American Idol for Panel Moderators
I’d guess that of the 2,457 (or so) panels I’ve attended in my life, about 70% of them made me I want to ask the show organizer if they could give me back that hour of my life so I could do something useful with it.
What is it about conference panels that makes many of them so dreadful? Most offer nothing new and little meat I can take away and use right away to either grow my business or improve my life. I think a great deal of it rests on the shoulders of the moderator. A great moderator can make a 6-foot draped table of dull panelists seem exciting and a bad moderator could make a panel of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Larry Ellison put me to sleep.
The job of a great moderator is in many ways like a great interviewer, drawing information from the panelists in ways that are interesting and relevant. It means stopping a panelist (mid-answer if need be) if they are not answering the question and instead delivering the practiced company line of PR drivel. It means cutting off audience questions that are off-topic, self-serving or so narrowly niche as to apply to no one but the attendee asking the question. It means asking tough questions in a way that elicits fresh responses.
Instead most moderators simply wait for the panelist to finish an answer and then ask the next question. Great moderators are very tough to find - I need to find about 20 of them for the Portable Media Expo. I’m about 20% there…. When I go to conferences these days, I’m doing my own auditions for moderators. My own private trade show American Idol you might say. It’s frustrating and time consuming, but I think my conference attendees will notice the difference in November.
June 10th, 2005 at 6:29 am |
I sympathized with your comments; Fow what it’s worth, here is part of the internal staff document we provide our staff (aka “Gary’s Guidelines”):
VI. How we moderate panel sessions
Many executives either overestimate the role of a moderator or on the flip side, underestimate the importance of this responsibility. But ultimately, the moderator’s performance determines the success of a panel or conference.
To start, a moderator must understand the purpose of the event, the objective of the panel, the likely contributions of the panelists as well as the expectations and composition of the audience. Your job is a simple one: to present the subject, introduce the panelists and elicit the panelists’ views. Your tools are your questions, body language, and if necessary, passed notes.
Do your research. Take time to understand the issues.
Setting the stage for a successful panel can be accomplished through a pre-conference memo or phone call. Set the expectations with the panelists early. Make sure to review the dress, format and the order that the panelists will speak to make them comfortable. Describe the audience and likely subjects that will be discussed. Ask them to avoid prepared statements and make sure that they are willing to energize and respond to each other. It’s a great idea to provide potential questions to panelists ahead of time. And don’t be afraid to pressure the panelists – your job is to elicit their views.
A common mistake is that many moderators fail to introduce panelists appropriately. First, it’s important to remember that the panel members are all selected experts and should be treated with respect. Second, it’s best to avoid reading a long bio. Choose relevant career highlights and tell the audience about these key events. Finally, find something personal to summarize each panelist, which makes them special. For example, “I have been on both sides of the table with him and I’d rather have him on my side.” Or, “He is always a gentleman, model, world’s best expert,” etc. There is nothing wrong with a little flattery or humor and the audience appreciates remarks that reveal the speaker’s personality.
A moderator must set the parameters for the panelists. Panelists should almost never be asked to make an opening statement. If the producers want an introductory comment, it should be in the form of an answer to a broad question such as “Give us your vision about…” “Tell us about your experience with…” Or, “What do you see as the future of…?”
Prepare a list of likely questions for yourself and the panelists. Don’t get caught with nothing to ask.
Focus on brevity. A moderator must limit panelist statements. Audience members tune out the panelists who speak for more than a few minutes. Insist on brief answers. Your job is also to keep overzealous panelists from hogging the mike and draw out the quiet ones.
Ask panelists questions that:
Can be asked briefly – “Why does your company…?”
Get to the heart of critical issues – “How will your company respond to…?”
Clarify an interesting point – “Did you say sex was a killer application for the Internet?”
Cannot be answered yes or no – “Why, how, what was your thinking…?”
Provide attendees, including press, with a quantitative sense – “Rate on a scale of one to ten the likely success of…”
Close with a bang – “Give me one word to describe your feelings on this…”
Remember, moderators are not presenters. At most, a moderator should present some appetizers – but they should never pretend to be the main course. A moderator has a subservient role to the needs of the event organizers and the panelists. This means receding from the limelight and letting the panelists shine.
March 19th, 2007 at 9:13 pm |
[...] Now, as someone who represents the evil empire of a regular tradeshow organizer, I can see the angst of attendees who pay $895 for a conference only to endure panelists who have nothing really unique to say and are there only to promote themselves and their company. I’ve said many times before that panels filled with sponsors are a disservice to the attendees. [...]