Roundtable Session Speaker Kit - Healthcare Design Magazine

6. PREPARING YOUR PRESENTATION
As you prepare for your discussion, the HCD.12 conference program team offers the following tips to help make
your presentation a success.
AUDIENCE
The HEALTHCARE DESIGN Conference draws its audience from many disciplines and different levels of
professional experience including architecture, interior design, facilities management, academia, clinical care,
product developers, and researchers, to name a few. These attendees are interested in an interactive discussion
on your topic area and want information that they can take home with them and begin to apply to their
respective disciplines and initiatives. Attendance in your moderated discussion will be capped at 45 people to
allow for optimum interaction.
ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION FORMAT
Roundtable discussions are designed to provide attendees with an informal and focused opportunity to take part
in interactive programming, and convene with like-minded individuals on a specific area of interest. As a
moderator, you are expected to share just-breaking information about the topic at hand, encourage dialogue
and facilitate discussion between you and the rest of your fellow participants.
Moderators are asked NOT to give a formal presentation, but rather act as a moderator to introduce the topic of
discussion, provide rich content and insight about that topic and facilitate productive dialogue.
In keeping with the spirit of a discussion, attendees will not be arranged in an “theater”-type setting, but will be
arranged in a more informal, networking-type setting (“hollow square room set”).
Also, because the roundtable is not a presentation, audio visual equipment will not be available in the room.
A flip chart may easily be provided to capture discussion points that are generated during the discussion.
You are also encouraged to bring visual boards to the discussion if that is appropriate.
FACILIATING YOUR ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
Capture the Audience
People form an impression of an experience in the first 15 seconds.
Introduce yourself and share with the group why you wanted to lead a discussion on this topic and what
you hope to accomplish.
Get them to sit up and take notice by opening with a story, an anecdote, and a startling piece of
information, a quote or something humorous that is germane to your topic. Let your audience know that
they are going to enjoy the next 60 minutes with you.
If the group is small (under 20) have everyone around the table introduce herself or himself and explain
why they are there/what they want to learn. If the group is larger, ask a few participants to share their
desired outcomes.
Prepare an Agenda
Prepare an agenda and/or outline of topics you want to cover.
Share it with the participants, either as a handout or on the flip chart. Ask them if they have anything to
add.
6