Do you bring the panelists together to meet each other before the panel discussion begins? Professional Panel Moderator Kristin Arnold asked this question of Joe Calloway, Business Keynote Speaker, panel moderator, and member of the US Speaker Hall of Fame.
Video Transcript
Kristin: Do you ever get the panelists together to meet each other beforehand? Even before the panel discussion begins?
Joe: Sometimes, the client will arrange that. They’ll say “Joe, 30 minutes before the session starts, all three of your panel members are going to be back in the corner of the ballroom and before, you can say hi and go over any last minute whatever.” So, yes sometimes the three of us get together, and very often Kristin- I’d say more often than not, well half the time- they already at least know each other. They may not work together all the time, they usually don’t, but they know each other.
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Kristin Arnold, professional panel moderator, and high stakes meeting facilitator is on a crusade to make all panel discussions informative, interactive, and interesting. Specifically, she wants to help YOU become a better panel moderator. Why? Because 95% of annual meetings have panel discussions – and according to the 2014 Panel Report, it’s a fifty-fifty proposition they are any good at all! Expectations decrease dramatically when your attendees walk in and see the traditional draped head-table with microphones on short stands. There are sooooo many other ways to have a stimulating conversation! So let’s increase the probability of success for your next panel discussion with these resources.
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