And remember, you should introduce each panelist so that your timing stays on track 

Tip #4: If you’re the moderator, you need to moderate/facilitate

It’s your job to make sure that everyone on your panel has a chance to express her or his thoughts. It’s your job to keep an eye on the clock, and to interrupt if your panelists are going over their allotted time. It’s also your job to coordinate audience questions (and we’ll address this challenging part of your job in a future webcast.)

Tip #5: Leave 10 minutes for your audience to ask questions

Your audience will be more attentive and engaged if they know that they’ll have a chance to interact with you and with the panelists. You and your panelists should brainstorm in your second pre-panel phone conversation to come up with all the questions that your audience may ask. And then during the panel itself, it’s up to you to select from the raised hands in the audience, and it’s your job to repeat or rephrase each question.   

Summary: As with everything to do with being confident and relaxed when presenting, preparation is the key. Hold at least two pre-panel phone conversations (and as many emails as needed) and make sure to meet your panelists face to face the night before or the morning of your panel. Remember that you’re the moderator, so it’s up to you to make sure that all your panelists shine and that everyone gets an equal opportunity to speak. Remember too that panels are conversations that we in the audience are overhearing, and leave enough time for the audience to get involved.

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