Guidelines for Plenary and Concurrent Session Moderators and Panelists
General Information
Moderators
Panelists
General Information
Format
Plenary and concurrent session panels have a moderator and three to four panelists. Since panels are intended to be a discussion, we recommend moderators provide background information on the issue and present prepared questions at the opening of the session.
Audience
The audience will include academics and practitioners with diverse backgrounds, experience, and knowledge. Because of this diversity, it will be helpful to define any legal and technical terms and acronyms.
Session Time
Plenary and concurrent sessions will be an hour and a half long. Panelists will have about 10 minutes each to respond to the moderator's questions. After all panelists have spoken, the moderator will open the discussion to the audience, leaving about half the session for questions and answers.
Abstracts
Moderators and panelists are encouraged to submit an abstract of their current work. Abstracts must be received by May 29. For more information, review the abstract guidelines.
PowerPoint Presentations
PowerPoint presentations will only be allowed in plenary sessions. Instructions on how to submit presentations will be sent directly to plenary session panelists.
Papers and Other Supporting Material
Moderators and panelists are invited to submit full-length, edited papers to be hosted on the Natural Hazards Center Web site. Submissions sent to hazards.workshop@colorado.edu in PDF format will be posted to the Web site as is.
Moderators
Role
Moderators play a central role in creating a constructive atmosphere where researchers, practitioners, and policy makers from wide-ranging backgrounds can exchange ideas.
Moderators have three critical responsibilities:
• Formulate panel questions. Submit three to four questions directly to session panelists by July 1.
• Keep the session on time and on track. Provide a very brief introduction to panelists, and the topic. Be prepared to politely, but firmly, interrupt panelists or audience members speaking at length.
• Facilitate discussion. Ensure the question and comment period runs smoothly, allowing as many questions to be asked and addressed as possible.
Questions
Moderators will develop questions that help guide the discussion and provide a framework for the session. Give careful thought to designing questions, taking into account the unique perspectives and experiences panel members bring to the issue.
Panelists
Role
Panelists, invited to sit on Workshop panels because of their experience with a session topic, play a large role in the Workshop's success. Sessions often address multi-faceted topics and moderator questions will frame the discussion, so please consider the questions carefully. Session moderators will send questions in advance to help panelists plan their remarks.
Questions
Each moderator develops three to four questions, which will be sent to panel members by July 1. Feel free to contact session moderators to discuss the questions or suggest alternatives.