Are you after an engaging and insightful format or way to cover a topic? If yes, you may need to try a panel discussion. It’s beneficial for the audience as well as those involved in the panel to create a collection of guest speakers to discuss a specific topic.
You’ll want to make sure everything flows effortlessly if you’re planning to conduct a panel discussion either online or in person. And that is why it’s vital to know everything in and around a panel discussion as an organizer.
This article presents you with everything you need to know about organizing a successful panel discussion, including planning, structuring, moderating, and more. Let’s read on to unearth more.
Things to Do to Ensure Your Panel Discussion Reaches its Full Potential
You can do a few things to make sure your discussions reach their full potential when preparing your panel discussion. These things include:
Define the Panel Discussion Purpose
Make sure you have a clear purpose to establish a successful panel discussion. That means identifying the panel discussion objectives and defining your goals. Without a clear purpose, it’ll be challenging to identify and select the right structure or panelists. To identify the right structure or panelists that will enable you to achieve your goals, find solutions to these key questions:
- What’s the main theme or topic that you want to cover?
- What are crucial questions or issues you want to explore?
- Who is the target audience?
- What is the objective of the panel discussion?
- What are the main takeaways you want the audience to leave with?
- What does the audience want to gain or learn from the panel discussion?
Pick Panellists with Diverse Expertise and Perspectives
You already have your topic. The next important thing you need to do is to carefully pick and prepare panelists to make sure they engage in productive discussions and deliver valuable insights. To select the right panelists for productive discussions, have these tips in mind:
- Shortlist your panelists
- Research your potential panelists thoroughly, considering their expertise and credentials
- Have clear expectations
- Hold pre-panel discussions
- Remember that rehearsals are very important
Structure the Panel Discussion for Productivity and Focus
A sure bet here is to aim for an agenda that provides enough room for flexibility while at the same time keeping it productive and focused. A well-structured discussion allows penalists to focus on key issues productively and engagingly. Remember, a rigid structure can easily stifle and thwart organic conversation. To balance between productivity and flexibility, consider these tips:
- Determine the right format
- Identify and outline key discussion points
- Ensure the audience and panellists have a clear understanding of the topic
Moderate the Panel Discussion for Productivity and Focus
Moderators have a key role to play when it comes to the success of a discussion. Good moderators can elevate a straightforward sharing session to a fascinating and active dialogue. On the other hand, bad moderators can convert an engaging and productive conversation into a snooze fest. Take into account excellent moderator traits such as:
- Clarity
- Good listening skills
- Proactiveness
A moderator is responsible for time management and keeping conversations moving forward, preventing a few panelists from dominating the discussions and clarifying concepts, terminology, and jargon that the audience mightn’t be familiar with.
Encourage Audience Interaction and Engagement
Ensure that your panel discussions are audience-focused. That means the audience remains informative and engaged. From question-and-answer sessions to live polls, you need to find unique and professional ways to engage and involve the audience in the discussions.
You can provide the audience with a question-and-answer platform to allow them to submit questions. Also, allow them to vote on questions they want to find solutions for. This technique not only increases engagement but also helps combat the “shy away” issue while creating seamless experiences for your audiences.
You need these five important things to organize and run a successful panel discussion. Select and prepare your panelists professionally, create an audience-concentrated structure, ensure audience engagement, and evaluate the discussion’s success. These things will allow for an enlightening and well-rounded experience for everyone involved and make your forthcoming panel discussion a successful one.