how to moderate a panel
June 10, 2020
A seasoned panel moderator was asked, “Is it necessary to use humor in a panel discussion?” The moderator responded, “Not unless you want people to listen.”
July 16, 2019
The first few minutes of your panel discussion are absolutely critical. Although people shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, they do. The audience (and panelists) […]
March 24, 2019
Have you ever seen the Improv game “Pillars?” If you have, that’s great, if not, it may take you a minute more to appreciate this technique […]
February 21, 2019
I am often asked how you get panelists, who are used to being extremely polite to be more conversational. Especially if they have served on many […]
February 6, 2019
Many years ago, I was on an hour-long panel moderated by a close friend. It was her first time moderating a panel about a topic she […]
January 22, 2019
Birth.Movies.Death editor Scott Wampler kicked off a hilarious thread where he begs the question: “Literally everyone in this stupid business has an A+ ‘crazy guy at the junket/Q&A’ […]
October 31, 2018
Have you ever been on a panel (or watched a panel discussion) when the topic started out in one direction, and because of the synergy of […]
August 7, 2018
How do you get your panelists to spill their secrets in a compelling way? Ask your question in such a way that rather than just giving an […]
July 18, 2018
Was just talking to a panelist about his recent experience in sharing his insights during a panel discussion. One of his comments made me cringe:
July 2, 2018
Perhaps you are familiar with the party board game, “Would You Rather?” The premise is fairly simple: The player picks a card with a precarious dilemma and […]
June 12, 2018
Ready to shift gears? Shake it up? Change the tempo of the traditional, ho-hum boring panel discussion? About two-thirds of the way into your panel discussion, […]
May 22, 2018
Want to break up a rather mundane panel discussion? Try polling the panelists!
February 27, 2018
I’m always on the lookout for interesting ways to start a panel discussion. Sometimes, the panel moderator will poll the audience to get a baseline for […]
February 23, 2018
Moderating a panel discussion is much like baking. It requires a great recipe and a bit of preparation for a successful outcome. Some elements will need […]
November 8, 2017
Recently, I was asked to co-moderate a panel discussion with a dear friend and colleague. “Wouldn’t it be fun?” she said. Yes, it can be – […]
