Professional panel moderator Kristin Arnold asks Michael Carnes, CEO of Hoka Hey, Inc. specializing in creative media and event production, to share his opinion about what panel moderators should strive for during a panel discussion at meetings, conferences, and conventions.
Video Transcript
Kristin: Michael, what should panel moderators strive for to make their panels a success?
Michael: The striving for and the best practice is this. Again, it goes all the way back to why are you doing the panel in the first place? Why are you giving the audience this information? So I can go and give you information—I’m going to use a weird metaphor here. We can go to Home Depot, and we know there’s a gold mine out there. I can get you some hammers and some picks and stuff. I can give you that. That’s all wonderful and good, but when I give you the nugget of gold, that’s a whole different ball game. Okay? It’s like when you get the nugget of gold it says “that’s going to change me. I’m going to take that back to my office. That’s going to make a difference. I never knew that. That helped me so much.” You get those kinds of thoughts and comments from the audience; you’ve done it right. You’ve given them the gold, instead of just giving them the hammer, and a nail and a pickaxe.
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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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