Begin with the conversation format
Will the moderator invite each contribution, or can panelists interrupt freely? Are guests seated behind a table, in armchairs or standing? Will questions come from the audience, an app or a remote participant? These decisions determine how people access microphones and how the sound team follows the discussion.
Set the format before finalising sound equipment. Shure distinguishes one-to-many speaking, open discussion and moderated formats with an audience. Its conference-microphone guide explains why the communication pattern matters.
Create two maps: people and signals
The seating plan should give every speaking position a clear label. The input list should use the same labels, with the person, microphone format and programme role. Keep a moderator channel easy to identify; do not rename it with a guest's name if the chair changes at the last minute.
List audience and remote contributions separately from the panel. If there is recording or streaming, identify where each source must be heard. A microphone can be needed in the recording even when a nearby participant feels comfortable speaking without amplification.
Worked example: four guests and a moderator
Consider a hypothetical 40-minute panel with four guests, one moderator and a final ten-minute audience section. Two aisles divide the seating. The plan below illustrates roles, not a specific wireless package.
| Label | Purpose | Preparation | Owner during the session |
|---|---|---|---|
| M | Moderator | Check opening, interruptions and closing | Audio operator follows the moderator |
| P1–P4 | Four panel positions | Fit or place one planned microphone per position | Audio operator manages live channels |
| Q1 | Audience questions | Agree route, pickup point and speaking instruction | Named microphone runner |
| Playback | Optional opening clip | Confirm whether audio is needed and test the file | Named playback operator |
Five stage roles plus one audience role give six planned microphone positions. They do not mean six channels should remain open throughout. If a second audience runner is proposed, explain the programme benefit and coordinate the additional equipment. If one handheld is shared between panelists, show the resulting handover in the running order rather than describing it as equivalent spontaneous access.
Make audience questions usable
Choose a process the audience can understand. A roving microphone brings the device to a seated participant. A fixed question position asks guests to move to a designated place. A moderator can instead read submitted questions, if that matches the event's intended interaction. Decide before booking rather than improvise all three on stage.
For roving use, the moderator selects the next person and waits for the microphone. The runner explains briefly how to speak into it and retrieves it after the question. Leave time in the programme for this movement. Ask the venue and event team to review accessible participation and routes through the seating.
Open microphones still need management
Shure explains that unnecessary open microphones can add room noise and reflected sound, and that automatic mixing can help manage multiple microphone inputs. Its automixing overview describes the approach. Ask the engineer whether it suits the discussion system; do not treat it as a replacement for a person following the programme.
The operator still needs to know who joins late, which clip starts, when a microphone is being fitted and whether a backstage conversation should be excluded. The moderator and audio team should agree an unobtrusive way to communicate during the session.
Rehearse the transitions that usually get missed
Have two panelists exchange short answers while turning naturally towards each other.
Check the moderator's interruption and return to the next panelist.
Run one complete audience question, including the microphone journey and retrieval.
Test any remote contribution from the actual call endpoint and confirm what that person hears.
Practice the agreed spare-microphone handover without requiring the panelist to leave the conversation unexpectedly.
Common mistakes include ordering one microphone per chair but forgetting the moderator, allowing audience questions without a microphone when the session is recorded, and sharing wearable microphones without fitting time. A labelled input map exposes these gaps early.
What to send the supplier
Send the seating plan, participant list, moderation rules, question process, recording needs and running order. Request technical support with clear responsibilities for fitting, operation and audience handovers alongside AV rental. Confirm which roles are provided by the organiser; a microphone runner should never exist only as an assumption.