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What Is A Panel Discussion?

A panel discussion involves industry experts engaging in a moderated conversation on a relevant topic in front of an audience. The panelists have differing opinions which makes for an informative discussion. A moderator leads the discussion, ensures it stays on track, and fields questions from the audience. To conduct a successful panel, organizers must select a thought-provoking topic, choose a skilled moderator, pick qualified panelists with diverse backgrounds, introduce the moderator and panelists beforehand, prepare open-ended questions, and properly arrange the room to encourage participation.

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ABUAC CYSSELLE DAWN K
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240 views

What Is A Panel Discussion?

A panel discussion involves industry experts engaging in a moderated conversation on a relevant topic in front of an audience. The panelists have differing opinions which makes for an informative discussion. A moderator leads the discussion, ensures it stays on track, and fields questions from the audience. To conduct a successful panel, organizers must select a thought-provoking topic, choose a skilled moderator, pick qualified panelists with diverse backgrounds, introduce the moderator and panelists beforehand, prepare open-ended questions, and properly arrange the room to encourage participation.

Uploaded by

ABUAC CYSSELLE DAWN K
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is a panel

discussion?
A panel discussion is a way to engage industry thought leaders in dialogue
regarding relevant topics in their industry while an audience listens. Each
panelist will typically have their own differing opinions from the others on the
subject matter presented, which makes for a thought-provoking and well-
rounded discussion for the audience to learn from and be entertained by.

Panel discussion definition:


A panel discussion is a format used at conventions, conferences, and meetings where a
group of people who are skilled in a specific topic engage in conversation together in
front of an audience.

A moderator leads the discussion by presenting questions to the panelists,


ensuring the discussion stays on track, and oftentimes, will pull audience
questions for the panelists to answer. Since panels are supposed to be a
natural discussion, it's important that the moderator guides the panelists in the
right direction to ensure the audience receives the most value.

Panels can take place in a variety of settings that range from casual to formal.
Examples of this can be a long rectangular table with each panelist sitting
shoulder to shoulder, or the panelist could sit in seats that are angled towards
each other on stage, which exudes a much more casual tone and is typically
the more favorable option due to the comfort that it provides to not only the
panelists but the audience as well. The moderator will usually be facing the
panelists near the audience side on a podium.

How to conduct a successful


panel discussion
1. Select a thought-provoking topic
The most important piece to remember when choosing your panel topic is that
it should have some buzz in the industry, meaning it’s important enough that
your panelists will care and have an opinion on it. Make sure that the topic
isn’t too general or you will quickly find your discussion veering off course and
becoming unfocused.

2. Choose your skillful moderator


Keeping your newly selected topic in mind, it’s time to choose a moderator.
Moderators don’t have to be an expert on your chosen topic, but it will
definitely help keep your discussion seamless and moving on track. The most
important quality you must look for when selecting your moderator is the
ability to lead a large group of people. They should be assertive and confident,
yet kind and likable.

3. Pick out your panelists


Now it’s time for the fun part! Choose anywhere from three to five people to sit
on your panel. Any more than five will create an overpowering dynamic. Have
you ever heard the phrase: “too many cooks in the kitchen”? Well, that phrase
applies in this case.

You should also conduct thorough research on the people you’re choosing.
You’ll want to make sure they are qualified on the topic and have done
speaking engagements in the past to ensure they are great presenters. Last
but certainly not least, make sure that the people you choose are diverse! This
cannot be stressed enough. Make sure your panelists have diverse
backgrounds, educations, experiences, and so on. It will make for a much
better panel, trust me.

4. Introduce the moderator to the panelists


It’s a good idea to introduce all of your panel participants before the day of the
event. This can be over a meal, a networking event, or even just a casual
introduction and mingling. This not only creates a less awkward environment,
but it allows everyone to get to know each others’ personalities before they
engage with them in front of an audience. This preface will help the
conversation flow naturally on stage. For reference, just think about your
conversation dynamic with a stranger versus someone you have been getting
to know for a little while. This introduction is specifically important for your
moderator as well. Your moderator will be able to pick up on traits and
tendencies that the panelists have and thus be able to better lead the
discussion since he or she knows what to expect.

5. Prep the questions and prompts


If the moderator you've selected is a topic expert, you will want to collaborate
with him or her on the questions. Make sure they are open-ended and have
specific elements of each panelist's background so they are able to excitedly
answer. Make sure you don’t favor one panelist over the others. Make sure
the questions are a level playing field where everyone feels that they can
provide value to the discussion.

6. Set up the room properly


Remember what we discussed previously regarding the formality of the room
set up? Make sure the room arranged in a way that encourages every
member to participate, even the audience. This could mean making the seats
in the audience close to the panelists and encouraging people to sit there, or
you could ask the panelists what would make them most comfortable. Angle
their seats according to this and accommodate to them.

Start discussing!
Panel discussions are a great addition to any conference, convention, or
meeting. Fostering dialogue that provokes new ideas, different perspectives,
and great insight is the reason why panel discussions are so successful in the
event industry. Keep in mind that all panel discussions are different and
there’s no one right answer. As long as your audience, moderator, and
panelists are engaged yet comfortable, you’re on the right track. Just
remember to take a look at our 6 best practices we just went over to ensure
you have all your main elements accounted for.

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