The short answer is no. They still have a place. Panels are a useful way of helping an audience explore a topic. They can be illuminating. The problem is volume - too many events rely on the panel to fill their content needs.
This creates a problem because the panel format has three significant issues.
They are often repetitive. It's hard to bring out the tension that might exist between speakers. Panellists are rarely chosen to disagree and even when they do, the format gives them little space to do so. This leads to the audience hearing a narrow range of perspectives.
They are static. Speakers come with prepared answers, usually shaped by their organisation's key messages. We’ve all sen panels where points miss each other and fail to clash.
They can also be low-energy events. Without a competitive edge, the format can fall flat. This is especially true if the whole conference programme is built replicating exactly the same format from start to finish.
Yes, But
Purpose Union and The Conduit share a belief that public discourse can be more productive and help to address society's biggest challenges. We also believe that public debates should be fun.
So we formed a partnership to create the Yes, But series of debates, a format built around two sides passionately arguing for their side of a topic in a respectful way. We have run them for 18 months and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
The format
Yes, But combines debate, inquiry and collaboration by breaking a part of a topic through debate, crystalsing the issue with a major questions to be solved and then creatively building a practical solution. It runs in five stages:
Debate. Two professional debaters argue opposite sides of a tight motion, such as 'This house would favour local human knowledge over the use of AI', with two short speeches each.
Expert Q&A. A panel of specialists and issue experts then cross-examine the debaters
Problem design. During a break, the moderator, experts and curators distil the discussion into a more focused problem question(s) to be solved
Solutions Lab. The audience is split into groups that work on solutions, using ideas from the debate as well as their own perspectives.
Pitch. Each group presents its solution to the room and takes questions.
What have we learned from the Yes, But series?
Our debates bring clarity. A debate has two sides arguing passionately for opposing positions. The world, of course, has more nuance and shades of grey than that. But attendees tell us it is very helpful to watch clearly different stances clash, because it surfaces issues that would otherwise stay hidden. This is especially helpful in challenging groupthink.
Attendees model constructive disagreement. After a structured, good-faith debate, attendees carried that into the workshops that followed. They were more comfortable challenging ideas and the solutions were stronger for it.
Our format injects energy into the room. Instead of being passive, the debate asks audiences to act as judges throughout. And it is fun. The format is novel. The Yes, But series borrows from two things people already love. Like sport, it has competing sides (which our speakers always lean into) and the prospect of someone winning. Like theatre, there is performance and a live audience reacting in the room. Good debaters know how to build an argument, but also how to hold a crowd, and attendees enjoy it.
We believe that the Yes, But has real power beyond conferences such as boardroom decisions, employee engagement events and stakeholder moments, to name a few. If you want to learn more about working with us on the format, do get in touch.
You can watch our most recent debate here on the motion: This house believes that the UK is now on the right track.
https://www.youtube.com/live/s7cxCjCGuUk?si=2vYYdjngKBcrDTWZ
By Lewis Iwu | Founding Partner, Purpose Union