How do you handle a speaker who goes over their allotted time as a moderator?

Time management at events is a critical challenge that can make or break a conference or presentation. When speakers exceed their allotted time, it creates a ripple effect that can derail schedules, frustrate audiences, and compromise the overall event experience. For event planners and organizers, having an effective strategy to handle time management issues is essential for maintaining professionalism and ensuring attendee satisfaction.

In this expert series, we explore proven techniques for moderators to gracefully manage speakers who go over their allocated time slots. Our first contributor is Samantha Simmonds, an accomplished BBC News presenter and corporate event host with over two decades of broadcasting experience. Having moderated high-profile events for organizations like Deloitte, Sainsbury’s, and the Department of Trade and Industry, Samantha brings valuable insights from both live television and corporate environments to this crucial aspect of event management.

Let’s hear Samantha’s professional perspective on handling this common yet challenging situation that every moderator inevitably faces.

Samantha Simmonds

Samantha Simmonds, a BBC News presenter and veteran broadcaster with over 20 years of experience anchoring major news events and hosting high-profile corporate events, offers a three-step approach to handling speakers who exceed their time limit.

Professional Time Management Strategy

When speakers go over their allotted time, Simmonds recommends starting with subtle visual cues before escalating to more direct interventions. The first step is to establish eye contact and use a clear timeout gesture. If this proves ineffective, the moderator should physically move closer to the stage to create a visible presence in both the speaker’s and audience’s line of sight.

Graceful Intervention Technique

For situations where non-verbal cues don’t achieve the desired result, Simmonds advocates for a polite but firm verbal intervention. She recommends using specific language that acknowledges the speaker’s contribution while clearly signaling the end of their time: “Thank you so much. That was so fascinating. We are now out of time, so we must leave it there”. This approach maintains professionalism while effectively managing the schedule.

Drawing from her extensive experience moderating events for organizations like Deloitte and the Department of Trade and Industry, Simmonds emphasizes that time management challenges are common even with countdown clocks present. Her method balances respect for the speaker with the moderator’s responsibility to maintain the event’s schedule, ensuring a smooth flow without compromising the audience’s experience or the event’s timing.