Expert insights, tips, and articles to help you become smarter. Event planners should engage attendees in live polls or Q&A. The Ultimate Guide to Hosting Virtual Conferences: Steps, Tools & Cost. A seminar is a way of presenting a topic for educational purposes. One of the best ways to accomplish this feat is through analogies. A panel discussion is a formal, moderated discussion between selected speakers on a specific topic, in front of an audience. When you have finally engaged the audience, allow them to set the pace of the conversation. Traditionally, debates start with each guest sharing their point of view before asking questions designed to expose holes in the others argument, followed by further questions from the moderator and audience. Once we settled on our scheme, I sent a run of show to the meeting organizer for approval. Well talk more about those formats later on. | iStock/webphotographeer, Want your audience to pay close attention to you during a panel discussion? While paraphrasing reminds, bridging links. A panel talk's ideal length is 45 minutes to one hour. With a Q&A format, theres usually an introductory discussion between panelists, followed by a series of questions posed by the moderator, and then further questions from the audience, which may or may not be vetted pre-event. The facilitator helps guide the discussion and allows audience members to ask questions, making it a dynamic and interactive form of learning. Encourage the audience to submit their questions and suggest a mobile app like Mentimeter. Panelists will introduce themselves and then share their perspectives on a topic. It's from an event I hosted at the Stockport Chamber of commerce in the UK. We're here to help. By following the best practices detailed here, you can maximize the value for you and your audience. Lengthy Introductions to each panellist can really cut into the length of time available. Lets start with our first topic, Wise Product Development. Conduct quick and simple conversations that can scale. Size. What could you do? The main purpose of a panel discussion is to provide a platform for experts in a particular field or on a specific topic to express their opinions, challenge each other, and explore topics of discussion that provide value, insight, and entertainment for the watching audience. A traditional one-on-one interview with a panelist. Guests are usually seated together on a couch. In preparation, I worked with the meeting organizer to clarify the "starting conditions" and to talk through potential format ideas. Activities for Panel Discussions in the Classroom - Synonym Therefore, be sure to prepare cutoff phrases in advance. Other than listing down all the questions you will be asking ahead of time, tell them about what they should anticipate from the audience: To collect information before the panel event, you can use a tool that can help you analyze data and insights from the audience. The moderator and panelists may be geographically spread out from the audience that shares a physical room. Its format should include a brief introduction about the topic and then a discussion among the panelists and audience. Pick a panel topic that creates a buzz in the industry from which panelists can easily contribute their knowledge. Sample Script For Panel Discussion Transcript Of A Panel Pro tip: You can set Livestorm to automatically record your events. Find out why customers stick with Glue Up. Here are some of the tactics we teach them that you can apply to your own presentations. In this example, the topic was being yourself which led to a format inspired by the song Born This Way from Lady Gaga. A hybrid panel discussion combines both an in-person and virtual audience. In this episode, Gregory LaBlanc says its not about what you know its about how well you can communicate it. Her work focuses on lead generation and organic website traffic. A continuous set of presentations. With it, you can host engaging Q&As and ask me anything sessions to enable the audience to ask questions using their phones. As the author of Powerful Panels: A Step-by-Step Guide to Moderating a Lively & Informative Panel Discussion, she is on a crusade to make all panels lively & informative (F2F, virtual, & hybrid). By doing this, you can clearly communicate the event agenda and goals that can make virtual discussions engaging and effective. ONLY say AND when you have something to ADD to the original idea). Location. The team works with over 400 businesses a year across all sectors and typically in the 1M to 5M space. Retain, engage, and grow your member community. The best panelists are made up of diverse groups with expertise, authority, and charisma. For example, in a keynote address, Nawaf Bitar, CIO of Citadel Securities, describes the current state of data security as a Polaroid in an Instagram world. Ned Hallowell, a leading psychiatrist, compares ADHD to having a Ferrari for a brain with the brakes of a bicycle. Through these very short but concrete and relatable comparisons, these speakers help create greater clarity for their audiences while also making their content more vivid and memorable. When you focus solely on answering questions from the audience, it can stop you from gaining a new perspective from other attendees. Hot Seat Formats. Finally, you end by explaining the implications, ramifications, or applications of what you just said (The Now What?). You can script a panel discussion by creating an outline that covers the introduction, moderator, and panelist introductions, discussion topics, and any specific questions that need to be addressed. The best panel presenters are adept at simplifying their content making it feel more relatable and connected to the audiences own knowledge and experience. Even with just 2 -3 minute . Make it clear that the group's aim is a meaningful exchange of ideasnot to debate or argue. Question to Paul: Re-structuring debt is your specialty, have things settled down now, 10 years after the credit crunch?". This is intended to be a fast-paced sharing of ideas along with the ability to clarify/ask questions at the same time! Another great panel discussion format that works is to leverage a popular TV show. Here are some examples: Empty Chair Format. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. That could mean summarizing ideas that have already been discussed, flagging any topics that need further attention, or guiding the conversation if its going off-topic. 0:05Moderator ReviewAgenda/Process, 0:55SEGMENT FOUR Final Questionto All Panelists, How to Moderate a Virtual Panel Discussion, How to Create GREAT Questions for Your Panelists to Answer during Your Panel Discussion, Panel Discussion Tip #185 with Jeffrey Hayzlett: Finishing Panel Discussions. Easy multi-tier chapter management solutions for membership and events. > Now What? Youll be able to use features like emoji reactions, live chat, and polls. Livestorm integrates with email automation tools like Mailchimp and Mailjet, so you create customized workflows easily. What could you do? Apply to be a Livestorm partner and earn benefits. Everyone can wear cowboy attire.