How to Moderate a Great Roundtable Discussion

As a professional emcee and moderator in New York, I often moderate executive roundtables, especially in the AI, tech and financial services industries. Roundtable discussion are a unique format and can throw up more challenges than a traditional panel discussion.

I’ve got dozens of roundtable discussions under my belt, so I wanted to share some expert tips on what makes a great roundtable discussion and how to achieve it.

Let’s dive in:

Know the Goal

The key to a successful roundtable is having a clear understanding of objectives and desired outcomes of the roundtable discussion. You want a clear brief from the organiser on what they’re hoping to achieve - so communication and preparation are key!

Make sure you have a prep call with the organiser to understand what they are hoping to achieve from the roundtable - whether that’s more leads, more insights, deeper relationships, promoting a new concept or service.

You need to know, as a moderator, what the discussion is for.

Without that clarity, you’re not really working together. It’s the same for me with event emceeing and auctioneering, I always aim to be part of the team with my client, so we’re working towards the same event goals.

The question I always like to ask on a call is:

“What would success at this event look like for you?”

Write Excellent Questions

My background as a journalist helps me here, but you want to make sure that the questions for the evening are excellent. For me, the question-writing process happens after the prep call with the organiser, where I understand what they are hoping to achieve, who the audience is and what they want the discussion to focus on.

It’s an AI-focused event, for example, I’ll make sure to do thorough research of the topic, recent news, bring in relevant examples and research the attendees to know more about their background with the topic. Especially with AI, things are moving so rapidly that you really want to do your research and make sure the questions are very up-to-date.

When it comes to questions, you have to make sure that you leave enough space for the discussion to really flow and you don’t have so many questions that you’re racing through everything at top speed to get through it all. Check with the organiser to see what the most pressing questions are, and focus the discussion there.

I like to think of roundtables in terms of chapters, with a chapter for each course of the meal, where there’s flow, direction and momentum within the questions, and the conversation has a really rounded feel.

Turn up Early

As a moderator, I’ve never once regretted turning up early to an event.

Especially with roundtables, you’re acting as a host as well as a moderator, and you want to get there nice and early to make sure everything is super smooth with the venue. I like to get there at least an hour before the evening starts, so I can get to know the waiting staff, meet the organiser and understand the layout of the table.

When the guests start arriving, I make sure to greet everyone personally, match faces to names and make a personal introduction. Remember: the tone of the roundtable starts the second they walk in the door - and you want to make sure they are greeted in a warm and friendly way!

I try to learn everyone’s names before the roundtable starts, so that if I want to direct a question towards them, I can do it personally

Be Inclusive

A key job of a roundtable moderator is to make sure everyone has the chance to speak.

Some participants may have attended roundtables before and be more confident, whereas for others it may be their first time and they’re more shy. Your job as a moderator is to gently draw out the quieter voices and make sure everyone has the opportunity to speak and be heard.

Some phrases I like to use for this include:

“Let’s hear from someone we haven’t heard from yet,” or, “I’d love to get your perspective on this, [Name].”

Sometimes a direction invitation is the encouragement they need to share a golden insight. And diversity of opinions, backgrounds and thoughts is really want makes a roundtable discussion so interesting, so encourage everyone to get involved.

Be a Guide, Not a Speaker

As a moderator, your job is not to speak, but to guide. You’re there to keep the discussion flowing, but not dominate it. This is important, because although it might be tempting to jump in with your own opinions and anecdotes, it’s really not about you.

Your job is to draw out opinions, insights, golden nuggets and find common threads.

Instead, focus on active listening. Summarize key points, connect ideas between participants, and gently steer the conversation back on track if it starts to drift. If the discussion gets heated (which can happen in AI and tech!), remind everyone of the shared goal and keep things respectful.

Manage the Clock

Timekeeping really matters with roundtables. You want the discussion to flow and hit all the key points, and you don’t want to find you’re rushing through the most important parts.

I like to keep a discreet eye on the clock and have a mental roadmap for how long to spend on each “chapter” of the conversation. I’ll usually have a stop clock on my phone and move the discussion along to a new topic every 30-40 minutes.

If a topic is running long, it’s okay to say, “This is a fascinating discussion, but let’s park it for now so we can cover our next question.” Participants appreciate a moderator who respects their time and can things moving.

Wrap Up with Purpose

Don’t let the roundtable just fizzle out. At the end, I like the reflect some of the key points of the evening and reflect back some of the insights of the participants. I always outline any next steps, thank everyone for their contributions and energy, and make sure they leave feeling their time was well spent.

A great closing question is: “What’s one insight or action you’re taking away from tonight’s discussion?” It’s a simple way to reinforce value and end on a high note.

Roundtables are one of my favorite formats because they create space for genuine connection and deep conversation. With the right preparation, inclusivity, and a steady guiding hand, you can turn any roundtable into a memorable, high-impact experience.

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Looking for a professional moderator for roundtable discussions? I’m a professional event emcee and event moderator in New York and I’d love to add value to your event as a exceptional moderator. Get in touch today: angelica@angelicamalin.com