I did a fireside chat with United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby in front of approximately 1,000
top elected officials and business leaders at the ReNew Jersey Business Summit in
Atlantic City.
I was also a co-presenter on a “Path to Publication” breakout session for a group of
about two dozen high school students at the N.J. Academy of Science event at Kean
University.
Both were equally important to BINJE.
Those who know the business circuit know it’s pretty common to find me moderating a
panel or conducting a fireside chat.
There are five key reasons why:
- I always learn a lot — which is always the goal of a journalist;
- I get a new source or a story lead every time;
- It’s good for the BINJE brand to be on stage;
- I like doing them;
- There’s nothing worse than a boring moderator.
That doesn’t mean being a moderator is easy.
You need to know your topic, which makes pre-event calls so important. But more than
that, you need to be able to adjust on the fly.
You’d be surprised how often panelists who are verbose in the pre-call give short, dull
answers when they are on stage.
Or worse, how often panelists talk about all the topics you were going to discuss in their
opening remarks (it happens more than you think).
That’s where journalism training comes in. And why — forgive me — journalists are
usually the best moderators.
Over the years, in an effort to get the most information and the best quotes, we have
learned how to ask the same question in a variety of ways. That comes in handy on
stage.
That being said, there are three tricks of the trade anyone can master:
Make it conversational: Do not ask each panelist the same question. Rather, get one
panelist to comment on what another just said. Creating a “backyard barbecue”
moment, where everyone on the deck is contributing to the conversation, is always the
goal;
Make it fun for the audience: If you’re going to take questions, take them throughout
the panel. It not only keeps the audience engaged — it shows panelists what the
audience wants to hear. Taking a question at the end of a 45-minute panel about
something said in the beginning isn’t fun for anyone;
Make it personal: My “lightning round” questions are often the highlight of the panels I
lead. The key: Ask fun stuff. Forget the “one thing you would tell your younger self”
question. Ask about the first car they owned, the first concert they saw and — the best
one — whether pineapple belongs on pizza. It brings out a side of people that is much
more interesting.
So, if you have a panel, give me a call. I’ll keep it light — and lively. And I’ll always take
pineapple on my pizza.
