Fabian Pianka
I moderate discussions, panels and working sessions where more than one language, or more than one working culture, is in the room. I work in German and English, from Berlin, and travel where the job needs it.
Discussions go wrong in predictable ways. The most fluent speaker takes over, people in their second language go quiet, and real disagreement gets smoothed into a summary nobody actually meant. A moderator's job is to see that coming and stop it before it starts.
Most of my work is panels, public discussions and internal working sessions in German and English. I prepare thoroughly, agree the structure with you in advance, and keep to it on the day. The standard is simple: everyone in the room gets heard, the meeting reaches its aim, and nobody's time is wasted.
Panel discussions and public conversations that run in both German and English, moving between the two as needed.
90–120 minutes, on stage or in the round; preparation call included.Internal workshops where teams from different countries or working cultures need to leave with a decision, not just a good conversation.
Half-day or full-day; groups up to 30.Structure for meetings where there is real tension in the room: restructurings, strained partnerships, communities that disagree.
Planned case by case after a confidential call.Help for speakers, moderators and organisers getting ready for an event: questions, timings, transitions, and speaking in a second language.
Typically two to three sessions before the event.
A 30-minute call about the room, the aim and what could go wrong. This call costs nothing.
I draft the structure, the questions and the language plan, and agree them with you before the day.
I moderate the event and send you a short written debrief within a week.
A salon starting this autumn I moderate a public, bilingual discussion among 25 strangers, as The Salon Berlin. It starts this autumn and runs every month, in public, and anyone can come. If you're thinking about hiring me, come to one and watch how I work before you write a first email. It's a better reference than any case study.
I work in German and English and switch between the two mid-discussion when the room needs it. That covers public stage conversations as well as internal sessions and formal institutional settings. The language plan for your event is agreed in the briefing call.
Send a few lines about the event, the date and the room to fabian@thesalonberlin.de. Fees depend on what the job involves and are discussed directly, after the briefing call. I reply within two working days.
fabian@thesalonberlin.de · +49 175 1087592 · one person reads and answers
