Speaker Coaching, Hosting & Moderation

I work with speakers, hosts, and panel participants to help them communicate with clarity, confidence, and purpose. This is a commissioned service focused on editorial storytelling rather than performance training — helping people shape what they want to say, how it flows, and how it lands with an audience.

My approach draws on long-form writing, journalism-informed editorial practice, and years of experience working across live, virtual, and hybrid events.

What I Do

Editorial Storytelling Support

When speakers already have material, I provide editorial guidance to:

  • Improve clarity and flow

  • Strengthen openings and conclusions

  • Identify where stories, examples, or framing can help ideas land

Support may be hands-on or delivered as structured editorial notes.

Panel Preparation & Hosting

I also work as a host or moderator, helping:

  • Panels feel structured rather than improvised

  • Conversations stay focused and purposeful

  • Speakers feel supported while the audience experience remains central

This includes pre-event preparation with participants and clear editorial framing during the session.

Live Observation & Feedback

For events and rehearsals, I can:

  • Observe sessions live or virtually

  • Provide real-time or post-session feedback

  • Offer practical, constructive guidance for improvement

Speaker Coaching & Preparation

I help speakers prepare talks, presentations, and sessions by:

  • Clarifying the core idea and intended audience takeaway

  • Structuring content into a clear narrative arc

  • Refining pacing, emphasis, and transitions

  • Removing unnecessary detail while strengthening meaning

This work can involve creating a talk from scratch or shaping an existing presentation.

How I Work

  • I focus on meaning and structure, not performance tricks

  • I help speakers feel prepared rather than scripted

  • I work collaboratively, respecting individual voice and style

Some words from clients…

  • "Paul is a "can do" person with a critical eye on the objective of the event. He is a great facilitator and has great insights to share from his own business, association and event experience. He is able to structure content to make the impossible seem possible."

    —Dr Jackie Mulligan

    Development Director, Game Republic

  • "We appointed Paul Cook to deliver our ACC Liverpool seminar about hybrid events to a selection of association and corporate clients. Paul’s extensive knowledge in this field ensured that we were able to deliver a very educational and valuable training session. We received positive feedback from our attendees who commented on how informative and useful Paul’s session was. He is a delight to work with, always bringing new ideas to the table with an infectious passion for evolving the events industry."

    —Stephanie Macfarlane

    Senior Corporate Agency Sales Manager at ACC Liverpool

  • "The team at Shocklogic had the pleasure of working with Paul in preparation to GDPR. Paul supported us in understanding the type of internal structure we wanted to create as a result of our interpretation of the incoming legislation. He delivered a number of interactive workshops that encouraged our team to come up ideas and solutions. These sessions were incredibly useful for everyone involved and we wouldn't doubt to work with Paul in the future."

    —Johnny D Martinez

    Business Development, Shocklogic

  • "Paul Cook is clearly an expert in online conferencing and hybrid events. He has been involved in this kind of work for many years giving him much more experience than most. As an online speaker himself, he is highly engaging and shows that there is no need for any fancy tricks or software gimmicks to keep people listening. All you need is excellent content delivered with authority and expertise. Paul does exactly that. He is the very embodiment of what he says is the right thing to do with online and hybrid events."

    —Graham Jones

    Senior Lecturer, Speaker, Author, Business Consultant

  • "Paul is a thinker and a doer. We have collaborated together for more than a decade, working on behalf of association members and the business events industry generally, developing strategies and creating content addressing a variety of immediate challenges and long-term possibilities. Paul is thoughtful, with the courage to speak his mind, even if he's the only voice. I'm grateful that we met and that we've maintained our connection through the distance."

    —Michael Owen

    Managing Partner at EventGenuity, LLC

How This Is Commissioned

Clients typically commission this service for:

  • Keynote or session preparation

  • Panel moderation and hosting

  • Speaker coaching for virtual or hybrid events

  • Ongoing support across event programmes

Fees are agreed upfront based on preparation time, delivery requirements, and level of involvement.

What This Service Is Not

  • Performance or acting coaching

  • Public speaking “hacks” or formulas

  • Motivational training

 

If you’d like to commission speaker coaching, hosting, or moderation support, just contact me.

contact me