University Event Coordination

If you’re speaking on a panel this month, read this first. I’ve spent 10+ years on panels and moderating them, one pattern is constant and costly. Most panelists don’t struggle with knowledge. They struggle with answering. So they ramble or they stay shallow. Here are three simple structures to answer like a pro, in under 90 seconds. (I teach this to CEOs who have to be on panels) Structure 1: PREP Perfect if you want to get to the point which your audience will appreciate. - P(oint): Answer the question directly with one key point - R(eason): Explain why you make that point - E(xample): Back it up with an example or a piece of evidence - P(oint): Recap the key point Structure 2: STORY-INSIGHT Perfect if you need to first set up some context and also stay memorable. Reply with a story (that you have prepared ahead of time preferably). Follow this structure to tell your story in an engaging way that is within time. - Setting: when and where did story happen - Hero: who was involved (usually someone your audience can relate) - Conflict: what was the big problem - Consequence: what will happen if this problem wasn't resolved (optional) - Sweet spot: what was the positive outcome the hero wish for - Resolution: how was the conflict resolved - Insight: what can we learn from this story Structure 3: ABCIO Perfect if you want to offer depth and spice up the panel discussion. A(cknowledge) - building on (panelist)'s point (a) B(ridge) - we all want (shared goal) C(counter) - but where i differ is (your point) I(llustrate) - in my case, (share story or present evidence) O(pen) - curious if anyone have similar observations/results Want to see this in action? Watch my 90-second response on a panel with the Minister of State at a business panel. This clip went viral on TikTok because my insight (inspired from gaming) resonated with the audience of founders. Any follow up questions on participating in a panel discussion? Ask away in the comment section below.

Hosting a panel discussion is NOT just about bringing together a group of speakers and hoping for the best. Behind every successful panel lies careful research, planning, coordination, and engagement. Friday was our reshersal for the upcoming inaugural Women in CX ™ Talk Trends Panel, where we will be discussing the meaty topic of ‘How AI and Tech are Redefining Customer Experience’. So, I thought it might be helpful to share some of my top tips. What makes a great panel? 🤔 1. Diverse Perspectives: A great panel is composed of individuals from various backgrounds, industries, and experiences. This diversity fosters a rich dialogue that can offer multiple viewpoints on the subject matter. It’s not just about having experts; it’s about having experts who can challenge and complement each other’s insights. 2. A Skilled Moderator: The role of a moderator is crucial and goes beyond just asking questions. A skilled moderator knows how to keep the conversation flowing, ensure all voices are heard, and delve deeper into interesting points. They should be adept at managing time and dynamic enough to pivot the discussion based on audience interest and panelist responses. 3. Preparation and Structure: While the allure of spontaneous discussion can be tempting, a great panel is well-prepared and structured. This doesn’t mean the conversation can’t take organic turns, but having a clear outline ensures that all critical points are covered and that the panel remains coherent and focused. 4. Engagement with the Audience: A panel should not be a closed conversation among experts. Interaction with the audience is key in bringing in fresh perspectives and keeping the dialogue lively. Incorporating audience questions through live Q&As and using technology to gather questions in real-time can significantly enhance engagement. 5. Clear Objectives and Takeaways: Finally, a great panel is purpose-driven. It’s essential that both the audience and the panelists know the objectives of the session and work towards clear takeaways. Whether it’s solving a problem, sharing insights, or sparking new ideas, the focus should be on delivering value. By ensuring these elements are in place, a panel can transform from a simple discussion into a memorable, impactful experience. Our aim is to creating a dynamic environment that encourages learning and exchange, making every minute count for the panelists and the audience alike. We’re on a mission to change the face of tech events by putting women on stage and the audience at the centre of the conversation. So if you’d like to come along and see us in action, just follow the link in my bio & visit the events page to register 🎟️ Did I miss anything from my list of tips? What else would you add? #WomenInCX #WomenInTech #Panel #TopTips

What do jobs of the future mean for students and academics today? Yesterday I joined a panel discussion in Cologne hosted by Hochschule Fresenius, with Prof. Chris Wickenden and his students, gmki – Gemeinsam mit künstlicher Intelligenz e.V., and many participants on how AI is reshaping education – from schools to universities. The session was 3h, with student presentations and a lot of panel discussion together with Monika Loeber, Prof. Dr. Stephanie Heinecke and Dr. Karl Johannes Lierfeld and a real sense of: We are not ready, but we must move. Here are my 5 current hot takes on students, study, and the future of work: 1. Degrees are no longer enough Skills—especially AI fluency, adaptability, and digital judgment—are becoming more important than formal qualifications. Students need to learn how to learn fast. 2. Employers want learners, not finishers The most valuable graduates are those who show initiative, curiosity, and the ability to work with tools like GPT, Claude, or Scite—not just those who finished a degree. 3. Critical thinking beats content memorization AI can retrieve and summarize. What students need is the ability to evaluate, reframe, and apply—skills that will stay in demand even when roles shift. 4. Self-employment and hybrid careers are the new normal Nearly half of students say they want to be self-employed or found a company in 10 years. AI lowers the entry barrier—universities need to prepare them to lead, not just to follow. 5. If universities (and schools) don’t move, students will find workarounds Students are already using AI tools daily. The question is not if, but how responsibly they do it—and whether institutions support or suppress that learning. The future is not waiting. Higher education must rethink its role: not just as a place of knowledge, but a builder of capability, curiosity, and courage. #HigherEd #AIinEducation #FutureSkills #UniversityTransformation #StudentsAndAI (foto credit (C) Thomas Leege)

We've all sat through bad panels. Panellists reading scripts. "Questions" from the audience that are really speeches. Zero conversation. But a great panel? It generates energy, sparks new thinking, and creates momentum that outlasts the session. I've facilitated and spoken on panels at WEF, COP, G20, and universities around the world. Here's what I've learned: 𝗔𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁: → No one remembers everything from a 45-minute panel. Ask yourself: What's the ONE thing I want people to leave with? Say it clearly. Repeat it. → Stories > credentials. Make yourself human. Make yourself memorable. → Show as much interest in others as in yourself. Ask fellow panellists questions. Build on their points. That's what makes a panel feel alive. → Be ruthlessly aware of time. Short answers. Tight framing. Leave space. 𝗔𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿: → If the content could be shared in advance, it shouldn't be a panel. The value is in what happens live in the interaction. → Set expectations with panellists before you start: this will be a conversation, not a Q&A. You'll ask follow-ups. They can build on each other. No one's just waiting for their turn to speak. → Introduce humans, not bios. Skip the long credentials. Ask for a story. Make the audience feel like they 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 the person, not just what they've done. → Set time expectations upfront, even publicly. "You have 2 minutes. If you go long, I'll move us along." Keeps energy high. Prevents dominance. → The "question mark rule" (from my Kennedy School days): "If you don't know what a question is, it's a sentence that ends in a question mark." Gets a laugh. Sets a boundary. Stops audience members from becoming mini-panellists. The facilitator's real job is design and choreography. Managing energy, creating conversation, connecting dots. --- A great panel isn't a sequence of speeches. It's a conversation that couldn't have happened any other way. Next up: my tips for designing and facilitating the format I love even more than panels — roundtables. Stay tuned. 👇 What's the most memorable panel you've experienced, for good or bad reasons? --- 📸 Me on a GovTech panel hosted by World Economic Forum in Kyiv, Ukraine. 🔗 Article that sparked this post in comments. 🌍 Follow me, Emily Stanger Sfeile, for insights on big impact in emerging markets and career transitions made meaningful. #TAA30daychallenge

Here’s something 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘭 — but based on hosting, moderating, or advising for well 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟰𝟬𝟬 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟬 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀: 👉 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟳𝟱% 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗜 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱. What leads me to this (bold) conclusion? Let’s look at a few classic signs: ✅ 𝗧𝗼𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. If you have a panel of 6–9 participants, formal intros alone can eat up over 25% of your discussion time. That’s not a great use of stage time — or audience patience. Online, it's simply unforgivable! ✅ 𝗔 𝗱𝗲𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶-𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀. If it becomes predictable ("X speaks, then Y, then Z..."), you’ve lost the energy and engagement of a true discussion. The best debates are dynamic, surprising, and responsive. They also (often) engage audiences, in multiple ways, not just through a 5-minute Q&A at the end. ✅ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲. If you already have a panel of, say, five university professors, choosing a sixth professor to moderate might feel logical — but it’s likely your worst option. Debate design needs contrast, flow, out-of-the-box approach, sometimes a little provocation as food for thought — not necessarily homogeneity. ✅ 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲. Start by asking: What do they really need or expect from this session? Then make sure what you deliver (and how you deliver it) is 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 than what they could easily find on YouTube, for free — with the same speakers. So, if you seriously want better events, you need to design for them — intentionally, intelligently, and — most importantly of all — with your audience in mind. #ConferenceDesign #ModerationMatters #PublicSpeaking #EventStrategy #DebateDesign #AudienceFirst #LeadershipCommunication #EventProfs #FacilitationSkills

Three women. 100+ combined years in higher ed. The kind of conversation higher ed doesn't have often enough. Yesterday I co-hosted a conversation with Dr. Heather French featuring: Lori Ideta (VP for Student Success Emerita, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa), Katya Armistead (former AVC of Student Life, UC Santa Barbara), and Nicole Whitner, Ed.D (AVP & Dean of Students, University of San Diego). All three are first-generation college students who rose to senior leadership. All three had moments where they seriously considered walking away. None of them sugarcoated a thing. Here are some of the big takeaways: ➡️ Mentors open doors. You have to walk through them. Every panelist credited someone who believed in them before they believed in themselves. Katya said, "If 18-year-old me could have seen where I'd end up, I probably would have cried and said, 'I can't do that.'" Showing up, saying yes strategically, and staying curious were the throughlines for all three of these leaders. ➡️ The hardest seasons are part of the job description. Katya managed a meningitis outbreak, a campus murder, a nationally televised attack, and an encampment crisis. Nicole became a Dean of Students on the one-year anniversary of COVID lockdowns. Lori talked about drawing strength from her grandfather, who was interviewed twice by the CIA for possible wartime internment. Then she said, "Given what our ancestors have gone through, who are we not to rise?" Wow. ➡️ The thing nobody talks about enough? Multiple panelists named it directly: Some of their hardest moments came when other women chose not to support them. Lori said, "We have to actively work against the paternalism in this hierarchy and stop it. That's something we can do for each other." ➡️ Relationships are the whole strategy. A treasured piece of advice from a mentor was, "Hire people smarter than you. Be nice to them. Treat them well, because one day they will be your boss." Nicole reframed networking beautifully, "It's not a game. It's making a friend and being curious about their work." ➡️ And on knowing when to leave, I personally shared, "Sometimes leaving is an act of self-care. If you're not potted in the right soil, you can't blossom." This is part of an ongoing series Heather and I host for women in higher education from all across the country (and now international!) co-sponsored by Womxn in Student Affairs Knowledge Community - NASPA and the California College Personnel Association. It's a space for the conversations we don't always get in our day-to-day. If you want to be on the email list for future sessions, drop a comment here or send me a message. To Lori, Katya, and Nicole: Thank you for showing up so fully. Higher ed is better because of you. 💛 NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education ACPA–College Student Educators International #HigherEducation #WomenInLeadership #StudentAffairs #HigherEd #WomenInHigherEd #NASPA #ACPA

Moderating a panel discussion is like conducting an orchestra - keeping the conversation harmonious, on track and more importantly in sync. Over the last many years, I have had the luxury and the opportunity to speak at many events, host the @indiadesignid Symposium year on year, and moderate many a conversations on the larger discourse around design and the built environment. It looks super easy, is a great insight into everything design, and opens my mind up to a learning that is unprecedented, but it also takes as much research behind the scenes as the amount of Words that one hears at the front end of the stage. The few learnings I have had over time are, and sharing it here for those who are keen to be a part of such conversations- 1. Know your panelists: Research their work, interests, and perspectives to craft thoughtful questions, which become a framework- but not a rigid guideline. 2. Identify a broader flow- Too much ad-hoc conversation can throw everyone off track. 3. Set the tone: Make it personal and Establish a respectful and engaging atmosphere. 3. Balance act: Ensure all panelists have equal opportunities to share their thoughts. I usually even divide the questions as per the speakers comfort levels. 4. Active listening: Pay attention to panelists’ responses to ask follow-up questions, and take the liberty to take the conversation where its heading. 5. Flexibility: Be prepared to adapt to unexpected discussions, and be open to modifying the format. 6. Build up the conversation to eventually have take-aways for the audience. There is a difference between a living room conversation and a panel discussion. 7. As a host or an emcee, it is critical to have the right energy, and not really have a script- again, the script is the data, but the framework has to be driven by you with a direct connect with the audience. #designinspiration #designevents #architects #interiordesigners #interiors #interiordesign #architecturelover #paneldiscussion

Stanford MSx Note - Mastering the Art of Panel Discussions Panel discussions seem simple, right? Get a group, ask some questions, and let the ideas flow. But as I recently learned in “Essentials of Strategic Communication” at Stanford GSB, there’s way more to it. This course, led by Matt Abrahams and Shawon Jackson, is a student favorite. It evolves based on feedback, and the module Panel Discussions is the new one. I’ve sat through my fair share of panels that wandered aimlessly or felt irrelevant. Turns out, there’s a method to ensure your panel is engaging and impactful. Enter the FIRE framework: • Framing: Start by focusing on what the audience cares about, not just what the panelists want to say. • Inclusion: Keep everyone involved—panelists and audience alike. • Rail: Keep the conversation on track, so it doesn’t spiral into unrelated tangents. • Example: Use concrete examples to avoid abstract, vague discussions. I had the chance to be a moderator next Monday. Seamlessly connect each panelist’s thoughts, avoid awkward topic jumps, and summarize key takeaways. Not as easy as it sounds! I need to sleep early tonight. So, if you’re ever moderating or speaking on a panel, remember FIRE: it’s all about serving your audience and keeping the conversation structured yet lively. #Stanford #GSB #MSx #PanelDiscussion #Communication