Powerful Panels Blog

October 23, 2019

Panel Moderators: You MUST Have an Emergency Action Plan

As the panel moderator, you have prepared for an amazingly powerful panel discussion.  You’ve thought about the panelists, created an interesting format, and curated provocative questions.  […]
October 16, 2019

Round 4 – Democratic Primary Debate Staccato Style..Until It Wasn’t

We just finished the fourth Democratic Primary Debate with the largest number of candidates EVER on the same stage (12) for the LONGEST amount of time […]
October 9, 2019

Fourth Democratic Presidential Debate: More Controversial or a Repeat?

We are now into the fourth Democratic Presidential Debate with not only 10 candidates on stage, but TWELVE!
October 2, 2019
good panel discussion questions

Sample Script for a Panel Discussion

A recent reader asked me about scripting a panel discussion – and if I had a sample script for a panel discussion.
September 24, 2019

Avoid This Bias to Avoid Lackluster Panels

I have long thought that inattention or ignorance were the cause of lackluster panels.  Inattention in that the meeting organizers, moderators, and panelists simply show up […]
September 16, 2019

BEWARE of the “Stacked Panel” At Your Next Conference

So here’s a new term I have never heard of: “Stacked Panel.”
September 13, 2019

Round 3 – Democratic National Debate….was NOT (really) a Debate!

Nope.  It was a carefully scripted round of questions posed to the candidates (for the most part).
September 6, 2019

3rd Democratic Presidential Debate – Speed Dating or Showdown?

It’s the third round of Democratic Presidential Debates – with only NINE more to go before the Democratic National Convention (“nine” is not a typo).
September 3, 2019

What Exactly is a Presidential Debate Rules Analyst?

Since I have proclaimed myself as the 2019-20 Presidential Debate Rules Analyst, a few people have asked what that actually IS.
August 28, 2019

How to Pull Off a StreetPitch Panel Discussion Format

In today’s innovation-driven environment, everyone from executives to event organizers can appreciate novel ways of moving ideas closer to impact. From external sites like Kickstarter to […]
August 19, 2019

10 Commandments of Panel Discussion Microphone Runners

I was recently moderating a panel discussion with several hundred people in attendance and we decided to use microphone runners to solicit questions from the audience […]
August 14, 2019

Joe Rogan to Moderate a Presidential Debate? Are You Kidding Me?

Trending now: Joe Rogan fans have created a petition asking that the UFC commentator be considered to moderate a 2020 presidential debate. The Change.org petition currently has over 137k signers. Boo hoo. […]
August 12, 2019

7 Ways You Can Get Your Message Out During a Panel Discussion

As a panelist who wants to be successful at an upcoming panel discussion, you’ll put the work in, doing the work needed to look brilliant and […]
August 6, 2019

Try the Entertaining “Hat Debate Format” for a Panel Discussion

When your panelists have differing viewpoints, try this “hat debate format” inspired by Jordan Weissmann at The Slate:
August 1, 2019

Round 2 – Democratic Presidential Debates – The Case of Herding Cats

With 24 candidates vying for a spot in the next debate cycle, this round of debates was much like herding cats with the intention to differentiate the […]
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