How to design better panels!

We’re well into the conference season - we  left events such as CES, MWC, Start Summit, SXSW, OMR behind us - Latitute59, Viva Tech and Collision are coming up before summer break. And in between are numerous local events and conferences. As an MC I’m often involved in not only helping organizers to find the right speakers, but also support designing the panel setup. As a conference visitor I often sit in panels that are quite honestly a waste of time. Here are a few things that I noticed and would like to share with you to help lift the quality level of panel discussions.

Questions panel organizers should ask themselves

1.Who are we serving?

Sounds simple but often enough organizers don’t seem to dive deep into who they are doing their panels for. Students? Startups? Corporates? VC’s? Ecosystem players? What’s the split? Are you still looking to change then split, i.e. is a certain target group underrepresented? Make sure you know your target group, you know what is currently being discussed and what are topics for which people are looking for new insights.

2. Why should anyone listen to this?

Imagine you want to invite someone to come to the panel - what are the reasons why he or she should spend valuable time listening to it? What value-add will it bring? Can the topic bring about things s/he didn’t know before? Will you educate, inspire, entertain or surprise? Make sure that the "WHY" of the panel is clear for the audience and frame the topic in an engaging and interesting way. It’s unfortunate that many conference organizers seem to avoid questions that are a bit controversial and may create some friction- but really that is when the interesting stuff and “aha moments” are coming about for the listeners.

3. Are different opinions and gender represented in the panel?

Ask yourself not who should be in this panel because he or she is well-known, but foremost who has a distinct message, interesting stories and experience that add value to the panel. It’s such a lost opportunity that when you’ve found an interesting panel subject matter, but you only recruit boring famous people and/or those with the same opinion. Recruit diversity when it comes to opinion!!

I hope I do not need to mention that not-mixed panels are just not acceptable. That also includes to please not create an all-female panel on female entrepreneurship!! Nooo!

4. How much space does each panelist need?

I’ve experienced that unless you have an hour-long panel (which I would advise only under very rare circumstances), a panel with more than 3 people (+ MC) on it does not give enough room for speakers. Max 3!

What happens otherwise is that speakers will only be able to answer two to maybe three questions - and often enough, no real discussion unfolds. Due to the limited time, the answers often to reach the depth-level that are really interesting for the listeners.

Also important: It may be easier said than done but as a conference organizer you should have the authority not to follow political demands as to "who has to be in the panel if XYZ is also in the panel". Do not compromise the quality of your panel over political manoevring.

5. How can the stage and technical setup support a great panel?

The stage can do a great deal to ensure a good panel discussion. If you take a look at the stage set up below you will see that it really is a beautiful stage - but we were a) sitting very far away from the audience and b) far away from each other. Both is not great for an engaging panel. Make sure the stage is not too large and that lightning is good (not too bright, not too dark) and the acoustic works out for even the people sitting in the back of the conference room or hall.

6. Who's my MC?

Of course organizers cannot (and should not) control the discussion 100% - that's part of the fun. But hiring an experienced MC who's putting proper work into the panel can do so much: The panel will more likely be a success, if s/he prepares the topic thoroughly, if s/he knows how to make speakers share stories, instead of facts and figures, if s/he knows how to create good vibe so that speakers feel comfortable, if s/he know how to prepare the speakers well in the first place and if s/he knows how to engage with - and involve the audience.

Any more things to consider? Happy to hear from you!