If you are having a panel discussion, make sure to ask panelists what titles, names, and pronouns they use. Do background research on panelists so you are familiar with their past and present work, and ensure you have a complementary and representative panel to lead the discussion.

In the event confirmation email, provide context for the event and discussion and offer any grounding expectations for audience members. 

If there are specific stipulations for your event, make those clear in the event details and have a plan for how to structure your event to ensure those stipulations are met. 

Consider any security concerns and put a plan in place to address them, should they arise. 

• Tip: Check out this resource on Zoom Bombing from Electronic Frontier Foundation and security measures you can put in place to mitigate risk. 

• Tip: Check out this resource on conflict management and de-escalation for in-person events. 

Consider possible community partners whose information, resources, and/or perspectives would be important, and reach out early to include them in the event planning and execution.

At the start of the event, provide context for the screening and discussion, and set expectations. 

• For example: Tonight we are inviting a conversation about maternal health and are grateful to have a few experts here to lead us in a respectful and open dialogue, rooted in curiosity and our shared values.

If your event has topics or content that might be challenging for audience members given their lived experiences, provide content notes and encourage members to take the space they need. 

• For example: Today’s screening addresses topics including [insert screening topics/themes] that could be difficult or challenging. We encourage people to take care of themselves as needed throughout the screening and panel. You can of course at any time [turn off your camera/step out of the room] if you need to take space. We also know that people in this room may have experiences close to this issue, and ask that you please be mindful and do not make assumptions in our discussions following the screening. 

If you’re concerned about conflict arising in post-screening discussions, we encourage you to have volunteers available to monitor chat conversations or audio permissions for virtual events, or be on-site to mediate conflict during the event, should it arise. 

Depending on the content, it may be appropriate to offer resources at the beginning or end of your event. Some events may even work with organizations to offer on-site support. Often that can be resources for emotional or mental health support, but it can also be local resources connected to the topic or issue being discussed. 

Some people when they engage with content that is challenging need time to process, others need a way to take action to address the issue. It’s okay to acknowledge the different needs in the audience and try to offer different takeaways. 

• For example: We know that tonight’s screening may elicit different responses from people in this room. Some of you may still be processing what you just watched/heard. Others may need to take care of yourself and your own healing. And others may be asking – what can I do? All of those responses are valid.

Schedule a debrief. This is generally important to understand the impact of the event, but critical if there were any issues or conflicts that came up during the screening event. 

If there were any issues or concerns that came up during your event, have a plan to follow up individually with people involved. 

If there were resources shared during the event, include them also in your follow up email. People process information in their own ways and times, and may need support following the event.