How can you moderate a panel discussion like a pro?

The most important thing to do as a moderator is to listen to the answers. When you get someone to say, that's a good question, or a good topic, then you are doing your job.

Contrary to Cara C, I will not do a combined meeting with all the panellist, in order to prevent too much joint scripting. I will reach out to all seperately and distill my red line from that. This way, on stage I will be able to make it worthwhile to all and still keep that amount of sponteneaty that will make it axciting to withnes.

To lead a great panel discussion, preparation is key. Know your subject: Dive deep into the topic. Find out about the challenges, trends and controversies. Have a plan and know your questions. Learn the names of the speakers and don't forget to familiarise yourself with their pronounciation. Understand the big picture: Take a look at the broader event programme. See if there are any related sessions you can refer to. Also find out about the technicalities so that you can use them to make the discussion run smoothly. Be confident: If you are prepared and confident as a moderator, everyone involved will feel more at ease. Even nervous speakers will appreciate your confidence and guidance.

You may have been asked to moderate a topic because of your depth of knowledge about the subject. Be careful here as you might serve the audience better as a panelist vs. the moderator. The moderator is facilitating a lively and informative conversation (process) vs. adding content. Yes, you need to research/know about the topic so you can ask relevant questions and probe deeper - but there is line you don't want to cross where you are "adding to" the conversation.

All of this is true, below the surface. But all these groundrules should be coded by simply doing, not by explaining in length.

I like to set ground rules at the beginning of the audience Q&A portion in an effort to get as many questions in as possible: Start with your name, organization/location/function, your question and then 1-2 sentences to help clarify the question, if necessary. I also warn the audience that if they don't start with the question, I will kindly and quickly interrupt and ask "what is the question?" This prevents most of the gushing and non-question statements.

How, why, explain, describe, these are great ways to get your panelists or interviewees to open up and answer or contriubute to the conversation.

In my view, not all panels should be about different opinions. Great panels can also revolve around one 'big question' and panellists reflecting on that from different perspectives. A panel can be mofe than a fight who;s right. It can also be a joint search for truth, insights, exploring a problem from different viewpoints. As for avoiding yes/no questions: why should you!? Sometimes a quickfire of closed questions can do wonders.

This may actually be the single most important skill - the ability to stay in control of the conversation without ruffling the feathers of "mic-hogs" and/or panelists with their own agendas. Prep time & getting to know the speakers ahead of time obviously helps, but in the end you will most likely have to cut people off, redirect the conversation, etc. It needs to be done politely, but firmly and absolutely, so be prepared to do it!

Read the room. How engaged and receptive is the audience? A few tips to engage the audience: - Start with a quick question and a show of hands at the beginning of the panel to get them involved - If a panelist raises a pertinent question, turn this back to the audience and ask them for their thoughts - If possible, use an online tool where audiences can upvote or like other questions being asked during the Q&A. This also filters out questions that are too niche or irrelevant - Make sure to include all panelists in the Q&A even if many questions are directed at one or two speakers - Finally, ask the audience for direct feedback while the event is still fresh in their mind

In my experience as a panel moderator you have to be prepared for unexpected situations (for instance technical issues or changing plans, tension etc) The key factors to take into consideration: - improvisation and spontaneity are very often appreciated because they can lead to more natural discussions and engagement with the audience - Be prepared and have a backup plan in terms of presentation, in case the powerpoint or the slides don’t work, have more gadgets available or be prompt to ask for necessary help - Be calm and confident, this is at the core of every presentation, the audience can sense insecurity or fear - Engage with the audience, ask them directly what their thoughts are and allow them to share their opinions

Having curated a number of conferences and been a guest and a moderator I find the key thing is interviews prior. Getting a panelist to open up is getting to know them on another level. Understanding their levels of subject matter knowledge you can direct them with poignant questions. If they are comfortable with you then they can feel relaxed and the interview becomes a natural conversation.

Actively listening is key. Your ability to go deeper or shift the flow of the conversation based on the panelist answers is important. Being prepared, researching the topic to add additional points when needed assists in filling any awkward gaps in the conversation for balance.

Panels are a lazy format but when done right, they can be amazingly successful! The key is to create an interesting format that draws out new nuggets of information and takeaways from well-selected (and diverse) panelists. This is all about making some distinct, intentional choices vs. following a boring, traditional format.