A panel discussion is one of the most common methods for debating hot topics in front of a crowd. The panelists and attendees develop fruitful learning partnerships as a result. Additionally, it lets everyone ponder and exercise critical thinking while listening to various viewpoints. Similar to how you must lead smoothly and win over the audience as a panel event moderator. By doing this, you may express the agenda and objectives of the event in a way that will help make online discussions fruitful and exciting.
A panel session is a particular format where several people share their opinions and ideas during a meeting or conference. These experts frequently have an online or in-person discussion on a subject. Panel discussions at business or academic conferences may include prepared statements from the organizer or real-time audience queries. They are more complex than presentations because most interactions occur at the moment. Its main goal is to establish an engaging atmosphere where panelists can impart knowledge and thoughts that benefit the audience. You may think of it as a close-quarters conversation between them. To facilitate a panel discussion, the panel moderator addresses a particular subject to the panelists and audience. Usually, a panel will have 4-5 industry experts who can provide trends, insights, and ideas in response to audience queries. The best time for a panel discussion is 45 to 1 hour. You can either record it to be played back remotely or host it in front of a live audience. The audience, seated in the same physical room as the moderator and panelists, may be geographically dispersed.
A normal one-on-one conversation with a panelist Instead of asking each panelist a question, the moderator should offer context to the discussion. To gather more insights, you must increase panelist involvement and ask them for a close interview. You are addressing live audience queries. It can prevent you from learning new perspectives from other participants when you only concentrate on responding to audience inquiries—a series of presentations that never stop. A brief introduction to the subject should be followed by a conversation between the panelists and the audience. The schedule should include sections introducing and involving each attendee and providing information.
A panel discussion should ideally:
- Think critically and insightfully.
- Describe several viewpoints on a subject.
- Educate, motivate, and pique the audience's interest
Above all else, a panel discussion should not:
- Presentations made by the panelists in a series
- Just an audience Q&A session
- Reiteration of the same points by various panelists
- An uncontrolled conversation that veers off subject
How to lead a successful panel discussion?
Being a discussant requires on-the-spot engagement. Thus, it's harder to prepare than just giving a written presentation. Additionally, becoming a skilled panel discussion moderator takes some time to develop. One of the following is how discussions most frequently go wrong.
- Drawing the audience's attention to aspects in the written paper that aren't included in the presentation.
- Focusing more on providing feedback than on the "conversation" portion of the position. This completely undermines the intellectual exchange that a panel is designed to promote.
- Speaking incessantly about your plan is inappropriate.
- Being too critical and picky, which is once again inappropriate.
Determine whether you are qualified to serve as the discussant.
It's flattering to be asked to participate in a discussion. However, if you're a relatively new scholar or researcher, think carefully about whether this is the appropriate position, especially if the panelists are more experienced or older than you. The speakers-and-discussant(s) structure encourages the discussant to pose challenging questions to the presenters; nevertheless, if the discussant is a graduate student and the presenters are well-known scholars, there may be some role conflict.
Allow yourself sufficient time to process the papers.
Read the papers as soon as possible. To read the documents in time, you might need to pursue the panel chair (who might need to chase the panelists), but don't skip this step. You will need more time to do your role (or the papers) justice by reading them on the plane to the conference. By carefully reading the papers' contributions, advantages and disadvantages, and what the audience needs to know about them. Additionally, while composing your remarks, try to add something fresh rather than merely summarizing the work that will be presented. This could include analytical or critical commentary on a paper's importance and contribution to the literature. Or an explanation of how this work applies outside the writers' intended audience.
Save the in-depth analysis for one-on-one feedback.
As a discussant, you are not responsible for giving authors a second, prominent peer review. You only have a little time to speak, and the audience is your primary audience; the panelists are only secondarily interested in what you have to say. So, keep it pertinent, broad-based analytical or critical commentary.
Additionally, if you have specific criticisms, send them by email to the writers or speak with them privately after the session. This will be appreciated by the authors and audience, allowing you to devote more time to open the floor for debate.
Don't engage in "intellectual gotcha."
Be aware that conference papers and abstracts are frequently on different academic levels than the published research you read in journals. Journal articles are typically revised and polished numerous times, but conference papers reflect the most recent study and generally are clumsier. So, despite your disappointment with the quality of the documents, try not to be too harsh. Don't use the panel as a platform to make fun of the author, though, if you feel that a paper is subpar. Instead, express this in your written comments.
As a discussant, there are instances when you'll get papers at the eleventh hour or have to go through a presentation that scarcely resembles the draft you had weeks earlier. The presenter should alert the audience when something happens. If they don't, it's acceptable to inform the audience that you didn't have the necessary materials to complete the task at hand, but don't waste time berating the presenter.
Dammit, use the crowd
It can be disheartening for an audience to merely be read to during a panel because discussions are intended to be based on the active exchange of ideas. Although you have no control over how your panelists present (they may insist on simply reading their slides aloud), you do have the ability to start a spirited conversation in your capacity as the discussant. Therefore, when writing your comments, make sure to pose inquiries to the panelists, solicit feedback from the audience, and invite the speakers to address specific elements of one another's work. You might experiment with integrating technology into your panel. Can real-time audience polls be incorporated into the session, for instance, if your conference has a mobile conference app or a live Twitter feed? If the audience has been sitting back and listening for the better half an hour, this can help engage them.
Discussant's Role
On the other hand, a discussant's job is to summarize the papers that were given during a panel. They will read all of the documents and write analytical or critical notes on them before the event. To help design the session and consider time limits, they will also get in touch with the session chair.
A discussant will serve as a commentator on the papers and the issues they raise during the panel to aid the audience in understanding what is being discussed. Additionally, they will offer presenters feedback to assist in advancing their research. This could come from comments made during the panel, privately provided written feedback, or even one-on-one conversations following the meeting. The discussant is also in charge of presenting questions to encourage dialogue between presenters and audience members. One word of caution: the format of conference panels can differ depending on the discipline. For instance, discussants occasionally take on additional roles, such as panel chair or panelist. So, to find out what is typical for your event, check the call for panel proposals.
How to Organize an Effective Panel Discussion
Pick an Interesting Topic
Choose a panel topic that generates interest in the sector and on which the panelists can quickly share their expertise. See if anything in the news piques your attention by reading it. Make a list of possibilities and start the decision-making process with elimination.
Know Your Goals
In a panel discussion, evaluate the value you want to add or your primary driving force behind accomplishing your objectives. Your goal may be obtaining various viewpoints and opinions about your goods or services. It could also involve sharing information or updates on current business trends. In addition to engaging customers, it may give a business more personality and allow it to be seen by a wider audience.
Set the format and chosen tone after you are aware of your goal. It might be a relaxed, informal discourse or a formal one. Next, learn about your audience's preferences and potential areas of interest. Examine any presumptions or biases they may possess and the problems they have that need to be fixed. Finally, ensure the panel discussion's topic is appropriate for the audience and tailored to their needs.
Make a list of questions in advance.
All questions should be written down in advance and discussed with the panel. Members of the board would like to feel comfortable addressing a particular subject. As a result, distribute two or three questions to each panelist, and make sure to get them in before the deadline. They can use it to prepare by writing down their points before the conference or responding spontaneously to queries.
Select the Appropriate Panelists
Please find out more about the panel's subject and identify the speakers who have expertise in it and can contribute fresh viewpoints. Inviting speakers with various experiences to establish an intriguing and relevant discussion will be interesting. Please ensure the panelists are professionals who can offer value from their wide range of experiences or knowledge by researching them. Review recordings of their earlier speeches to see how they handled queries and whether they impacted the crowd.
Introduce the panelists to the moderator
Host a casual dinner or a virtual speed networking event to get to know your panelists before the event. This will make it easier for everyone to get to know one another before conversing in front of a group. This initiative might aid in the discourse on stage flowing smoothly. Consider the differences in how you behave in conversation with a stranger versus someone you have been growing to know better for a while. The moderator can also benefit from this introduction. Because there are predetermined expectations, the moderator can better understand the panelists, which makes the discussion more controllable.
Prepare the prompts and questions.
Make sure your moderator collaborates closely with the subject matter authority on the queries. Because panelists can comment on the specifics, offer perspectives, and convey their thoughts, open-ended questions are more valuable. Additionally, there should be a particular component relevant to each panelist's background so they can respond enthusiastically and with experience. Give each inquiry balance so everyone can freely contribute and advance the conversation.
Make Sure Your Questions Are Brief and Useful
The audience is more interested in fresh perspectives than individual viewpoints. Use your influence as the moderator to share insightful information that will help the audience comprehend a subject matter entirely and precisely. Remember that it's essential to pose direct, impactful, and audience-specific questions. By emailing guests and asking what they want to know, you can crowdsource questions to be sure which ones to ask.
Create the Best Space for Visitors.
You can select a stand-alone location that focuses on a particular kind of event. Check to see whether the price fits your budget. However, the venue's price is only one aspect of the procedure.
When choosing the ideal location, keep the following things in mind:
- Atmosphere. Choose a mood that works with the topic and target demographic. It's not ideal for holding a business meeting in a sizable gym.
- Location. Pick a quiet area so that individuals may participate and pay attention better. The presence of beautiful surroundings at the venue may be a motivating factor.
- Size. A small location where everyone must cram into a small area can let everyone down. Similarly, renting a huge space for a small gathering may blow your budget and detract from the event's appearance.
Conclusion
Modern conferences and gatherings, including online ones, are characterized by panel discussions. An audience can gain knowledge through the discourse and interaction of a panel of experts, industry, and thought leaders by listening to the sparked debate. The framework of a panel discussion is typically the same: a few subject matter experts meet on stage or in front of the camera to talk about a particular topic and present various viewpoints. The panelists give information or their own experiences, offer perspectives and respond to questions from the audience. A moderator is always present to maintain the flow of the conversation, facilitate the topic, and handle audience queries. However, panel talks can be exciting and memorable or dull and ordinary, depending on how they are conducted.