30th April 2026
Learning to Let Go: My First Time Moderating a Panel
Learning to Let Go: My First Time Moderating a Panel
Taking on new challenges is a big part of how we grow at thrive. Sector Development Coordinator Eve Murtagh reflects on her first time moderating a panel at last month’s event, Prefer Not To Say.
I went in with a meticulously laid out plan…
Prefer Not To Say was just about a month ago and marked my first time moderating a panel discussion. The event was on a topic we chat about a lot at thrive – the pros, cons, and limitations of demographic data – so I felt fairly well-versed on what would be talked about on the night. But guiding a discussion in front of an audience was new to me and wasn’t without its challenges!
Between booking the venue, ordering pizzas, and organising guest speakers, I hadn’t had much time to worry about my actual ability to moderate the discussion in the run up to the event. I’d chatted with all three speakers and agreed subtopics, questions and structure and then went off and planned out who would say what. By the time the day of the event came, I’d ticked off everything in my event management checklists and had a meticulous plan of action. I felt prepared.
That sense of calm came crashing to an end about an hour or so before doors. Suddenly I began worrying about everything that could go wrong. I’m also a musician and used to a few nerves before a performance, but this felt different – I wasn’t going to be in control of the other people on the stage! But I gave myself a stern talking to (“You don’t have time for existential crises now, so shut up and get on with it!”) and tried to focus on all the positives: three great panellists who had lots of good stuff to share. I knew they were funny, engaging, and chatty. All I had to do was tee them up and then roll with the punches.
Once the event kicked off, my meticulously laid out conversation plan immediately went out the window. But in the end, it didn’t matter, in fact the event was much better for it. The panellists bounced off each other, and the audience chimed in with their opinions and insights, all in ways I couldn’t have predicted.
The conversation flowed, covering all the points I’d planned and more – from why we need good data, how the arts can’t be all things to all people, the importance of making surveys accessible, and about doing something meaningful with the data – not just surveys for surveys’ sake. And there were no awkward silences, plenty of laughs and loads of fascinating insights. The biggest challenge was finding the right time to wrap up – it felt a shame to end a discussion that felt like it could have gone on for another hour or two.
So, what did I learn on my first time moderating a panel? My biggest takeaway from the experience was not to overthink it! To make a plan, but be prepared to ditch it, because once you get creative people together in a room, the ideas flow naturally. Oh, and never underestimate the power of free pizza in winning people over.
Eve Murtagh Eve Murtagh email address link
Sector Programme Coordinator
Eve Murtagh
Sector Programme Coordinator
Eve works in the Sector Development team which means she spends a lot of time talking about our research programmes. She will be the person who makes gathering IMPACT data as simple as possible, and will also be the person who helps you make sense of the numbers. Eve began her time with thrive as our box office specialist so she is also able to help you demystify ticketing data and get the most from your system.
As well as that, she is also a professional musician with over 10 years industry experience and helps us hone our research through an artist lens (check her music out here).
What are you currently working on?
I’m always working with participating IMPACT and IMPACT NW organisations to help them collect responses from their audiences. I’m also working on new pricing research we’re doing in the sector.
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