pocketspeak4e

Presenting in Panels, Symposia, and Forums

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Panels, symposia, and forums are group discussions in which multiple speakers share their expertise with an audience; forums are convened specifically to discuss issues of public interest. Members of panels, symposia, and forums often may not meet beforehand to coordinate their remarks.

Panel Discussions

In a panel discussion, a group of people (at least three, and generally not more than nine) discusses a topic in the presence of an audience. Panel discussions do not feature formally prepared speeches. Instead, they require the presence of a skilled chairperson or moderator to direct the discussion, who begins by describing the purpose of the panel and introducing panel members. The moderator then launches the discussion by directing a question to one or more of the participants. At the conclusion of the panel, the moderator summarizes the discussion and directs questions from the audience.

When preparing remarks for a panel discussion, or when preparing to serve as a moderator, consider the following:

What is the agenda for the discussion? (Generally, the moderator will deliver this to the panelists.)
Who is your audience, and what do they know about the topic? What do they need to know about it?
What are the ground rules? (Generally, the moderator will prepare a list and distribute it to each participant.)
What aspects of the topic will the other participants address? What are their areas of expertise?
How much time is allotted for the question-and-answer session? You will need to plan accordingly.

Symposia

A symposium is a formal meeting at which various speakers deliver short speeches on different aspects of the same topic. Symposia are organized to provide audiences with a detailed look at a topic by providing multiple perspectives on it. Sometimes the symposium concludes with a question-and-answer period; at other times, it is followed by a panel discussion among symposium participants.

When preparing a presentation for a symposium, consider the following:

What aspects of the topic will the other participants address?
In what order will the speakers address the audience?
What are your time constraints?
Who is your audience?
Will you engage in questions and answers with the other speakers, or just with the audience?

Forums

A forum is an assembly for the discussion of issues of public interest. Forums are often convened to help policymakers and voters alike deliberate about key policy issues. Forums can take place in a physical space, such as a town hall, or online, in moderated Web chats and other forms of virtual forums.

Forums may feature a panel or a symposium, followed by an extensive question-and-answer period with the audience. One well-known forum is the town hall meeting, in which citizens deliberate on issues of importance to the community. City and state governments sponsor town hall meetings to gather citizen input about issues that affect them, using this input to formulate policy.

When participating in public forums (not as a featured speaker, but as a member of the audience), consider the following:

Organize your thoughts as much as possible in advance by jotting down your question or comment on a piece of paper. Use the guidelines for impromptu speaking described in Chapter 17.
Do not duplicate someone else’s questions or comments unless it adds to the discussion.
Use no more time than necessary to make your points.
If appropriate, include a call to action at the conclusion of your comments.