Panel discussions:
Guide for chairs and backstage volunteers

Live or pre recorded?

Panel discussions can be live or pre-recorded. Check which format applies to your session.

For a pre-recorded panel, the chair uses the guidance below when recording the conversation. The finished recording is uploaded in advance and broadcasts automatically at the scheduled time using Zoom’s simulive format. There are no live broadcast tasks for the backstage volunteer and no live discussion to manage afterwards.

For a live panel, the chair leads the conversation during the scheduled session and the backstage volunteer provides the support described below.

Chair steps

These steps apply to both formats (live or pre-recorded). Any instructions about monitoring or answering audience questions apply only to live panels.

1. Prepare your conversation

  • Read the pointers, suggested questions and topics in your panel’s Google Drive folder. They’re a starting point, not a script: change the order, add your own questions and follow interesting tangents, as long as the conversation stays relevant to the theme.

  • Check your session’s running time and what follows it in the programme. For a pre-recorded panel, check what comes after its scheduled broadcast, rather than what happens on the day you record.

2. Welcome delegates and introduce the panel

  • Welcome everyone and briefly introduce the topic.

  • Encourage delegates to share their thoughts and comments in the chat.

  • For a live panel, you can also invite questions. For a pre-recorded panel, don’t invite questions for the speakers to answer live: the conversation they’re watching has already been recorded.

  • Introduce the panellists, or invite them to introduce themselves, then get the conversation started with a strong opening question.

3. Help the conversation flow

  • Encourage panellists to build on each other’s answers and respond naturally, rather than calling on each person in a fixed order.

  • Follow your curiosity, explore useful connections and ask for examples that bring ideas to life.

  • Give everyone room to contribute. If one person is dominating, gently step in and invite another voice.

  • Targeted follow-up questions can be valuable, but watch that repeated follow-ups don’t give one panellist much more airtime than the others.

4. Bring in audience questions as you go (live panels only)

  • Monitor both the Q&A panel and chat for questions or comments worth exploring. Weave these into the conversation when they fit.

  • Don’t save a large block of time at the end for audience questions. There may not be any, so be ready to keep the conversation moving with your own questions.

5. Keep time and close

  • Keep an eye on the time and leave space for a brief close. Finish by the scheduled end, or within the agreed running time when recording.

  • Summarise a few key points or share what you’re personally taking away. Thank delegates for attending and the panellists for sharing their expertise and experiences with the ContentEd audience. Tell delegates what’s coming next in the programme, using the checked broadcast schedule for a pre-recorded panel. Thank everyone once more and bring the conversation to a close.

Backstage volunteer steps

Live panels only. Pre-recorded panels broadcast automatically and don’t need this live support.

1. Help the chair and panellists go live

  • Check that the chair and panellists have arrived backstage and know how to move into the live webinar area.

  • When cued, support their move onto the live stage and check that their cameras and microphones are on when they need to speak.

2. Check the live view

  • Move into the live webinar area yourself so that you can see attendee chat. Backstage chat is separate from the conversation delegates can see. Keep your own camera and microphone off unless you need them.

  • Check that the attendee view shows the chair and panellists together in the agreed gallery layout, rather than just the active speaker. Use the room-management guide to check the audience view, not only your own screen. The arrangement may vary on delegates’ devices.

3. Support without interrupting

  • Watch the Q&A, chat and time.

  • If the chair misses an important question or needs a timing prompt, send a brief private message only when it’s helpful.

  • Avoid frequent messages: they can interrupt the chair’s concentration and the flow of the discussion.

  • Check in advance that private messaging is enabled and that your message is addressed to the chair.

4. End the webinar

  • Wait until the chair has finished all closing remarks. The person with the host role should then end the webinar for everyone, not simply leave it. If you don’t have the host role, coordinate with the host rather than assuming you can close it yourself.