How to organise a successful panel discussion

What Is A Panel Discussion? How Do You Get Started?

A panel discussion is a group of speakers who come together to discuss a specific topic. It can be formal or informal, with each speaker having a role to play in the conversation.
Panel discussions are often organised by companies, universities, research institutions and other organisations where there is a need to share knowledge or experiences..
In a panel discussion, there will typically be between three and five speakers who each take their turn speaking on the topic at hand. Each speaker will have prepared something (usually an outline) in advance so that they know what they want to say about the subject matter when it’s their turn.
The moderator will ask questions of all the speakers before moving on to another one so that everyone has an opportunity to speak and contribute their views on the matter being discussed.

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What Are The Benefits Of Holding A Panel Discussion?

A panel discussion is a great way to bring together a group of experts from a variety of fields to discuss their respective areas of expertise.
The benefits of holding a panel discussion are numerous. Here are just a few:

• More Views On A Subject – When you hold a panel discussion, you can get more opinions on the subject matter than if you were to interview one specific expert. This is because each speaker will have their own take on the issue and can provide insight into how other people view it. Inherently this provides greater value for your audience – provided that you have chosen your panelists with care.
• It expands your network: A panel discussion gives you and your audience members an opportunity to meet new people and expand your network. By inviting speakers from different industries and backgrounds, you get an opportunity to learn about their experiences, challenges and how they overcame them. You can also interact with them after the event by networking with them at social events or even by asking for referrals for future business opportunities.
• It helps build credibility: As mentioned above, having experts on board will help build credibility in your brand or company, as long as the speakers you hire are already known to your target audience and respected in their field.
• Ideas and insights. The audience will have the opportunity to ask questions, share their opinions and come up with solutions to problems that may be relevant to them. This will allow you to learn more about their needs, what they like and dislike about your product or service, and how you can improve it.

What Are The Risks?

When planning a panel discussion, beware a few pitfalls that might undermine the success of your event.
The biggest risk of holding a panel discussion is that your speakers won’t be able to engage with each other or with their audience properly. If they try to compete with one another instead of working together, then they could undermine their own credibility and interest in what they have to say. Having a capable and experience moderator reach out to them all beforehand and making sure the whole discussion is mapped out in advance will help you avoid this outcome.

How Can You Make it successful?

There are three main ways that you can make sure that your panel discussion runs smoothly:

• Choose the right people for your panel – choose people who are used to working with others and who will complement each other’s strengths. A good panelist should be someone who has experience in their field and can provide valuable insight into whatever topic is being discussed. For example, if you’re hosting a panel about social media marketing, then having someone who has insider knowledge of at least one major platform would be beneficial because they would provide a unique and valuable perspective.
• Prepare thoroughly for each speaker – ask them what they want to talk about and how they want to get their message across.
• Ensure that every speaker gets equal time – don’t allow one person dominate, as this will inevitably upset and possibly offend other participants.
• Have clear goals: before you start planning a panel discussion, it’s important to identify what you want from it. Are you looking to raise awareness about your brand or get more people interested in your products? Are you hoping that the event will be educational? If so, what do you want attendees to learn from it?

While holding a panel discussion is hard work, it can be very rewarding for the business that runs it

Panel discussions are a great way for a variety of parties to come together and discuss the same topic, thus allowing for very interesting and insightful perspectives to be shared with attendees. Businesses should strongly consider running panel discussions at some point. It’s a great opportunity to network with others in your industry and beyond, as well as for members of your community to gather and have their voices heard as well.

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