10:30Panels, fireside chats, Q&A
Event & panel moderator who gets real answers
A moderator for panels, fireside chats and audience Q&A at UK conferences and summits. Researched, specific questions. Firm timekeeping. Follow-ups that draw something out of the stage, from a host who has built and sold five businesses and knows a non-answer when he hears one.
5.0 from 29 reviews·800+ events·Hosted a live Q&A with Deborah Meaden
Live Q&A with Deborah MeadenWhyModeration, done properly
What a good moderator changes
Researched, not read
I read what your panellists have said before, speak to them before the day, and write questions with somewhere to go. On the day I follow the room, not the script.
Firm on time, warm in tone
A panel that runs over steals from the next session. I keep the clock without the audience ever feeling the clock, and I bring the quiet voice in.
The room’s best question
Audience questions come through RoomReader, my own platform: asked from the seat, backed by the room, moderated by me before they reach the screen.
ClipOn stage with Deborah Meaden
Kevin put me to the test
Deborah Meaden did not come to the Linnworks conference to be asked easy questions, and I did not ask her any. The clip is on the right: a live Q&A in front of a full room, with questions that went somewhere.
“Kevin was fantastic as the conference host, managing the room with great energy. I particularly enjoyed the Q&A session; he didn’t hold back and really put me to the test.”
FormatsWhat I moderate
Formats I moderate
Every format has its own rhythm. A panel needs balance and a clock. A fireside chat needs a conversation the room feels invited into. A debate needs a referee. A town hall needs somebody who can put the awkward question to the CEO with a smile.
- Conference panels and expert panels
- Fireside chats and one-to-one interviews
- Town halls and leadership Q&A
- Debates and audience votes
- Session chair for a track or a full day
- Hybrid and virtual panels
StepsFrom brief to stage
How a panel comes together
Brief
You send the panel, the theme and what you need the session to achieve. I come back with a question plan within a week.
Prepare
Calls with panellists or their teams, research on each, and a running order with timings your production team can hold me to.
Moderate
On the day I open the session, set the tone, run the questions, bring in the room and land the close on time.
Report
Every audience question and poll exported afterwards, so the follow-up writes itself.
ReviewsModeration clients
From the people on stage
Kevin was fantastic as the conference host, managing the room with great energy. I particularly enjoyed the Q&A session; he didn’t hold back and really put me to the test.
Incredibly well prepared, including double checking pronunciations.
He was always available on the phone, always available on email. We had a couple of calls and then a Teams call with our CEO to work out the finer details.
FAQBefore you book
Moderator questions
Not answered here? Call me on 07596 851647 or send the agenda and I will come back within one working day.
What does an event moderator do?
A moderator chairs a specific session: a panel, a fireside chat, a debate or an audience Q&A. They research the speakers, prepare the questions, keep to time, and make sure the audience hears something worth hearing. A host carries the whole day; a moderator carries the session. I do both, so you get one voice throughout.
How do you prepare for a panel?
I read what each panellist has said publicly, speak to them or their team before the day, and write eight to ten questions that go somewhere, with follow-ups for the answers I expect. On the day I use maybe half of them, because the best panels follow the room.
What if a panellist dominates or dodges?
I have built and sold five businesses, so I know what a non-answer sounds like. I will ask again, politely, and I will bring the quiet panellist in. Firm timekeeping is part of the job, and the audience thanks you for it.
How do audience questions work?
Through RoomReader, my own Q&A platform. Delegates ask from their phones and back the questions they most want answered. I moderate every question before it reaches the screen, so the panel gets the room’s best question rather than its loudest.
Can you moderate a virtual or hybrid panel?
Yes. Twenty years of television presenting means I am comfortable running a panel to camera, with remote panellists and a remote audience, and keeping it as sharp as a panel in the room.
17:00Close
Send me your agenda. I’ll show you where the room comes alive.
A fixed price, a free planning call, and a reply within one working day.