Jasmin Wölke moderates panel discussions in Wuppertal: rounds on succession, industry, pharma and AI, in English and German. In pre-event calls she finds the points where the guests genuinely disagree, then turns a row of prepared statements into an actual conversation.
Topics the Bergisches Land argues about
Wuppertal debates from the daily reality of its family businesses. How does an owner family hand leadership to the next generation without splitting the company? What do supply chains and energy prices mean for a tool maker in Cronenberg? How is AI changing production, and what does pharmaceutical research in Elberfeld mean for the city? A typical line-up puts a shareholder, a production manager, a professor from the University of Wuppertal and a voice from direct sales on one stage. Four perspectives that rarely share a table in everyday life. That is exactly why the format works: the audience is waiting for the moment when two guests contradict each other and both have good reasons.
Pre-event calls, question arc, firm lead
Before the event, Jasmin speaks with every guest individually. She notes their position, their sore spot and the one sentence they absolutely want to say. From these notes she builds her question arc: a sequence that starts at the shared problem and moves towards the contested decision. On stage she distributes speaking time audibly and fairly, interrupts monologues in a friendly way and brings quiet guests in with concrete follow-up questions. Technical language gets translated for the room without talking down to the experts. At the International Business Summit, a corporate reference with more than 400 participants over two days, several controversially cast rounds were part of the 15 sessions she led. Her takeaway: panels rarely fail because of the topic, they fail because nobody prepared the cast.
Stages for panels along the Wupper
A panel inside a conference fits the side halls of the Historische Stadthalle, while the Mendelssohn hall carries a stand-alone discussion evening. Science-driven rounds find their place in the lecture halls of the University of Wuppertal, cultural ones in the Börse, and in the Gaskessel in Heckinghausen a panel becomes an evening event with an industrial backdrop. How strong lead questions are built is shown in the guide on preparing a panel discussion. The format hub panel moderation gives the overview, and the Wuppertal city page collects all pages for the city.
Request your panel in Wuppertal
Send the topic, the planned line-up and your date via the contact form. You will receive a quick assessment and, after the briefing, a written offer with a fixed price. For morning slots Jasmin arrives the evening before.