Panel Moderator & Event Host: Kathryn B Wilson Hosts Warner Bros. CrewHQ Careers Event in Belfast

Some of the best conversations happen when you bring together people who are just starting out in an industry with those who have spent years making the magic happen.

That was very much the feeling when I hosted a Warner Bros. CrewHQ Careers event in Belfast, bringing together emerging talent and experienced professionals working behind the scenes in Northern Ireland's film and television industry.

And for me, as a presenter originally from Northern Ireland, it was a particularly lovely job to come home for.

Kathryn B Wilson hosted for Warner Bros - We are Crew HQ 2026

Behind the scenes of film and television in Northern Ireland

When we watch a brilliant film or television series, we see the finished product.

What we don't always see are the hundreds of talented people behind the camera who make it possible.

Production. Costume. Locations. Sound. Camera. Art departments. Hair and make-up. Visual effects. And many, many more.

The event was part of the work of Warner Bros. CrewHQ, which supports existing crew while creating career pathways for the next generation of film and television production talent. CrewHQ supports Warner Bros. Discovery film and high-end television productions across the UK. CrewHQ

My job in Belfast was to help bring some of those careers and the people behind them - to life through interviews and conversations on stage.

Behind the scenes in Belfast
I shared a little more from the day - and some of the brilliant people I got to speak to - over on Instagram.

Talking to the next generation of film and TV talent

I began by interviewing trainees working on productions in Northern Ireland, hearing first-hand what it's actually like to take those first steps into the film and television industry.

Some had gained invaluable experience working on HBO's A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms in Northern Ireland. Through a partnership between CrewHQ and Northern Ireland Screen, trainees were given the opportunity to gain practical experience on a professional production. CrewHQ

We talked about what it's really like to get that first opportunity, what they'd learned from stepping onto a professional set and the reality of beginning a career in an industry that can sometimes seem difficult to break into from the outside.

There's something incredibly powerful about hearing directly from somebody who has recently taken that first step - particularly when there may be someone sitting in the audience wondering whether they could do it too.

CrewHQ has written about the trainees and their experience at the Belfast event in its own article, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Trainees.

Kathryn B Wilson interviews film professionals. The production crew behind ‘A Knight of the seven kingdoms’

Then we heard from the people making it happen

The conversation then moved from those beginning their careers to experienced film and television professionals helping to bring major productions to life.

These are the people doing extraordinary work behind the camera - often in roles the audience may never have considered when they're watching the finished film or programme.

And this is where I think a good panel moderator or fireside-chat host can make a real difference.

My job isn't simply to arrive with a list of questions and work through them one by one.

I'm listening.

I'm looking for the interesting comment that deserves another question. I'm making connections between what different panellists have said. I'm watching the room, keeping an eye on time and making sure that a conversation between people with enormous amounts of specialist knowledge remains interesting and accessible to everyone listening.

Because the best panel discussions shouldn't feel like a Q&A.

They should feel like a conversation you happen to have been invited into.

From TV presenter to panel moderator

My background as a TV and radio presenter has hugely shaped the way I host panels, interviews and fireside chats.

Broadcasting teaches you to listen rather than simply wait for your next question.

Sometimes the most interesting part of an interview is something you couldn't possibly have written into the script beforehand.

Someone says something unexpected.

You follow it.

And suddenly you're having the conversation everybody in the room actually wants to hear.

Whether I'm interviewing a high-profile guest on a large conference stage, chairing a panel of industry experts or talking to somebody at the very beginning of their career, I want the people I'm speaking to to feel comfortable enough to give me something real.

That's a big part of what I bring to my work as an event host and moderator.

Host Kathryn B Wilson - Warner Bros We are crew HQ

Creating conversations people actually want to listen to

There's a skill to keeping an industry conversation informative without allowing it to become inaccessible to the people in the audience who don't already know the subject inside out.

It's one of the reasons I love this kind of event.

My role is partly to represent the audience.

If somebody says something fascinating, I want to know more.

If they use terminology that needs explaining, I'll ask.

If there's a brilliant story hiding underneath an answer, I'll try to find it.

And if the conversation needs another injection of energy, that's part of the job too.

The aim isn't for the audience to feel they're watching an interview.

I want them to feel part of the conversation.

Hosting in Belfast and beyond

Being originally from Northern Ireland makes coming back to Belfast for work particularly special.

My presenting and event-hosting work now takes me across London, the UK and internationally, but Northern Ireland will always feel like coming home.

And an event celebrating the people building careers in film and television there felt like a particularly good reason to return.

Northern Ireland has developed a significant screen-production industry, with Northern Ireland Screen working to develop the region's film, television and games sector and supporting skills and training opportunities for people entering the industry. LinkedIn

It was brilliant to hear from people at different stages of that journey — from trainees getting their first experience on major productions to established professionals whose expertise helps transform ambitious ideas into what eventually appears on our screens.

You can see more of the training, careers and behind-the-scenes work being done by Warner Bros. CrewHQ on LinkedIn.

Looking for a panel moderator or event host?

I'm a professional event host, panel moderator, fireside-chat host and TV presenter, working across London, Northern Ireland, the UK and internationally.

I host conversations ranging from entertainment and careers to business, technology and professional conferences - combining my broadcasting experience with the warmth and energy needed to make live conversations work in a room.

Whether it's a one-to-one interview, an industry panel, fireside chat or a full day of conference hosting, my aim is the same:

Make the guests feel comfortable. Make the audience feel included. And make the conversation worth listening to.

Find out more about Kathryn as an Event Host & MC →

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