By Johan Vartanian · SEO & CRO Specialist at Billetto · Last updated 7 October 2026
Johan helps European event organisers grow their audience through search and conversion optimisation. 5+ years in SEO across marketplaces and content sites.
Quick answer
A panel discussion is the format that delivers the most perspectives per minute — three to five experts examining a current issue from different angles and having their views subjected to each other's direct scrutiny. When it works, it's some of the most valuable content the audience can consume. When it doesn't, it's three people talking past each other for 90 minutes.
The most common trap is focusing too much on panellists and too little on the moderator. Panellists deliver theirs; a good moderator steers, challenges, and creates rhythm that makes the whole greater than the parts. This guide walks through how to put together a panel that actually earns its keep.
A panel discussion is a structured conversation — typically 60–90 minutes — where a moderator leads 3–5 panellists through an in-depth discussion of a current topic, often in front of an audience that can ask questions towards the end. The format sits between a seminar (one speaker, one direction) and a conference (many speakers, multiple sessions), which makes it perfect for industry associations, think tanks, media companies, universities, and organisations wanting to create dialogue rather than one-way communication.
Panel discussions work commercially when the topic is timely enough and the panellists profiled enough that the audience will pay to hear them directly. A well-positioned panel discussion with 150 people at £39 generates £5,850 in revenue against £1,000–£2,000 in production costs.
A panel discussion with 150 attendees in London or Manchester costs typically £1,000–£2,500 to produce. Costs vary with venue, whether panellists are paid, and whether you record and stream. Here's a typical breakdown:
| Line item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Venue (2 hours, 150 pers) | £350–£1,200 | Conference room, library, small theatre |
| Moderator fee | £300–£1,500 | Journalist or established expert |
| Panellist fees | £0–£2,000 | Often free for exposure, £200-£500 per profile |
| AV and tech | £200–£600 | Microphones, sound, projector |
| Refreshments and mingling | £8–£15 per attendee | Coffee before, wine after |
| Marketing | £200–£800 | LinkedIn, newsletters, partners |
| Recording (optional) | £350–£800 | Video plus editing |
| Ticketing fees | ~3% of ticket price | Standard Billetto fee structure |
For a 150-person panel with moderator (£1,000), refreshments £12 per person, and £400 in tech, total cost lands around £4,000. With tickets at £39, 150 sold generates £5,850 in revenue — a margin of around £1,850. If you secure a sponsor covering £1,500, the margin doubles. For broader benchmarks, see our overview of event costs.
The best panel venue has cinema-style seating for 80–200 people, a stage or raised area for the panel, microphones for everyone, good acoustics, and a simple mingling bar. Libraries (British Library, National Library of Scotland), conference rooms, and smaller theatres work well.
Budget £400–£1,200 for 2 hours' rental. Avoid venues with poor sightlines (pillars) or echoey acoustics — panels lose their dynamic when the audience can't hear clearly.
The pricing formula for panel discussions:
Ticket price = (cost per attendee + fixed costs ÷ capacity) × 2
The 2× multiplier reflects that panels often have sponsor or partner models, and the ticket needs to be accessible for individual buyers, not just corporate ones.
Worked example: cost per attendee £12 (refreshments), fixed costs £2,500 (moderator + venue + tech + marketing), capacity 150. Ticket price = (12 + 2,500/150) × 2 = (12 + 16.67) × 2 = £57, round to £49 or £59.
Alternative models: free for members of association/community + £49 for non-members, or "Sponsored" (free for audience + sponsor panel funds).
The right ticketing platform for panels handles three things: ability to set up multiple tiers (member, non-member, VIP with post-event mingle), collect audience questions at ticket purchase (feeds the moderator's Q&A), and digital distribution of recording after the event.
Member discount tiers are underrated. Associations and networks want to offer their members reduced prices. Billetto supports discount codes you can send out to your member list.
Audience questions at booking: a custom field "What question would you ask the panel?" gives the moderator material to work with and engages the audience early. Billetto's custom fields at booking let you collect this openly.
Payment methods: Mastercard, Visa are default. Companies sending staff want to invoice. Billetto supports both. Two other Billetto details worth flagging: no listing fees, and attendee data that's excellent audience for the next panel — audiences that come to a good panel return.
Panel discussions are marketed on the combined reach of panellists and moderator. Our 12-week event marketing timeline gives structure, but three channels dominate:
Panellists' own LinkedIn networks. Ask each panellist to post 1–2 times about the event. Combined reach of 4 profiled people can cover the whole ticket sale.
Industry newsletters and media. Panel discussions on current topics are journalist magnets. Send press release 2 weeks before.
Sponsors' and partner organisations' channels. If you have financial partners, let them post with clear link. Often covers 30–40% of sales.
For UK panel discussions you need:
3 for focused conversation, 4–5 for broader perspective. Over 5 makes it hard to give everyone time and the conversation becomes shallow.
Single most important factor. A good moderator makes an OK panel good. A bad moderator kills even a top panel. Invest in the moderator.
Depends on profile. Journalists, politicians, and established experts often charge £200–£500. Business leaders and academics often do it for free in exchange for exposure.
3–4 weeks. Panels sell late — 40% in the final week.
15–25% for paid panels. Free events can be 40–60%.
Billetto makes it simple to sell tickets to a panel discussion with multiple tiers (member, standard, VIP), custom fields for audience questions, and attendee data for follow-up. Create event on Billetto and have ticket sales live the same day.