I’ve done panels. Watched ’em, moderated ’em, served on ’em. Thats a photo of me on a panel with my friend Kristen. I’ll be on a panel on Saturday at an Atlanta conference.
Good panels cover many questions with multiple viewpoints in limited time. Great panels spark vigorous debate — especially among panelists — and show the brilliance of the experts under pressure while giving the audience smart takeaways.
But panels can be awful, too. I hate the ones that come off as smarmy, a lovefest among panelists that neither enlightens nor inspires. Or the ones where one panelist drones on and on, and only a couple of audience questions fit in the time allotted.
Jeremiah Owyang wrote a guide to conference panels that I still use (and pass along) to this day. He emphasizes focus on the audience and thorough preparation.
We didn’t have any panels at Y’all Connect Presented by Alabama Power in 2013. But what about 2014?
You tell us.
Take this two-question survey and let us know how you feel about panels.
Deadline: 5 p.m. CDT Thursday, April 10.
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