You’re the Star— We Help You Shine

Panel Moderation: Making Conference Panel Discussions Extraordinary

Kristin Arnold is adept at making ordinary panel presentations powerful through a lively, engaging, audience-centered conversation.  As a thought leader in making panels more powerful, she uses her facilitation skills and process techniques to make your panel session into a robust, interesting and lively discussion.  She ensures there is audience/ panel participation, the information  is useful and the session starts and stops on time.

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Kristin knows her panel moderator role is to be the producer/director of your conference panel presentation – and not the star of the program.  Your panel presenters and participants are the stars and Kristin makes them look like heroes!

Kristin's Process

Kristin uses a 4-step process to create and facilitate an amazing panel discussion that is customized to your outcomes, organizational culture, and the players (panelists and audience) involved.

Kristin starts with a conversation with the meeting organizer to clarify the purpose of the panel and desired outcomes. Interesting panel discussions typically:

  • Provide different perspectives on controversial issues.
  • Explore multiple angles of a complex topic.
  • Answer participant questions about an important topic.

The best panels have a great chemistry with the moderator and with each other – as well as provide relevant, meaningful information to the participants. Kristin works with the panelists to ensure they present the right amount of material given the time constraints, they provide meaningful take-aways (both verbal and as a handout), and that they respond appropriately to participant questions.

The best panel discussions are truly lively, engaging, and informative. Kristin develops a unique format that engages the audience and keeps the conversation flowing. (BTW, she is currently putting the finishing touches on her newest book: 201 Ways to Add More Pizzaz To Your Panel Discussion!

Kristin coordinates event logistics with the property to include seating options and audio-visual support, as well as using emerging technologies such as electronic polling of participants to ensure maximum engagement.

Kristin facilitates the panel discussion to meet the panel objectives by:

  • Providing structure and control to guide the flow of the session.
  • Ensuring lively balanced audience participation.
  • Making segues and summarizing the conversations, while highlighting key points to remember
  • Being humorous, where appropriate.

Kristin summarizes the key points at the end and in a written report immediately following the session. You can reinforce these points in follow up emails, newsletters and talking points. When you hire Kristin as your panel moderator, you know that your panel is in good hands. You have a professional facilitator who will orchestrate a dynamic, engaging and informative panel discussion. She’ll also evaluate the session with you to create next steps.

Kristin, you did a phenomenal and extremely professional job as moderator. Thank you! Highly recommend.

Steve Shain, Chief Operating Officer at LTC Contracting

Kristin Arnold is truly the best moderator I have had the pleasure to work with. She was instrumental in helping our sales and marketing team properly prepare for and successfully launch an industry accredited webinar which included a panel discussion. Our goal was to make the session educational and engaging while also subtly building brand awareness. Based on comments we received, we did just that! Kristin knows how to ask the right questions in order to stay on track, and how to lead a team to set and achieve their goals and objectives. She is genuine, fun and a pleasure to work with.

Taya Paige, Development Manager, The ITA Group

Thank you very much for your support and guidance on the panel we did in Vegas.  I thought you did a fabulous job moderating!  It truly was appreciated!

Darcia Kostiuk DVM, Animal Health Research Lead, Champion Petfoods

“Kristin is fierce on stage whether moderating panels or presenting.”

Brad Burchnell, ASQ, QCM, OE, Cablcon

“I attended your session on Reinventing the Panel Discussion and came up afterward saying your session was “worth the price of admission.” Many thanks for an excellent, thought-provoking session!”

Kate Fessler, Director of Education, American Staffing Association
Book Kristin to Moderate Your Upcoming Panel!