MODERATOR GUIDELINES QUICK-GUIDE

Key Things to do:

• Moderators should prepare questions and/or the flow of their panel ahead of time and establish a rapport with panelists in advance, optimally in pre-calls.
• The panel is about your panelists – so get to know them and help them shine once onstage.
• Engage your audience! Give them an overview of the panel’s objective at the beginning of the session, and audience involvement within the first five minutes is encouraged.
• Visual presentations of panelists are encouraged but used with moderation to ensure they enhance rather than disrupt conversation flow.
• Identify takeaways from your panelists’ presentations to summarize at the end of the panel
• Leave at least 15 minutes for Q&A with the audience
• Give panelists clear guidelines on the available time and what to expect during the session
• If possible, it is highly recommended to schedule an online connect and run-through with the panelists ahead of the conference. This will help them get familiar and comfortable with each other and clarify the flow of presentations and Q&A during the actual session

Key things to avoid:

• Dominating the conversation – the moderator is a conduit, not the star.
• Letting a panelist dominate the conversation – make sure all have an approximately equal voice and speaking time.
• Letting the conversation become overly academic, historical or teaching the audience a technical lesson – the event needs to remain accessible to all.

MC-ing, Time-Keeping & Technical Support: 

• There will be an official time-keeper from SIE Society and/or JHU CPP that will introduce you and your panel, and will keep time;
• they’ll hold you accountable for hitting the in and out points of the panel as well as the Q&A;
• they’ll give you “10 minutes to go”, “5 minutes to go” and “1 minute to go” visual warning signs
• There will be a person from SIE Society or JHU CCP helping with technical issues.

The more planning ahead of time, the richer the conversation. We greatly thank you for your time and effort in curating a dynamic and engaging panel for our audience of industry leaders at the 2025 Impact + Profit Conference!

EXTENDED MODERATOR GUIDELINES & SUGGESTIONS

Note: If you’re an experienced moderator, the above one-sheet will probably be sufficient; if you’re looking for extra guidance of good moderating, we’ve compiled a set of best practices below.

Preparation:

Moderators are encouraged to prepare questions in advance and facilitate a well-planned discussion. We suggest moderators send a pre-event email to panelists with three opening questions and inquire if there are other important topics panelists would like to cover. Additionally, we recommend setting up a pre-event call to get to know your speakers. Understanding your speakers’ specific areas of expertise, will allow for curating a thoughtful and engaging discussion. On the day of the panel, socialize with panelists but refrain from discussing on-stage topics in too much detail.

State Your Objective: 

At the beginning of a panel, state your objective concisely in two sentences. For example, “Amidst the crucial discussions on diversity in filmmaking, our goal today is to explore the significance of diverse perspectives and voices in the industry. We aim to discuss how embracing diversity can reshape and enhance the filmmaking experience for both creators and audiences.”

Introductions: 

Moderators should introduce their panels’ speakers, making brief mention of their credits. Do not have panelists introduce themselves unless they insist on doing so.

Involve the audience within the first five minutes:

This will help drive engagement from the audience and keep your panelists from speaking as if they are in a bubble. Feel free to allow questions from the audience as soon as there are hands raised. Moderators should repeat audience questions unless they have first confirmed that all audience members have heard the question clearly. You may even ask a few audience members to introduce themselves by name, title and company, to get a sense for who is in the audience. Another fun way to involve the audience is by asking them to applaud or boo in response to questions. For example, you might ask “Have you ever been moved by a powerful scene in a film?” Please applaud. This brings energy to the room.

Questions: 

• Begin with a broader/more general question: It is usually best for moderators to open with a fairly general question, one that can be posed to each speaker individually to get the ball rolling.
• Spark debate: Prepare a few questions that might spark debate among speakers.
• Speaker specific questions: Prepare questions for each speaker specifically. These questions should be aimed at hearing about speakers’ specific areas of expertise and to add unique insight around the panel’s central theme.

• Concluding questions: Wrap-up the structured portion of the panel with a few concluding questions that offer speakers the opportunity to share one last piece of advice, an insight, or opinion. You may also ask a question that is forward-looking. For example, “Anticipating positive change, what aspect of the film industry do you believe will undergo the most dramatic transformation in the next five years?”

• Q&A: Leave at least 10 minutes at the end of the panel to allow for final questions from the audience.

PowerPoint Presentations:

It is the moderators job to coordinate with speakers should they choose to present visual material during the panel. PowerPoint presentations are optional and can often distract from the flow of a natural panel conversation when not used properly. Panels should only use PowerPoint presentations when visual material is essential to understanding an area of discussion. Presentation slides should be kept to a minimum and any videos shown must be under 3 minutes long.

Final Guidelines:

• Listen: Follow speakers’ answers to determine when follow-up questions or completely different lines of questioning are helpful. Don’t let yourself get bogged down by a “script” of prepared questions. Allow questions to follow the flow of discussion.
• Try Not to Interrupt: Remember the moderator’s role. Facilitating conversation is key.
• Interrupt if Necessary: Should a speaker rave endlessly about a topic without regard for his or her fellow panelists or should a speaker get lost in their own response and end up rambling or putting the audience to sleep, this is the time for gentle intervention to keep the discussion engaging and on track.
• Stay on Topic: Make sure discussions are always related to the central theme of the panel. Should discussions get off track, ask leading questions to guide speakers back.

MODERATING GUIDELINES SUMMARY:

The “Impact + Profit Conference Moderating Guidelines” delineate strategies for effective panel moderation, emphasizing preparation, audience engagement, and focused discussion. Moderators are urged to prepare questions in advance, establish rapport with panelists, and clearly state the panel’s objective at the outset. Introductions should be concise, and audience involvement within the first five minutes is encouraged to maintain engagement. Structured questioning is advised, starting with general inquiries, followed by debate-sparking questions and speaker-specific inquiries. Concluding questions allow speakers to offer final insights, with time allocated for audience participation.

Regarding PowerPoint presentations, moderation is essential to ensure their effective use without disrupting conversation flow. Presentations should be kept minimal, with moderation needed for any visual aids. Final guidelines stress active listening and flexibility, allowing moderators to adapt the discussion while ensuring relevance to the central theme. Interruptions should be used sparingly, primarily to steer speakers back on topic or prevent monopolization of the conversation. Overall, adherence to these guidelines facilitates dynamic and informative panel discussions, benefiting both panelists and attendees.