Vent: The time I ruined a whole panel discussion by rambling

I was hosting a panel at Anime Expo 2023 on the history of mecha anime, and I let one guest speaker go on for like 15 minutes about Gundam Wing lore. The crowd started checking their phones and I had to cut him off mid-sentence to get us back on track. Felt super awkward but I should've set a timer for each speaker from the start. Has anyone else had a panel derail like that and how did you handle it?

3 comments

3 Comments

jason_lewis31mo ago

The "let's save some time for questions" line works but honestly it's just a polite version of what we all do every day. I've noticed people ramble in normal conversations too, you just gotta step in before they turn a quick story into a whole documentary. It's not rude to stop someone from wasting everyone's time, it's just basic survival.

the_taylor1mo ago

Cut them off sooner next time. I've had to step in and redirect speakers before it's not rude if you're keeping the whole room from zoning out. Just say "let's save some time for questions" and move on quick.

spencer_owens581mo ago

Yeah, "let's save some time for questions" is such a clean way to handle it. Works every time.