GYCZ Preparing To Host A Panel Discussion

On Friday, August 21^st, 2026 I will host a three-person panel in Vancouver, British Columbia at the Toastmasters International conference, an event which is held annually in locations usually in North America, although August 2027 will be held in Paris, France.  

If you have not hosted a panel previously, the process can seem daunting. Careful planning and agreement on event parameters in advance are critical, and will enable you to manage any surprises as the event unrolls. Here is my planning approach in general, and in this instance.

 

 

 

Predetermined Parameters

I’ll note that for this event two excellent meeting planners from Toastmasters staff have provided the overall structure including setting start and end times, room selection and preparation, the selection of panelists, and planning for a full program of similar panels for the overall 4-day program. You may need to determine and negotiate most or all of these parameters. At our 4-day conference, there are several panel events, and I chair two occurrences of one of the panel events.

 

Team Planning and Communication

A successful event requires good communication amongst the host, the panelists, and the planners.  In this instance, we’ve held two Zoom meetings and had several strings of email.

 

Physical Comfort of the Panelists

During an initial planning meeting, one the panelists asked about the physical room layout, and specifically if they would be seated at a table, or in chairs. I was unaware, but the plan was to be seated on stools without backing at the front of the room.  So, this was a great question.

The panelists weren’t in favor of stools, and I supported them on this. I find a stool uncomfortable, and very awkward to sit on, especially in front of a room.  It’s not one of my competencies.  So, plans were changed to provide chairs.

 

Timing considerations

Our meeting planners from staff have allocated 60 minutes to our full program, and twelve minutes for each speaker, which will consume 36 of the 60 minutes. That leaves 24 minutes maximum for my introductory remarks, panelist introductions, any appropriate bridging or clarification between panelists, and management of a Q&A section.

Our meeting planners will provide timing signals to each speaker, using a Green-Yellow-Red pattern familiar to all members of Toastmasters. Additionally, I will stand when the speakers have only 45 seconds left to their time allocation. When you’re a speaker on a panel, finishing your work slightly short of your allocated time is welcome.

 

Panelist Material

I’ve seen that sometimes speakers will try to share all of their subject matter expertise while on stage, sometimes rushing through material and not spending enough time on the material most critical to the specific audience. I believe the better approach is to select the most pertinent material for the specific audience, and deliver that content. It’s better to leave an audience wanting more content, and perhaps addressing that in Q&A, rather than leaving an audience wishing there had been less content, but more focused content. Any speaker needs to do their best to assess the knowledge level of their audience, and deliver appropriately.

In the case of this event, the team and I have met twice and agreed on overall themes for each of them, and they have independence to develop the content to address each theme. In other cases, I might want to review the material with the panelists, but in this instance, I’m working with experienced speakers and trust their judgement.

Previously, I wrote about audience analysis here https://gycz.blogspot.com/2024/01/audience-analysis-wolf-of-wall-street.html

 

Introductions

All speakers should offer the host some material for introductions.  Some speakers desire that the introduction provided be read exactly as presented. Whether I’m presenting, or whether I’m introducing, I like a personal touch to introductions, perhaps only a brief, relevant comment on our previous interactions.

 

Selection of Panelists

I’m delighted with the panelists selected for this event. They’re experienced, don’t require any personal coaching, instead only some discussion and selection of their specific angle on the overall topic.

If you are required to select panelists, here are some guidelines;

1.   Identify some subject matter experts, and ideally their specific expertise and point of view. Some topics will require you to provide pro and con viewpoints.

2.   Assess their speaking ability, including clarity of message, possible distracting habits including overuse of ‘ums’,’ ahs,’ ‘likes,’ and “you know.” Overuse of such habits, such crutch words, can be distracting to audience members.

3.   If a panelist seems nervous as the event approaches, offer to listen to a trial run of their material and offer gentle, supportive guidance. Do understand that the practice session may proceed quite differently than their performance in front of the actual audience, and as chair adapt as required in the moment.

 

Conclusion

Hosting a panel discussion is a test for a speaker. Careful planning pays off, and attention to detail during the event will ensure a well received, successful experience for panelists and the audience.