Julie McCrossin

Julie has been running panel discussions and hypotheticals at seminars, public forums and conferences for over 20 years. She is well known for her capacity to involve panel members and the audience in an interactive conversation that addresses complex issues in a lively, informal, witty and yet carefully structured way. Panel discussions offer the opportunity to hear a range of views from people with expertise or experience in a particular field, while involving the audience through questions and comments. Panel discussions have a dynamic all their own and their success depends on having a host or leader who is able to stimulate discussion in a lively way, while ensuring all the panel members get an equal say and engage each other in a meaningful way.

The role of the audience is very significant. The leader must have the skills to support the panelists to engage with the audience, while encouraging meaningful and concise comments and questions from as many people as possible.

Julie’s many years of experience interviewing people from all walks of life on live radio means she has the skills to move seamlessly between the panel and the audience, while ensuring everyone stays on topic and shares the time.

Julie has facilitated many hypotheticals on complex and sensitive issues such as child protection, occupational health and safety and sentencing policy in the criminal law.

While it isn’t essential to have a legal qualification to run a good hypothetical, it helps. Julie completed a law degree at the University of NSW in 2000 and she has run many hypotheticals and panel discussions with a legal focus.

A professional MC, or Master of Ceremonies, can make the world of difference at any event by maintaining the focus of the audience, speakers and performers on the prime purpose of the occasion.

Julie has extensive experience as a professional facilitator of meetings, seminars and public consultations on subjects requiring sophisticated research and analytical skills’ as well as great sensitivity and confidentiality.

Julie is in demand as a keynote speaker at conferences. She has the capacity to investigate a topic or subject area and talk about it in a clear, amusing and engaging way that always focuses on the personal, family and community impact of the issue at hand.