Speaker 1: Howdy, folks. I'm Daniela, Content Manager at Livestorm, the first video engagement platform for hosting all of your online meetings and events. I'm back with another video, and this time we're going to be talking about virtual panel discussions, and more importantly, how to go about moderating one. We'll start by exploring what exactly a panel discussion is, tips for how to host one, and how to engage your audience. And before we get started, just a quick reminder to hit that subscribe button, because I have a lot more content on online events and meetings coming up soon. Without further ado, let's dive in. A panel is typically a group of people who get together to discuss a particular topic in front of a live audience, and there's almost always a moderator who helps facilitate the discussion, and oftentimes, audience members have the opportunity to ask their own panel questions. Now, I'm pretty sure you've already seen your fair share of panels, especially on TV, but panel discussions are also becoming a more popular format for online and hybrid events as it changes things up a bit compared to the traditional webinar or presentation, and it brings more experts together. Before getting into the nitty-gritty of how to host a panel, you should know that there's no one-size-fits-all solution for it to be successful, but there are a few key principles that you'll want to have in place. Let's explore them. To start, you'll want to choose a topic that first and foremost resonates with your audience. Think of something really interesting or trending in a specific field or industry, and if you're searching for ideas, don't hesitate to check out Twitter or LinkedIn to see what topics are buzzing and what the experts are talking about. And when choosing a topic, you'll also want to consider your panelists and what value they can bring to the table. You might even want to be a little flexible with your topic at first because you never know, talking in depth with your panelists can unlock new ideas for the angle that you want to take. Whether you're moderating the panel yourself or looking for someone to moderate, remember that an event host can either make or break an event. Finding an experienced moderator is crucial for its success, and I created a quick little checklist for what a moderator pro should look like. A moderator should know how to facilitate a discussion with multiple speakers. For example, to keep the conversation flowing naturally, they should avoid asking each panelist the same question, especially if there's more than three of them because it can make the conversation drag on a bit. Instead, switch between panelists and ask questions where you know that they can add the most value. And don't forget to call on them by their name for a response. Otherwise, you run the risk of either no response or having them speak on top of each other. And moderators should have a connection to the topic and understand the context of the discussion. And doing research and speaking with experts can definitely go a long way here. Moderators should know how to engage the audience, especially when the panel is online, which can be a little trickier compared to in-person events. Now, I'll share tips on how in a later section of this video, so keep watching. And moderators should be confident and firm, especially when it comes to managing time and occasionally having to cut off the panelists. Moderators should be neutral and avoid sharing opinions. Remember, you want your panelists to shape the audience's views. And so instead of responding to your panelists by saying things like excellent or great points, saying a simple thank you is a good choice. And finally, moderators should know how to conclude the panel discussion. And at Lifestorm, we like to save 15 minutes at the end for the audience to ask their final questions, but also run a rapid fire question session. I'll give more details on this in just a minute. What comes to mind when you think of how to assemble a great team of panelists? Let me guess. You might think they have to be experts on a chosen topic and they need to be comfortable with public speaking. And if you thought about this, you're totally right, but there's more. Think diversity. Finding a diverse group of panelists that can offer their unique perspectives is a must. Because think about it, if a panel is made up of people with the exact same experiences and profile, it's just a recipe for a really boring event. So having diversity will challenge your audience to think differently and give them an opportunity to learn more from different perspectives and experiences. It'll help make the conversation more dynamic as well and resonate with more people. Meeting your panelists at least a week or a few days before your big day is super important because you want to get a feel for their background and identify key areas where they can add value to your topic. And this will help you when you start developing your own script or list of questions to ask. And it will help you steer the conversation in the right direction, making the discussion flow more naturally. In the weeks or days leading up to the panel discussion, you'll also want to be sure to introduce everyone who will be presenting. It's a great opportunity to break the ice and it'll make everyone more comfortable on the big day. And I recommend avoiding talking about the panel topic because it's better to save it for the event. Even though Livestorm is a very intuitive platform, we like to use this quick meeting to also get our panelists familiar with the Livestorm event room, especially all the engagement features like the chat, the question, and the poll tabs. And it's also a good time to check that everyone's camera and microphone are working properly so there aren't any bad surprises. Hosting an engaging panel discussion means that your audience is in hyper-focus mode, they're interacting and actively being kept in the conversation. And here are a few tips to get that extra engagement. Start with a powerful opening. Remember to introduce yourself and the panelists, but don't spend too much time on the intros because you want to jump into your topic relatively quickly. At Livestorm, we like to start by asking a question as it's also a great way to ease into the topic. So for example, you can share an interesting stat with a missing figure and have your panelists and the audience members guess what it could be. Continuously use polls. At Livestorm, we recommend launching a poll every 15 minutes to encourage participation and to hold the audience's attention. An easy way to do this is to launch a poll before you get into a new section of the presentation or questions, and you can ask your audience their opinion or experience related to a particular topic before getting into it further. Enable emoji reactions. I like to think of emojis as a good substitute for body language and these non-social cues, which you normally have in an in-person event, whether it's clapping or giggles. Giving your audience an easy way to express themselves is a fun way to make online events more lively and interactive. Run a rapid fire question session. For our panel discussions at Livestorm, we find that they help any event on a lighter and fun note. And these questions can be fun and less formal. For example, if your panel is about remote work, you could ask questions like sweatpants or no sweatpants, coffee or tea in the morning, etc. Asking your audience the same rapid fire questions in the poll is a great way to include them in the conversation and have a little fun with them. All right, guys, at this point, you should have a pretty clear idea of how to moderate a panel discussion and tips for gaining maximum engagement from your audience. If you'd like to learn more, we have tons of content about it at Livestorm, and I'll leave links to some useful articles in the description below. And if you've hosted your panel discussion before, I want to hear from you. What did your experience teach you? Do you have any advice or tips that might have not been covered in this video? Leave your feedback in the comments section below. And if you'd like to gain more tips related to online events and meetings, don't forget to hit that subscribe button. And I'll see you soon. And until then, keep creating, keep engaging and keep those connections alive. I'll see you later.