Ready to spice up your next event?
A roundtable discussion could be the perfect way to engage your audience and elevate your event.
These community-focused discussions can get the whole room involved, leading to a more welcoming and exciting event. But how should you prepare for a roundtable?
Here at Eventbrite, we’ve facilitated countless events and gained a wealth of experience in organizing and managing roundtable discussions.
To avoid a chaotic free-for-all (or yawn-inducing) session, we’ve rounded up 12 pro tips and insights that’ll make your next roundtable discussion engaging and meaningful.
Get ready to host a remarkable roundtable event that leaves a lasting impression.
12 pro tips for great roundtable discussions
3. Consider running a virtual roundtable discussion
5. Prepare a brief for facilitators
7. Record and share the results
8. Listen effectively (and encourage full participation)
11. Consider breakout sessions for larger groups
What is a roundtable discussion?
A roundtable discussion is a collaborative meeting where all participants have an equal opportunity to join in to discuss the topic. It usually involves a moderator who keeps everyone on topic and several experts who each contribute.
These discussions are focused on bringing in diverse opinions and perspectives. While experts are often involved, contributions from all parties are valued in a roundtable conversation.
Typically, there will be a primary moderator or facilitator. This person is tasked with keeping the group on topic. Often, the moderator will be an industry or topic expert.
The remaining group participants can be other topic experts, colleagues, celebrities, speakers, or everyday folks with an interest in the topic. Some roundtable discussions may also encourage audience members to participate.
While there’s no standard format for a roundtable discussion, they often have an agenda lasting 30–60+ minutes. Others may not have a set agenda and instead flow more naturally.
The group discusses a primary topic or cluster of topics. The facilitator may have a brief prepared that includes some key points to discuss or questions to prompt discussion.
Roundtable discussion topics can include just about anything that’s relevant to your event’s attendees. In a corporate setting, there might be discussions around the direction of the industry or specific technologies. At a community event, there might be roundtable discussion topics surrounding issues affecting that community.
What is the difference between a panel and a roundtable?
A panel discussion involves senior members of the community or industry offering insights on a topic, with question time at the end.
A roundtable is less formal, often starting with a few short presentations from industry experts to kick things off and provide direction. Both are led by a facilitator or moderator, with roundtable attendees invited to join the discussions and contribute their ideas.
12 pro tips for great roundtable discussions
If you don’t know where to start, it can be intimidating to try and put together a roundtable discussion. That’s why this guide breaks down key tips for professional event organizers to adopt for successful roundtables.
1. Define your goals
Your roundtable discussion can be an engaging alternative to a keynote speaker. However, it’s important to know exactly what you want your attendees to gain from the format and whether a roundtable is the best way to achieve this.
Does the roundtable format fit your event or conference theme?
Establishing your goals upfront will help you run a smoother event and can become the basis of your agenda.
To help define your goals and group discussion topics, consider the following:
- Is your industry facing a problem that you would like to address?
- How does the topic reflect your brand?
- What will you do with the information after the event?
💡Pro tip: Roundtables tend to work best on topics that are still disputed or unresolved within an industry. Topics that have multiple viable approaches or are so complicated they require multiple perspectives also work well.
2. Plan your logistics
Once you’ve defined your goals, it’s time for some logistical planning. Here are some areas to explore:
- How long the roundtable activity will run
- How many people will feature in the discussion
- How you’ll incorporate attendee questions/input
- When and where the discussion will take place at your event
- How you’ll seat participants and attendees to maximize interactions
If you want help envisioning your seating arrangement, consider using a tool like the Eventbrite Reserved Seating solution to map out your audience, speakers, and anything else you want in the room.
💡Pro tip: Position the moderator in a central location with a clear view of the event space. And don’t forget to create room for people to move about and mingle during informal discussions.
3. Consider running a virtual or hybrid roundtable discussion
Virtual and hybrid events have proven to be high-value opportunities, and either format could be the right fit for your roundtable. They can be just as engaging and exciting as in-person events, plus they come with a host of benefits for both attendees and organizers.
- Virtual events have a global reach. Make sure to expand your marketing efforts to a wider audience if you’re going virtual. For example, you can list your event on a global events marketplace such as Eventbrite.
- Your choice of speakers and facilitators can also expand globally. If you’re saving costs by going virtual, consider upping your budget for talent.
- Virtual events can be more inclusive and environmentally sustainable than in-person events. You can highlight the sustainability of your event in your marketing materials.
- With the right technology and a live-streaming platform, participants can react to speakers using emojis and comments. This helps boost engagement and gives a real-time gauge of how the audience members are receiving the speaker.
- You can send recordings to attendees and a wider audience after the event, including anyone who couldn’t attend.
In 2023, Amex Global Business Travel predicted that around 70% of events and 87% of meetings were conducted in person. But around 33% said they preferred attending virtually over in person. Going virtual or hybrid can help you reach these potential attendees.
Hybrid events offer a great middle ground. By doing an in-person roundtable and live streaming it online, you can reach the widest range of people.
Those advantages were clear to Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art when they organized their panel on the role of drawing in architecture through Eventbrite. They held a hybrid virtual and in-person event to maximize the number of people who could benefit from their expert discussion.
💡Pro tip: It’s much easier to track what everyone’s watching when tuning in online. Coupled with event marketing tools, that’s retargeting gold. All that attendee data is music to sponsors’ ears, so it’s a great way to secure partners.
4. Invite the right people
Like selecting a keynote speaker, the person you choose to moderate the conversation can be the difference between a memorable event and a flop. A strong moderator will know how to facilitate a roundtable discussion and get things back on track if they start to veer off-topic or stagnate.
Here are some quick suggestions for finding the right candidate:
- Do your research and ask potential moderators for professional reference
- Look to your network for recommendations for someone your peers have had success with
- Remember, experienced speakers can be expensive, so set a budget for experienced and influential moderators
- Search for similar events to find and connect with tried-and-true moderators
- Meet your preferred candidate before booking to assess how they engage in conversation
- If you’re not hiring an experienced moderator, make sure your speaker understands the topics and has an approach that will guide participants in the right direction
You should prepare notes or briefs for facilitators (more on this below). This is particularly important if you’re using a moderator who isn’t a true expert on the conversation topic. While it’s typically best to prioritize a topic expert, some event organizers prefer to utilize a professional facilitator instead (who may not necessarily be a topic expert).
💡Pro tip: If you’re organizing multiple groups from a variety of professional backgrounds, review the job titles of each attendee on your attendee list and connect complementary skills with relevant group discussion topics.
5. Prepare a brief for facilitators
Preparing a brief for your facilitators is a professional tip that helps facilitators cover the key conversation components you’ve mapped out. The brief should provide them with:
- Clarity about your expectations and desired outcomes
- A timeline of proceedings
- Lead-in questions that frame the discussion topic
- Relevant topics and clear guidance for group discussions
- A list of names of the discussion participants
Think of this brief as the document that helps the facilitator prepare for the event. Include any sub-topics you want to highlight or questions you want to make sure they address.
You’ll want to send the brief to your facilitator ahead of time. That way, they can review it, ask questions, and add their own notes.
💡Pro tip: Remember that the moderator is at the table to facilitate conversation, not lead it. Include this as one of your points in the brief.
6. Set an agenda
Give every attendee a copy of the agenda, ahead of time if possible, to keep them well informed and focused. Your agenda should include:
- Topic: The primary topic for your roundtable discussion.
- Purpose: The purpose of the discussion so attendees work toward a common goal.
- Specific questions: To avoid misunderstandings or vague answers
- Timeline: The start time, finish time, and any breaks so everyone knows how much time to spend on a topic and to avoid disrupting the flow of conversation.
- Key information: So attendees don’t need to ask housekeeping questions, such as the location of the bathrooms or standard refreshments.
- Ground rules: A code of conduct to limit undesirable behavior (such as a single person dominating the conversation or speaking over others) and ensure a positive experience for everyone.
Roundtable discussion agendas typically fall in the 30-60+ minute range. You’ll want to consider your audience — and the rest of your event agenda — when deciding on a time block.
💡Pro tip: Make sure your agenda calls out times when people will be able to ask questions and make remarks on other topics. That way, you can keep those parts of the conversation limited to the portions where it’s permitted and not derail the discussion.
7. Record and share the results
Where possible, record each roundtable group discussion or delegate extra sets of hands to transcribe the major points and outcomes. A successful conversation will produce content that’s valuable to both your attendees and your event branding.
When you record your event, you can extract the following benefits:
- A full recording to share with participants
- Recordings to produce clips for social media
- Promotional and marketing materials
- Still images for future promotions
- Insights to repackage into infographics and other assets
Sharing results with participants keeps them engaged after the event and can also help fill in anyone who was unable to attend. If you have any no-shows who have paid for tickets, you could send them the recording via email.
You can also use your recordings to create content to attract a similar audience to future events.
Part of your planning should include how the results of the discussion will be used. If you have groups, assign time for each table to share the top-line results and engage in further discussion.
The East Tennessee Historical Society did this by distributing the recording of their Title IX trailblazers roundtable. After making the event on Eventbrite, it was easy for them to send out the recording to everyone who attended.
💡Pro tip: If you don’t have time for this on your agenda, don’t leave your attendees wondering what will become of their ideas. At a minimum, send out an email with a compilation of all top transcribed points and answers reached by your groups.
8. Listen effectively (and encourage full participation)
Remember that the goal of a roundtable is to involve multiple voices, including experts and often community event attendees. No matter who speaks, you want your audience to listen actively and retain the information. Here are some tips to make that possible:
- Give speakers microphones so people can hear them.
- Encourage active listening and note-taking in the audience. Consider leaving small notepads in the audience for attendee us.
- Make it clear that there will be a time for questions and attendee input.
- Discourage interruptions by setting aside time for questions at the end.
The facilitator should also take steps to ensure that everyone who wants to speak is given the opportunity to do so. They should strive to create an approachable environment where even quieter participants feel comfortable sharing their thoughts.
💡Pro tip: Conduct sound checks ahead of time to make sure sound levels are appropriate throughout the audience area. This should be part of your event logistics checklist.
9. Use the right tools
As an event organizer, you’ve got a lot on your plate! Make sure you have the right tools on your side. Here are some to add to your toolbox:
- Event management software can help you plan your event, sell tickets, and organize everything in one central place
- Some event tools, like Eventbrite, also support hybrid and virtual events by providing live streaming capabilities, audience engagement features
- Recording tools can help you capture all the best moments from your event
- Post-production editing tools can help you take clips and edit recordings for social media without hiring a professional
💡Pro tip: You may also want to use a task management tool, like Asana or Monday.com, to manage all the to-dos for your event. This is particularly true if you have a large team or many discussion participants to organize.
Explore the leading event management software
💡Pro tip: Solutions that offer a wide variety of tools built into one are ideal for keeping costs down. Eventbrite offers the best selection of tools for event organizers, including a powerful marketing suite and an attendee check-in app.
10. Stay on topic
Part of the beauty of a roundtable is that it promotes open communication and stimulating conversations. At the same time, things can get off-topic quickly! Consider these tips to stay on track:
- Encourage gentle moderation to steer the conversation back toward the primary theme
- Have questions and conversation starters prepared ahead of time
- Let the conversation flow, but if it gets too far off track, redirect to the primary topic
- Prepare a plan with your moderator/facilitator on how to stay on topic
Skilled facilitators should have a strategy in place for staying on topic. You can also include questions in the facilitator brief, which can be asked to refocus the discussion.
💡Pro tip: You (or your moderator) will also sense if things are a bit off track, but if the audience is engaged and the conversation is flowing, it’s okay to see where things go naturally. Just set a time limit for any sidetrack conversations (two–three minutes max) and then redirect.
11. Consider breakout sessions for larger groups
Consider a mix of formats like breakout sessions, panel discussions, and Q&A sessions in parallel to your roundtable to inspire attendees and keep the group discussion flowing.
Consider these tips for success:
- Offer themed breakout sessions after the primary discussion
- Group sessions can also be used as a break mid-discussion
- Groups of three–six people are ideal for breakout groups
- Breakout groups don’t necessarily need facilitators, but you can ask for volunteers to steer the conversation in each group
- Use more than one room if possible, or partitions in the main event space
It’s best to think ahead of time about how breakout groups may fit in with your overall discussion topic. These sessions aren’t necessarily a fit for all event types. For controversial topics, you may want to avoid breakout sessions or assign moderators to each, to avoid conflict.
💡Pro tip: Provide some written question prompts or directions for groups to get the conversation started. “What surprised you the most from the discussion?” and “Are there any points made that you strongly disagree with?” are two great places to start.
12. Use multiple facilitators
In some cases, having two or more can be beneficial:
- If the primary facilitator is a topic expert but not necessarily an efficient facilitator, having an additional moderator can help.
- Similarly, a professional facilitator can keep the conversation flowing but won’t necessarily know the right questions to ask related to the subject matter.
- Having two or more facilitators can help the conversation flow more smoothly because they can bounce ideas off each other.
You can also opt for a more community-focused approach without a centralized facilitator. However, in most cases, assigning one or more moderators works better.
💡Pro tip: Ask your facilitator(s) about their experience ahead of time, and discuss the idea of using multiple facilitators. Involving them in the decision can be a sign of respect and can help improve collaboration.
Ensure your event succeeds with the right strategy
Every event planner wishes that all they needed for an event to succeed was a great roundtable discussion. But event management has more challenges than that.
To decide on the best layout and agenda for your event, you need a clear strategy and guiding principles that will help you reach your objectives.
With Eventbrite, you get access to cutting-edge technology to ensure a seamless conference experience, as well as industry-leading event marketing tools to ensure maximum reach and awareness.
