To know how to organize a round table, you need to understand this type of event’s characteristics well.
That way, you can make more confident decisions throughout the planning process, boosting your chances of making your event a real success!
That’s why, in this blog post, we’ll explain everything about:
- What is a round table?
- 5 tips for organizing a successful round table
- Discover a practical way to organize a round table
What is a round table?
Basically, a round table is a type of event that promotes an organized, multi-perspective discussion on a given topic.
It’s made up of:
Moderator — responsible for mediating the debate, guiding questions, and monitoring each participant’s speaking time. So they need to be organized and knowledgeable about the topic at hand.
Speakers — presenters who bring different perspectives to the debate. They’re usually experts, researchers, or academics.
Audience — can either just observe or bring questions to the discussion, which should be mediated by the moderator.
Because of the diversity of opinions a round table brings, it’s usually included in the schedule of larger events to build connections between attendees.
The idea is to build a more diverse, open environment where everyone can contribute to the debate.
For example, round tables at academic events usually evaluate different perspectives on the same scientific subject.
At corporate events, on the other hand, they can be used by sponsors to run brainstorms about a product, or to bring professionals from different companies together to discuss common challenges in their field.
Main goals of a round table
- Promote a high-quality meeting and debate among experts
- Analyze the same phenomenon from several different perspectives
- Make debates more informal and accessible
- Enable brainstorming around the central topic
Benefits of a round table
- Generates insights and new questions from the proposed debate
- Gives access to other perspectives that might otherwise be unknown
- Develops critical thinking through different points of view
- Brings attendees and speakers closer together
- A unique opportunity for peer learning
- Boosts the brand’s authority
5 tips for organizing a successful round table
1. Define the round table’s topic
First, great round tables always have a well-defined topic.
So it’s important to choose the central subject to be covered during the event’s planning.
To do that, it should be mapped out according to your audience profile and the event’s goals.
With that in mind, your topic should be:
- Broad enough to allow for a variety of perspectives, but specific enough to keep the discussions focused
- Relevant to the current context or to attendees’ area of interest
- Open enough to allow for questions and discussion points that explore the subject in depth
That way, once the topic is well defined, your attendees can enrich the debate with their own perspectives and experiences.
2. Choose the format
There are three main types of round tables: in-person, virtual, and hybrid.
If they’re part of a larger event’s schedule, the format will usually depend on the main event. But they can vary as follows:
- In-person round tables: appealing for guests who want to network with speakers, but the audience is limited to those on-site
- Virtual round tables: highly accessible, but require more preparation to avoid technical issues. Ideally, they’re held via video conferencing on platforms like Even3, Zoom, or Google Meet
- Hybrid round tables: combine in-person and virtual elements, bringing together the interaction of both audiences. Usually, some attendees are physically present at a specific location while others take part remotely, with both groups connected through online chat
3. Find the ideal moderator
Next, look for moderators who are charismatic, have broad knowledge of the chosen topics, and are recognized in their field.
But keep in mind: being recognized doesn’t necessarily mean being famous on social media.
In fact, your moderator should have credentials, such as work experience or publications in the field.
That’s because moderators need to:
- Coordinate the topics under discussion (that is, stay alert to everything being said)
- Engage less confident participants and encourage them to raise questions
- Keep the discussion moving in a relaxed but purposeful way
- Have charisma
A good practice is to provide a guide with introductory questions, main discussion points, and instructions for the debate.
4. Select the speakers
When choosing your ideal speakers, think about your audience!
Besides picking appealing guests, you should also personalize the experience based on your audience’s level of knowledge.
For example, if they’re students, look for speakers with more didactic explanations and different levels of depth.
It’s generally recommended to invite at least three experts who bring diverse perspectives or come from different fields. Now you have a round table!
5. Determine the event’s timing
Finally, one of the key points of a round table is the timing of the debate!
So, build an agenda for the event that the moderator should follow. It should include:
Introduction
2 to 5 minutes. Introduce the speakers and sponsors (if any), and provide context on the topic and why the subject matters.
Questions
Split the main time between the moderator’s questions to the speakers and questions from the audience.
Questions for the speakers should be arranged as if building a story, with an introduction, conflict, possible solutions, and conclusion.
A good practice is to try to follow the order of “what, why, and how.”
Conclusion
1 to 2 minutes. Thank the speakers and the audience, and invite them to take some action, such as evaluating the event or following on social media.
Discover a practical way to organize a round table
By now, it’s clear that round tables require a lot of planning, preparation, and a strong team.
Want to know how to organize a round table easily, without worrying about the hassle of selling registrations and sending certificates?
For that, there are online platforms that help organize this type of event, and Even3 is one of them. With us, you can:
- Create a website to promote your round table
- Sell registrations online
- Track the progress of each transaction
- Check in every attendee on the day of the event
- Automatically create and distribute certificates
So, are you ready to start building your successful round table?
