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I was recently coaching a group of panelists for an upcoming conference when one of them asked a fascinating question:
“Should I gear my comments toward the people sitting in the room or the people who will watch the recording later?”
It is a great question because today’s panel discussions often have two audiences:
- The people attending live, whether in person or virtually
- The people who will watch the recording days, weeks, or even months later
With many conferences now streaming sessions and building extensive on-demand libraries, panelists and moderators face a new challenge: Who should you really be talking to?
The Live Audience Comes First
The primary purpose of a panel discussion is to serve the audience that showed up. They invested their time. They traveled to the event. They chose your session from a crowded agenda. They are physically or virtually present and expecting value right now.
As a moderator, your role is to be the audience’s champion. Your responsibility is to ensure the conversation addresses their interests, concerns, and questions. That means reading the room.
- Are people leaning in?
- Are they nodding?
- Are they looking confused?
- Are they eager to ask questions?
The best panel discussions feel like a lively conversation between smart people on stage and smart people in the audience. The interaction, spontaneity, and energy are what make a panel unique.
If you focus too much on the future recording, you risk losing the very thing that makes a panel compelling.
But Don’t Forget the Future Audience
That being said, ignoring the on-demand audience would be shortsighted.
For some conferences, the number of people who watch the recording later far exceeds the number who attended live. Those viewers:
- Did not hear the keynote that morning.
- They weren’t part of the hallway conversations.
- They didn’t attend the networking reception the night before.
- Yet they still want to learn from your discussion.
That’s why panelists should occasionally provide context. Instead of saying:
“As everyone here knows…”
Try:
“For those who may not be familiar with this issue…”
Instead of referencing a conference-specific event, briefly explain why it matters. A few extra seconds of context can make a recording significantly more valuable months later.
Avoid These Two Extremes
Extreme #1: Speaking Only to the Room
We’ve all seen panelists who constantly reference inside jokes, conference events, and conversations that happened earlier in the day. The audience in the room may enjoy it. The audience watching later is completely lost.
Extreme #2: Speaking Only to the Recording
This is the opposite problem. Panelists become so focused on creating evergreen content that they stop engaging with the audience in front of them. The conversation feels rehearsed. Questions become scripted. Energy disappears. The session starts to feel like a webinar rather than an unscripted, unplugged panel discussion.
The Sweet Spot
IMHO, the most effective panelists do both. They respond to what’s happening in the room while extracting larger lessons that remain relevant over time.
For example:
- Rather than simply describing a recent challenge, they explain the broader principle behind it.
- Rather than discussing a single event, they identify the trend it represents.
- Rather than offering a quick opinion, they share a practical takeaway that audiences can apply in their own situations.
The live audience gets the story. The future audience gets the lesson. Everyone wins.
Questions to Ask Before Your Next Panel
Before stepping onto the stage, ask yourself:
- What does the audience in the room need most?
- What insights will still be valuable six months from now?
- How can I provide enough context for someone who wasn’t here?
- What practical takeaway can I leave with both audiences?
Those answers will help you strike the right balance.
A great panel isn’t a choice between serving the audience in the room and serving the audience watching later. A great panel creates such an engaging conversation that both audiences feel like they had a front-row seat. And when that happens, everyone benefits, regardless of when they tune in.
Related Articles:
16 Ways to Close a Panel Discussion
What is a “Keynote Panel Moderator?”
Should You Display Panel Discussion Questions on a Screen?
For more information about how to moderate a lively & informative panel discussion, check out our free 7-part video series on how to moderate a panel and other resources to help you organize, moderate, or be a panel member.
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