Nth Degree Trade Show and Event Marketing Blog

Panels are a mainstay in any conference agenda. They give your audience the opportunity to hear a variety of perspectives in one session. They are also a great way to get influential speakers involved that might not have the bandwidth (or the desire) to prepare a solo presentation. A panel discussion can provide a wealth of information - but if not prepared well, it can become a major waste of time for your audience.

Follow these six steps to get the most from your next panel:

1. Identify the right mix of panelists and choose your moderator wisely.

This might go without saying, but I'll say it anyway: you should always strive for diversity with your panel. Diversity of opinion, gender, industry, ethnicity, experience, age, etc. The more varied perspectives you have, the more beneficial the discussion will be to your audience.

The chicken-and-egg question here is whether or not you start with the moderator or the panelists? It depends. Starting with the moderator adds credibility to the panel from a speaker's point of view and you have access to the moderator's network for panelists. However, I've done it both ways and found success. Do what works best for you.

2. Schedule the prep call.

You have your panelists and moderator! Great work. Now it's time to make sure everyone is prepared. The best time to have the prep call is about two weeks before the event. If done too far in advance, you risk forgetting what you accomplished in the discussion. If done too soon, you might not have enough time to revise the questions and it could feel rushed. Find three times that work for the moderator and block his/her calendar so they don't get double-booked (if you followed step 1, this moderator is probably in high-demand). Select a variety of time options (not all on one day, different points throughout the day, etc.) and be sure to take time zones into consideration. Send the times to the panelists, either via your email calendar application or Doodle. Once you've finalized a time, send an invite to the panelists and moderator with an agenda so they know what to expect from the call.

3. Create a panelist dossier for the moderator.

The moderator will be effective if they have comprehensive background information on each speaker. I've found it best to include:

• A bio & headshot.
• LinkedIn & Twitter profiles.
• News mentions of the individual, their organization, or both.
• A complete history of the customer's relationship with your company (for customer panels).
• Any notes from your conversations with the speaker on your expectations for the panel.

4. Develop the panel questions to get the most out of your speakers.

It’s important to involve the moderator in panel question development - but it's up to you on how early you want to bring them in. I've found that you get the most from a moderator when you present them with a list of questions from which to react. After the moderator has refined the list, send it to the panelists at least two full days before the prep call. The objective of the prep call will be to whittle it down further.

• Tell a story. Don't ask yes/no questions (unless you're taking a poll).
• Share something new/innovative being done.
• Give quantifiable results. These examples will be what the audience finds most actionable.
• Provide examples of when they've made mistakes or can share lessons learned from an experience.

In Conclusion:

Panels are a crowd favorite, especially if the relationship between the speakers and moderator seems natural and everyone involved is prepared. As the event manager, your role is to make sure the panel represents diversity in your field, the moderator has everything needed to conduct an informative discussion, and the panelists have had ample time to familiarize themselves with the questions and can provide the best stories for the audience. Now go forth and create the next great panel!