SpeakerQuestion: Moderators HITTing it out of the park

As a moderator for a conference, what is my job and how can I ensure the event is a success?

As the moderator, you are the CEO (Chief Emcee Officer) of your event! Consider the acronym HITT (Host, Introduce, Transition, Time) to make it easy to remember the four roles the moderator plays before and during the event and what you can do to ensure the session achieves the desired goals.

Host: Consider the audience and speakers as your guests. Understand the topics, what each speaker brings to the table and their importance to the audience so you can make them all feel welcome, comfortable and mutually understood.

Introduce: Get to know the speakers and topics in advance. Introduce each speaker as a friend, someone that the audience will be pleased to meet. Keep your introduction genuine and quick.

Transition: Prepare transition statements that tie each presentation together and help deliver a key takeaway message to the audience.

Time: As the moderator, you’re the timekeeper. It’s your responsibility to plan the time allotted to each speaker, time for Q&A, and time for transitions. Do the math and communicate appropriately so that everyone stays on task and the meeting on schedule.

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