A Unique Conference Design

The Missouri State University Public Affairs Conference is best defined as informed citizens sharing both their professional and personal vantage points with an audience of students, campus members and community.

This ultra-unique conference brings together professionals from diverse fields to dialogue and explore issues related to its theme, and the theme's impact on government, the arts, education, science, business, economics, medicine and much more.

As a panelist, you will share your professional and personal vantage points and opinions on selected topics with an audience of domestic and international students, campus and community members.

How it works...

Why unique? This conference begins the process by first inviting its cadre of nearly 30-40 panel speakers. Once speakers are finalized, they are then assigned to the developed panel sessions, developed by the conference's advisory committee. Lead conference coordinators then strategically assign a set of speakers to each panel topic. This allows for sessions to be customized and helps to ensure the audience is exposed to a rich texture of viewpoints.

If one of your panel topics seems to be a little outside your professional field, you are being chosen because we value your perspectives and opinions on the subject area as more of an informed citizen. Our audiences are eager to hear from professionals that work in the topic area as well as discover personal perspectives from professionals outside the field - just like themselves.

Panelists will be contacted by mid May with the final schedule of panel descriptions, dates and times of which you are asked to serve.

How panels are designed...

Panel descriptions are written for, and addressed by panelists, in relation to the conference theme. Panels are expected to be dialogue exchanges, so no Power Point or other visual aids are allowed.

Members of the conference’s Advisory Committee will serve as Q&A moderators and session host for each panel.
Panel sessions are 50 minutes in duration.
Q&A moderators will begin the session and introduce each of the panelists - approx. 5 minutes.
Each panel will consist of 4 speakers. Each panelist has 5-7 minutes to comment on any aspect/perspective they choose regarding the topic.
The additional 25 minutes will be Q & A with the audience and facilitated by the moderator. Not all panelists have to respond to every question posed by the audience.
Each panel ranges from 60-400 in attendance when offered in the virtual format.
The Host is your personal guide before, during and after the actual panel session. Panelists will gather in the Speaker Hospitality/Green Room 15-20 minutes prior to the session for introductions to each other and last-minute details. Moderators will assist panelists keep within their time limits, and generally address any issue that might assist with or impede the panel session.

How to approach your panel topic...

Unlike most other conferences, the Public Affairs Conference offers an opportunity for panelists to actually listen to and interact with each other and the audience.

Address the panel topic informally. We suggest developing an outline of thoughts or comments related to the panel subject prior to the conference; please do not fully read your comments to the audience. The panels are designed to be more focused on the Q & A portion between the audience and panelists.

You will have up to 5-7 minutes to present your comments. Please be courteous to the other panelists, and to the audience as a whole, by confining your comments to the allotted time. This allows for a quick perspective by each speaker and then move on to the audience questions. The moderator will indicate when each panelist’s time is almost up.

It is important that panel speakers are comfortable and confident as they prepare to participate in their assigned conference sessions. Please feel free to contact the conference coordinators at any time. Contact Stacey Trewatha-Bach at StaceyTrewatha@MissouriState.edu or office phone at 417-836-8832 or cell 417-860-9312.