Planning A Panel With Engaging Thought Leaders

Most panels are posturing and fluff. Because many just show up so they can say they were a ‘speaker.’ Unfortunate, but true. Beauty of that is, if you decide that’s not what you want to do, you can stand out instantly (and build loads of credibility): I've coached clients through dozens of panel discussions, and the difference between forgettable and fantastic comes down to three things. Here's what separates the pros from the amateurs: 1. Prep “It’s a panel, I don’t need to prepare.” Wrong, though yes, you don’t want to be a robot. So, prepare differently. - Know your role – are you a storyteller, a philosopher, naturally funny? Play into that, don’t force something you’re not (yet). - Know your why – why is this panel important to you? What makes you uniquely qualified? A good time to get 7 levels deep, to really know the root. - Know your perspective - What stories might you share? What frameworks do you use? Give people something to remember. Think on what you might leave them with. 2. Actively listen Stop rehearsing in your head. Listen to your co-panelists. Build on their points. Disagree (respectfully). Reference their comments. Make it a real conversation, not parallel monologues. 3. Energy management Your audience lives off your energy. Understand where the room is at, then lift it 10%. Too high, you'll seem forced. Too low, you'll drain them. Great panels aren't about withholding information for an outside conversation. They’re about building value through dialogue. Think of it like a dinner party conversation where everyone's invested in making it interesting. - Listen more than you speak - Ask thoughtful follow-ups - Build on others' ideas - Share the spotlight Simple? Yes. Obvious? Maybe. But will most panelists do this? No. That's your advantage.

If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve witnessed or participated in a conference panel that sucked. Maybe you were an audience member who paid hundreds of dollars for a ticket, only to watch speakers say nothing of substance. Or you were the moderator, struggling to keep speakers focused while they shamelessly promoted their own agendas. Or you were a featured speaker who had to endure generic questions and an awkward atmosphere, wondering why you even bothered to join in the first place. I have personally found myself in all three roles multiple times. And yet, I’m here to tell you that panels don’t have to suck. They can even be fun! As the spring/summer conference season quickly approaches, I've written up a comprehensive guide below on how to organize and moderate panels with lasting impact, based on my experience speaking at 40+ conferences throughout my career (including organizing Water & Music's own Wavelengths Summit last year). While pulling off a successful panel is difficult work, there are several recurring patterns among bad panels that I think are preventable with the right mindset and preparation. I have two particular takes on this that might be unconventional: - Not every topic is a good fit for a panel in the first place. Panels are the public-speaking equivalents of tweets — leaving little room for nuance or depth, as a tradeoff for being accessible and concise. Event organizers can wield this limitation to their benefit by framing panels as macro overviews of trends and problem spaces, with clear messaging that the event is meant to be just the start of a longer-term conversation. But panels that try to brainstorm solutions or "solve" endemic industry problems are an immediate red flag to me. - For curating speakers, there is a *massive* opportunity to move beyond seniority alone as the primary filter for “expertise.” While senior execs can speak to high-level strategy, entry- and mid-level employees often have deeper insights into day-to-day execution. Similarly, while seasoned public speakers bring polish, first-time panelists can bring much-needed fresh stories and perspectives to the table. And lastly, I always say that by a pure numbers game, the collective wisdom and experience of everyone in the audience far exceeds that of the people onstage. Some of the most fun and enlightening panels I've been a part of wielded that collective wisdom in unexpected ways. Curious if my experience lines up with yours! Hope this guide is a small step towards making panels more fun and manageable for us all 😁 #musicindustry #panels #conference #musicbiz #publicspeaking #speaking #musictech #musicbusiness