PANEL CHAIRS - ADVICE

An essential role at any conference are the panel chairs – someone to introduce the speakers, engage with the theme, and steer the flow of the questions and answers to ensure both speakers and audience get the most from the discussion.

Overview

At BSP2022AC the role of the panel chairs will be to introduce the speakers, manage the Q&As, and have a question or two prepared during the talk if discussion lulls. There is no need to worry about keeping the speakers to time: this will be handled by members of the BSP conference team who will be room managers during the panels. However, given the event is hybrid – with both speakers and delegates at the venue and online – managing panel Q&As will be a little more complicated than a purely face-to-face event. And it will be the role of the room managers and A/V technicians to help in this.

Panel Format

• Panels at BSP2022AC have either two or three speakers, and it could be (1) all the speakers are in the venue; (2) all are online; or (3) there could be a mix of in venue and online (hybrid). Correspondingly, there will be an audience that is both in venue and online.

• The online aspect of the event will be over Zoom Events. Both in venue presenters and remote presenters will be streamed online, with remote presenters streamed into the room onto a screen. The streaming will be handled by the A/V technicians.

• Within the panels, each speaker gets 30 minutes. BSP2022AC is not a conference where all the speakers in a panel present and then there are collective questions at the end. Rather, each speaker will be introduced, have 20 or so minutes to deliver their paper, and the remaining time of their 30 minute slot will be for discussion. The schedule has been timetabled this way, and this format communicated to all attendees from the call for papers onwards.

• Questions are likely to come from the venue and from online. If they come from in venue, the audience members should physically raise their hands. If they come from online participants they could be either (1) virtual raised hands, meaning the person who asked the question can appear on screen in the room to ask the question themselves; or (2) text questions, meaning the room manager will read the question out on behalf of the person who wrote it.

Panel Chair Role – a step by step guide!

• Before the event, check out the speakers in your panel using the timetable and the speakers page of the website. You may want to make some notes (or you could just read from the website using a mobile device, or from the print programme you’ll receive upon check-in).

• Please go to the room where you are chairing the panel at least ten minutes before the panel is due to start and make yourself known to the room manager. After that, if you need to grab some refreshments that is fine. If you don’t come to the room early, the room manager may assume you are not able to make it for some reason, and will need to source an emergency panel chair!

• At the beginning of the session introduce the panel and then the first speaker. Please keep the speaker introduction short, you can name them, their institution, some key details from their bio, and the title of their paper. Remember, your introduction is cutting into the speaker’s time!

• If the speaker is in venue they will be at the front of the room, if online on the screen at the front of the room. The room manager will indicate the 15 minute mark to the speakers, and 20 minute mark if necessary. They will do this with cards in the room, or via the chat if online. If the speaker hits 25 minutes, the room manager will intervene vocally. If the speaker continues to 30 minutes, the room manager will intervene and bring the session to an end without any Q&As.

• When it comes to questions, you should try and alternate between venue and online. Take a question from the room by choosing someone holding up their hand, then take one from online. The room manager will indicate to you if there are questions coming from the online audience; and will then either ask the A/V technician to put someone live on screen, or read out a text question.

• Sometimes it can take a few moments for the audience to gather their thoughts to ask a question, or there can be a lull in questions, or the questions can come to an end early. A key role for the chair is to have prepared some questions during the talk to keep the discussion flowing. Remember, the event is scheduled in half hour paper sessions so there is no opportunity to end the session early and bring on the next speaker.

• Another key role is to ensure people asking questions are to the point and brief, you may need to ask them to hurry up so the speaker can answer. If there are a lot of hands up in the room and the room manager lets you know there are several people online, you may want to make this known so that you can get through as many questions as possible. Sometimes you may even need to hurry up the speaker! Of course, all hurrying-up should be handled with sensitivity and a light touch, if possible.

• The room manager will indicate to you when the 30 minute slot is up. You should round things off, and thank the speaker…

• … then repeat with the second and – if there is one – third speaker!

• If a speaker does not turn up, then the slot should remain vacant. As each speaker is assigned a specific 30 minute slot, you cannot bring a speaker forward. However, if a second or third speaker does not turn up, it is fine to allow discussion to continue during the vacant slot as long as participants are willing to continue.

• If at any point you are unsure what to do, ask the room manager!