exporeal.net - FAQs for moderators

What does moderating a panel discussion entail?

PREPARATION
The first step is to research the topic. This first step is particularly important if the topic is limited or focuses on recent events and/or specific aspects with which the moderator may not be familiar. Research sources may include your own archives as well as reports in other media. Talking with industry representatives and colleagues or even the organizer may also prove helpful.

The result is a list of key words that include the most important content and possible questions.

The second step is to organize a list of key words – at first for yourself – and to draft a "script" for the panel discussion. Content should be assigned to three categories: Content for the introduction, questions that the moderator can ask the panel members, and content that you want to save for the final round.

The result is a panel-discussion "script" that has been planned by the moderator and can be sent to the panel members.

CONTACT WITH PANEL MEMBERS
You can contact the members of your panel by telephone and/or by e-mail. You may also want to meet with them prior to your event. The main reason for contacting them in this way is to get to know them. Even if you have already met, contacting the panel members ahead of time is the polite thing to do. Furthermore, it gives each participant a way to contact the moderator, and vice-versa.

The next step is to discuss the sequence of events, taking organizational and content-oriented aspects into consideration.

Organizational aspects include the timeframe, structure, language and length of each presentation, the (possible) use of charts and other organizational specifics for which the organizer is responsible. A possible structure might be to introduce the topic and the panel members, followed by brief statements, a question-and-answer period, an open discussion and a final round.

For the moderator, content-related aspects imply a responsibility to contribute information and a responsibility to elicit it. The responsibility to contribute information includes examining the personal ideas that have been so far, especially the questions, and the responsibility to elicit information refers to the panel members' feedback regarding those ideas. It is also important to take the panel members' special interests and expertise into account. That, in turn, means answering two key questions: Who wants to and is able to contribute something special to which aspects? And what ideas can the panel members contribute themselves? You may also want to ask yourself what information that the panel members can provide is unwanted in the discussion. Finally, be sure to check the panel members' job titles and the names of their companies. A good panel discussion is well-balanced. If people's areas of expertise overlap, it helps to be aware of that fact ahead of time.

The result is a script of the event that the moderator has discussed with all participants and, if necessary, modified accordingly. The panel members have recognized the moderator's responsibility. The moderator can send the results to all participants, just to be safe.

PRIOR TO YOUR EVENT
The moderator should be present before the first panel members arrive. Depending on what the participants agree, you may want to arrive at least a half-hour prior to the beginning of your event. Your travel arrangements – including the possibility of flight or train delays, heavy traffic, finding a place to park, etc. – should be planned accordingly.

Arriving early also gives the moderator a "feel" for the room and a chance to "soak up" the atmosphere. Both will help you to adapt to the room, to those present and to the number of panel members. What is the atmosphere? What kind of mood are the panel members in? It also gives you time for coordinating any last-minute corrections with the organizer. After all, it may still be necessary to include any special requests or information that the organizer may have. Another important thing to check: If questions from the audience are permitted, hopefully the organizer has had microphones set up in the audience. It may seem trivial, but it could be important, especially in the case of lengthy panel discussions. If you arrive early, you have plenty of time to "inspect" the facilities one last time and make sure everything has been taken care of. Finally, make sure that all panel members have switched off their telephones or at least set them to "mute". Naturally, that applies to the moderator, as well.

In a best-case scenario, the result will be a stress-free beginning to your event, at least from an organizational standpoint.

MODERATING YOUR EVENT
You may find it helpful to use a checklist of the most important points to be covered. If your panel is large, having the members' business cards or names in front of you in the order in which they are sitting or standing is also helpful.

When introducing the panel, the moderator should state the correct name, job title and company for each panel member. If you need to glance at the business card, you should do so as inconspicuously as possible. If a moderator introduces himself, he should do so last to be polite. An important point to remember when introducing your panel (and something many people forget): The audience sees your panel the other way around. For the audience, "to Mr. X's right …" is actually "to Mr. X's left".

Nobody in a panel discussion is the main speaker, least of all the moderator. Although the moderator can and should introduce the topic. However, after that his most important function is to use questions to guide the event in the right direction. The important thing here is to maintain a balance between the planned structure and what is actually happening on stage. Interrupting an exciting debate to stay "on schedule" may be just as wrong as giving the panel members too much leeway. There is no standard solution. The most important things on stage are instinct and a good sense of timing. However, most people would agree that it is important to break off long explanations politely and use follow-up questions to motivate people who give short answers. Also, be sure to use transitions. You can repeat a key statement that one panel member makes and then ask another panel member's opinion. Or you can focus on a specific aspect and then turn things over to another panel member by asking a question. In both cases, having paper and pencil handy for jotting down names and brief notes may also be helpful. The role of the moderator is comparable to that of a composer who leads an orchestra. The notes you make are like the notes on the score. A journalist who moderates a panel discussion understands that what he is doing is like a live version of a feature article in front of an audience. Only the mean of communication is different: This "article" is not written, it is spokenv.
Always be sure to keep an eye on the mood on stage and in the audience. On stage it is important to recognize when people are signalling that they have something to say – your slip of paper can he helpful here, as well; If there is a debate between two panel members, the moderator can also choose to withdraw for a moment. But afterwards he must return some structure to the discussion. If we return to the image of the composer: Allowing room for improvisation like they do in free jazz, for example, can make for a lively performance. But the moderator is and must remain the composer.

The audience's attention is your gauge for measuring the quality of the discussion. Deciding whether to go into detail about one aspect or change the subject depends entirely on them. Deciding when to allow questions from the audience – provided the organizer wants to – is also important. The moderator's decision to open the discussion to questions is always subjective: It should neither be too early nor too late. Experience has shown that approximately one-third of the overall discussion period should be reserved for questions. However, it is also important for the moderator to have some questions "up his sleeve" in case nobody in the audience asks to speak. If someone does ask to speak, remember to ask for his or her name and company.

If an audience member who poses the question does not address a specific panel member directly, it is up to the moderator to decide who might want to answer or to direct the question to a panel member himself. If the question is for the entire panel, you must decide the sequence in which the panel members will respond. Experience has shown that it is best to begin with an outgoing panel member. Just remember to keep one eye on the panel and the other on the audience. Some panel members actually prefer to "add something later", and once the ice is broken, the audience may have some more questions, too.
As the end of the panel discussion draws near, the moderator must keep an eye on the time as inconspicuously as possible. You can keep your wristwatch hidden behind your name plaque, or you can glance at one of the other participants' watches. You should only look at your watch on your arm if you have no other choice. No later than 5 minutes before the end of the discussion, you should announce a final round during which all panel members will answer a key question. After that, the moderator should thank the panel for participating and thank the audience for their attention. Try to come up with something that does not sound like a standard statement. You can definitely mention things like the nice atmosphere or how smoothly things ran. But the last thing you say should always be thank you.

The result: if the audience applauds, then the audience is also expressing its thanks. At this point the moderator and the organizer are relieved of their stress.

When should panel members be contacted?

The moderator should contact the panel members to discuss the sequence of events at least four weeks prior to the fair.

Who can you contact regarding technical coordination?

Our partner for technical coordination is EUROKONGRESS GmbH, a capable partner with experience organizing and hosting national and international congresses and conferences. EUROKONGRESS is in charge of all organizational and technical coordination for the forums being held in conjunction with EXPO REAL 2008.

EUROKONGRESS GmbH
Schleissheimer Str. 2
80333 München
Tel. +49 (0)89 210 98 6-0
Fax. +49 (0)89 210 98 6-988

How early should you arrive prior to your presentation?

We kind request that all moderators and panel-discussion members meet in the speakers' room for preparation/coordination purposes no later than 30 minutes prior to the beginning of their event.

Where is the forum that you are moderating?

EXPO REAL FORUM in Hall A1
The EXPO REAL FORUM offers extended insights into the latest trends and themes of the Real Estate industry. Renowned industry experts talk about investment and financial strategies, but also about corporate governance and politics. Since the first EXPO REAL ten years ago, this forum is considered to be the most important information exchange in the commercial Real Estate industry.

INVESTMENT & LOCATIONS FORUM in Hall A1
In the INVESTMENT LOCATIONS FORUM, worldwide investment locations are dealt with. International and domestic market participants analyse the hot spots of the Real Estate industry and discuss the emerging markets for the industry. Along with established European countries, the booming markets in central and south-east Europe as well as those overseas will be discussed here.

SPECIAL REAL ESTATE FORUM in Hall B3
The SPECIAL REAL ESTATE FORUM looks at property from the view of the occupier. Experts from the hotel, office, retail trade and logistics industry sectors discuss their projects, present their unique slant on the market and introduce discussions. An expert insight into the latest trends and successes of the movers and shakers.

PLANNING & PARTNERSHIPS FORUM in Hall C3
Users, architects and town planners often have different demands. At the PLANNING & PARTNERSHIPS FORUM, reality and visions from town planning, architecture and facility management are put forward and implemented. The career day rounds off the programme.

How do you get to the trade-fair centre?

The New Munich Trade Fair Centre is located just 8 kilometres east of downtown Munich (at the site of the old Munich-Riem airport) and is quick, easy and convenient to reach by car and public transportation. It offers quick access to destinations in all directions, e.g. via motorway A94 to the city and via the motorway ring to international motorways and the airport.

Public transport:
You may use public transport services (buses, trains, etc.) provided by MVV free of charge from the day before to the day after the fair against presentation of an exhibitor pass. Visitors can also use public transport free of charge on all three days of the fair against presentation of a valid admission ticket.
Underground
The U2 line travels directly to the New Munich Trade Fair Centre. Disembark at "Messestadt West".
Shuttle bus
During EXPO REAL, shuttle-bus service is available between the airport and the New Munich Trade Fair Centre. Busses depart ever 30 minutes and travel non-stop.

"S-Bahn" airport trains:
There are two ways to get to EXPO REAL. Take the S1 to "Feldmoching" and transfer to the U2, which goes directly to the trade-fair centre. Or take the S8 to "Ostbahnhof," transfer and take the U5 to "Innsbrucker Ring", then transfer again and take U2 directly to the trade-fair centre.

By car:
Follow the signs posted throughout the Munich area. Ample parking is available. Direct access to the A94 motorway (Passau – Munich) via "München-Riem" and "Feldkirchen-West" exits.

How do you get your admission ticket?

If you are a journalist, you can have yourself accredited online prior to the fair or by presenting your press ID at the Press Centre West, were you will receive your press pass.

If you are not a journalist, we will send you your personalized visitor pass by mail as of late September.

The visitor pass entitles you to admission on all three days of the fair.

When should you book a hotel room?

As you plan for this year's fair, please remember to book your flights and hotel room(s) early. Additional information is available here or at the following link http://www.hrs.de (in German).

What should appear on the invoice?

Your invoice should include the following information:

Recipient
Messe München GmbH
EXPO REAL 2008
Abt. Finanzen
Messegelände
81823 München
Germany

Sender
Personal particulars (First name, last name, address)
Forum/day/time/date
Amount
Bank particulars (IBAN-Nr and SWIFT Code)

NEW:
Order No
Tax number
VAT, provided your obligated to charge VAT

When should you send us your invoice?

Please send us your invoice for your services as moderator by mail after the end of the fair.