Tips for Moderating a Panel

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It’s always exciting when you’re asked to moderate a panel, especially one with writers. Here are some ideas to help you with planning and facilitating:

Planning

  • Once you have the topic, draft a list of questions. Make sure you have extras in case you have time. Be creative. Don’t has the ones that are always used.

  • Not every question has to be for every panel member. Mark which ones are for which speaker and which ones are for the entire group.

  • Review them with your panel and get their feedback.

  • Be familiar with your panelists’ biographies and books.

  • Have a quick meeting or send an email to your panel giving them the details (e.g. any pre-meetings, what to bring, and any logistics).

Moderating 101

  • Make sure everyone gets a turn in the spotlight. No one should dominate the presentation. And mix up the order. You don’t always have to move left to write down the table.

  • Keep time and keep the discussion flowing. (That’s when the extra questions come in handy if you have time to fill.)

  • Keep order. Hopefully, everyone is a professional, but you may need to step in every once in a while to keep the discussion moving. Barb Goffman and Ramona DeFelice Long taught me about signals. Each had a signal that she told the panel about. For an example, a knock on the table indicated time was up.

  • Grace Topping taught me to ask your authors to provide short biographies and as the moderator, introduce your panel. It allows you to brag on their accomplishments, and you can keep the introductions short.

  • Grace also recommended that moderators shouldn’t throw out a question to the entire group without specifying who should start. It often causes an awkward silence until someone volunteers an answer.

Wrapping it up

  • Always leave time for questions.

  • Make sure to ask the panelists what’s next for them.

  • Thank your panel, your hosts, and your audience.

  • Make sure that the audience knows if there is a book signing or any other instructions they need.

What would you add to my list?

Moderating a Panel 101

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Wait. What? I'm the panel moderator? Don't let it strike fear or cause your knees to knock. It's an honor to be asked to moderate a panel or group talk. Here are some tips I've learned over the years to help it go smoothly.

Before

  1. Know how to pronounce everyone's name. Write it out phonetically if you have to.
  2. Get a short biography from everyone for your introduction. 
  3. If possible, try to read a story or book by each panelist, so you're familiar with his/her work.
  4. Provide the questions to your panelists ahead of time, so they can prepare. Nobody likes surprises or to feel stumped by a question.
  5. Communicate to your panel ahead of time about the expected time length for answers or readings. Let them know that you'll have a signal (e.g. a knock, a wave, a hand gesture) for them to wrap up their answer.
  6. Decide whether you plan to ask every panelist the same set of questions or whether you plan to customize them.
  7. Promote your event and authors on your social media channels.

During

  1. Set the stage of the discussion for your audience. If there are announcements or book signings afterwards, make sure to let everyone know.
  2. You're in charge of the flow of the event and the discussion.
  3. You're also responsible for ensuring that everyone has equal time to speak. You may have to signal or even interrupt if someone is a microphone hog.
  4. Many conferences have a room monitor to set up the space, check the microphones, and watch the clock for the moderator. If there's no room monitor, you'll need to be in charge of managing the clock.
  5. Many moderators don't like to stand at the lectern. If you're going to move about the room, make sure that you don't walk in front of your panel or turn your back to your panel or the audience.
  6. Save at least ten minutes at the end for questions from the audience.
  7. Get someone to take a picture of you with your panelists. 

After

  1. Thank your panelists for their great discussion.
  2. Make sure to thank your audience.
  3. Send a follow up email to your panel to recap the event and to thank them again.
  4. Share your group photo on social media and tag everyone.
  5. Send a thank you to the hosts or organizers.