What it is: A panel presentation brings together a small group of 3–5 speakers — typically with distinct but related areas of expertise or experience — to share perspectives on a common topic, moderated by a facilitator. Panelists may offer brief prepared remarks, respond to questions from the moderator, and engage with each other's ideas before opening the floor to audience questions.  

How it flows: The moderator opens with a brief introduction of the topic and panelists (5 minutes), then guides the discussion through a series of prepared questions. Panelists respond in turn, and the moderator encourages dialogue between panelists as well as individual responses. The session typically reserves the final 15–20 minutes for audience questions, which the moderator fields and directs. The moderator closes with a brief synthesis or summary of key themes. 

Why it works: Panels are well suited to topics where hearing from multiple distinct voices or areas of expertise adds genuine value — particularly when the contrast or tension between perspectives is itself illuminating. They also work well when panelists have breaking or highly topical information to share, or when the audience is large enough that small-group formats become impractical. 

Tips for developing your traditional panel proposal: 

What it is: A provocation panel is a structured but deliberately disruptive format designed to challenge assumptions, spark debate, and push a field or community to think differently. Rather than presenting established findings or consensus views, each panelist delivers a short, pointed "provocation" — a bold claim, a contrarian argument, or a challenging question — intended to unsettle comfortable thinking and ignite genuine discussion. The goal is not to arrive at agreement but to surface the tensions, contradictions, and unresolved questions that more conventional formats tend to smooth over. 

How it flows: Each panelist delivers a brief, focused provocation — typically 5–7 minutes each — with no expectation that they represent a balanced or comprehensive view of the topic. Provocations are intentionally one-sided or edgy by design. Following the provocations, the moderator facilitates a response period in which panelists may react to each other's claims before opening the floor to the audience. The audience is encouraged to push back, challenge, or build on what they've heard rather than simply ask informational questions. The moderator closes by naming the key tensions that emerged rather than resolving them — leaving the room with something to wrestle with. 

Why it works: Conferences often default to presentations of what we already know or broadly agree on. A provocation panel creates permission to say the uncomfortable thing, challenge the dominant narrative, or argue for an unpopular position — and in doing so, it often surfaces the conversations a field most needs to have. Attendees tend to leave energized and unsettled in the best possible way, with new questions rather than just new information. 

Tips for developing your Provocation Panel proposal: 

What it is: A roundtable is an intimate, facilitated conversation where a small group of 8–10 participants — including 1–2 facilitators — gathers to explore a topic together as genuine peers. Unlike a panel, where a few experts present to a passive audience, a roundtable assumes that everyone at the table has relevant experience or perspective to contribute. The facilitator's job is not to deliver content but to guide the conversation, draw out quieter voices, and help the group move toward insight together. The relatively small size creates a level of depth and candor that larger formats rarely achieve. 

How it flows: The facilitator opens with a brief framing of the topic and a round of quick introductions — just enough for participants to know who is in the room and what lens they bring (5–10 minutes). From there, the facilitator poses an opening question and lets the conversation develop, stepping in periodically to redirect, deepen, or synthesize. If there are two facilitators, one might lead the discussion while the other tracks themes, manages time, or monitors for voices that haven't yet been heard. The session closes with a structured synthesis — participants name one key insight or takeaway, which the facilitator weaves into a brief closing reflection. 

Why it works: The small group size creates psychological safety — people are more willing to share honestly, ask questions, or admit uncertainty when they're not performing for a large audience. It also means every participant is likely to speak multiple times, which deepens engagement and investment in the conversation. Roundtables are particularly well suited to complex, nuanced topics where lived experience matters as much as expertise. 

Tips for developing your Roundtable Discussion proposal: 

What it is: A poster presentation is a format in which researchers or practitioners share their work visually through a designed poster display, then engage in direct, one-on-one or small group conversation with interested attendees during a dedicated session. All poster presenters stand with their posters simultaneously while attendees move freely through the space, stopping to read, ask questions, and have informal conversations with authors. It combines the rigor of formal research presentation with the accessibility and warmth of a personal conversation — attendees get to go deep on the topics that matter most to them, and presenters get to engage with genuinely curious audiences rather than a room full of passive listeners. 

How it flows: During the dedicated poster session, all presenters are stationed at their posters and attendees circulate at their own pace. There is no formal program or schedule within the session itself — the flow is self-directed. Presenters offer a brief, informal overview of their work to each new visitor (typically 2–3 minutes), then open up to questions and discussion. Conversations can go as deep as the attendee and presenter want to take them. A session coordinator or emcee may open and close the session for the full group, but the heart of the format is the individual exchanges happening throughout the room simultaneously. 

Why it works: Poster sessions democratize the conference experience in a unique way. Attendees are in control of their own learning — they choose which work to engage with and how long to linger. Presenters benefit from repeated, focused conversations that often surface questions and connections they hadn't considered. The informal atmosphere also tends to lower barriers on both sides, making it easier for early-career researchers or practitioners to share their work and for attendees to ask the questions they might hesitate to raise in a formal session. 

Tips for preparing your Poster Presentation: 

What it is: A fishbowl turns a panel or lecture into a living conversation. A small group of 4–6 people sits in an inner circle and discusses a topic while the rest of the attendees observe from an outer circle. At regular intervals — or when someone from the outer circle wants to contribute — one seat in the inner circle opens up and a new voice joins the discussion. 

How it flows: The session facilitator opens with a brief framing of the topic (5 minutes or less), then invites the initial inner circle to begin discussing. The facilitator manages transitions, keeps the conversation on track, and may pose questions to prompt new directions. Near the end, the full group debriefs together. 

Why it works: It creates the intimacy and depth of a small group conversation while keeping the full audience engaged — observers are watching a real discussion unfold, not a rehearsed presentation. Because anyone can rotate in, attendees stay alert and invested. 

Tips for developing your Fishbowl Discussion proposal: 

What it is: A skills lab flips the traditional session model: instead of presenting information for attendees to absorb, the facilitator guides participants through an activity that lets them experience or practice something directly. Learning happens by doing, and the debrief conversation that follows tends to be far richer because everyone has a shared experience to draw from. 

How it flows: The facilitator opens with a brief framing — just enough context for participants to dive in (5–10 minutes). The bulk of the session is the hands-on activity itself, which might be individual, paired, or done in small groups. The facilitator circulates, coaches, and prompts reflection. The session closes with a structured debrief where participants share what they noticed, struggled with, or discovered. 

Why it works: People retain far more from doing than from listening. A well-designed activity also surfaces questions and challenges that a lecture never would — participants discover what they don't know in real time. 

Tips for developing your Workshop/Skills Lab proposal: