A GUIDE TO BEING A RESEARCH WEBINAR PANELIST
Office of the Senior Vice-Provost and Vice-Provost Research
The panelists are responsible for providing expert insights on the webinar topic, they are usually high achieving researchers or industry professionals from a range of different career stages and backgrounds.
As a panelist you are responsible for;
PREPARING YOUR RESPONSES
Ask the webinar producer to send you a webinar brief including;
- A short description of the webinar topic;
- Some dot points about the strategic intent or key messages of the webinar series;
- A list of the other panelists and their areas of expertise and
- A list of the questions that you are likely to be asked during the webinar.
Use the brief that you receive from the producer to craft responses to the questions in advance.
- Write down some key dot points and/or messages for each question.
- Spend some time rehearsing your responses and getting the timing right.
- Try telling a story to illustrate your point.
- Prepare a presentation (if necessary).
SETTING UP YOUR SHOT
Prior to the webinar spend some time thinking about where you intend to Zoom from.
You should consider the following when choosing a location to zoom from.
- Does it have good light?
- Is it a quiet space?
- Are you comfortable sharing the background of the shot with a large audience?
- Will there be any distractions?
This guide produced by the Office of the Senior Vice-Provost and Vice-Provost (Research) explains how to set up a best practice shot for a Zoom webinar.
ATTENDING THE PRE-WEBINAR MEETING
Attend the pre-webinar run through session to meet the other panelists and host. The host (or sponsor) will introduce each of the panelists and discuss the webinar topic and strategic goals of the webinar with you all.
The webinar producer will also use this meeting to help you with any technical difficulties. If you have a presentation, discuss this with the producer and they will help you to set it up.
Ensure that you establish with the webinar producer when you will be on screen during the webinar.
PROVIDING INSIGHTS DURING THE WEBINAR
Actively participate in the webinar discussion using the responses you have prepared. One key tip is don’t be afraid to stop talking when you’re finished.
ATTENDING THE POST WEBINAR DEBRIEF
Attend the post webinar debrief session to discuss the webinar with the host and the other panelists. This is just an informal opportunity for you all to have a chat about any interesting or tricky questions/moments that came up during the webinar.