How to be a Good Online Panelist

Before the panel:

  1. Log in early! If its location is a webinar, go directly to the session through the program item as listed on your online schedule. If its location is a meeting room, we suggest you go to the Green Room to meet your moderator and fellow panelists. You can access the Green Room through the “CoNZealand Programme Instructions” email.

  2. Make sure you’re usinggallery viewso the entire panel is visible.

  3. Introduce yourself to your fellow panelists and make sure you know how to pronounce everyone’s name.

  4. If you want to, please edit your name with your pronouns.Please do not use joke pronouns. Even if you consider your pronouns obvious, or do not care what pronouns others use to refer to you, sincerely stating your pronouns is still an act of respect towards other panelists and attendees who consider their pronouns to be important.

  5. Listen to the moderator’s review of the session and ask any lingering questions.

    1. Is there anything in particular the moderator should know about your experience or skill set?

    2. If you do not know why you are on the panel, discuss it with the moderator.

    3. If, after conversation, you do not think you can contribute anything, ask to drop out of the panel.

  6. Make sure you do not have anything inappropriate appearing on camera, check your lighting, and arrange your camera so your face is centered as much as possible. If you are using a virtual background, make sure it is family-friendly (no nudity, violence, or common phobias, please).

  7. Grab a drink,finish eating any meals or other food, hit the bathroom one last time, and remove pets and other people from the room as necessary.

At the beginning of the panel:

  1. If you are introducing yourself, include pronouns if comfortable. Do not spend more than 30 seconds on your intro.

  2. Get started!

During the panel:

  1. Make sure you do not speak over other panelists when answering questions posed by the moderator or chat.

    1. If a question was not directed at a specific person, ask clarifying questions, such as “Can I answer that?”

    2. If the moderator persistently does not remember to either direct questions to specific people or the panel or indicate whether it is open to everyone, please use the(private) message function to send feedback to the moderator.

  2. If you are looking at the questions in the Q&A or chat,do not read them out loud.That is the moderator’s job!

  3. Consider typing answers to quick questions (yes/no, links to outside resources, names of books, etc).

  4. In a webinar, use theTo Panelists chat if you wish to have a private conversation amongst the panelists.

  5. Send(private) messages to the room manager/host if you see disruptive audience members or if you have technical difficulties.

  6. Watch for(private) or all panelist messages from the room manager/host, including time warnings.

At the 5-minute mark:

  1. Give your closing thoughts on the subject. Be mindful that everyone else has to fit in their closing thoughts in these final minutes as well.

At the end of the panel:

  1. Repeat your name one last time and drop links to your blogs, etc. in chat.

  2. If you would like to continue the conversation, follow the moderator’s lead in where it will take place.