How to Be a Great Panelist at SXSW (or Any Other Conference)

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Back to Home > Content > Get a Media Job > How to Be a Great Panelist at SXSW (or Any Other Conference)

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Let your expertise shine in the panelist seat

By Joel Schwartzberg - March 12, 2012

A conference panel may seem like something you can "wing" -- after all, how tough is it to sit and field questions about what you know best? But succeeding in front of a large crowd is actually much more complicated than just standing up and giving a speech.

Consider the moving parts: getting your key points in; interacting with panelists, the moderator and the audience; responding to live questions; appearing both knowledgeable and open to ideas; and carefully straddling that line between saying too much and too little. It can make for a very fretful experience, and seeming anxious is the last thing you want, especially when your fellow experts are as cool as pickles. Fear not. Below, presentation experts offer their advice for holding your own when you take one of those seats on stage. ...

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