Executive and practitioner roundtables
Setting roundtable confidentiality and attribution rules
Guests will say more if they know exactly what happens to their words, so the rule has to be chosen and written before invitations go out.
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The short answer
Choose one of three levels for the whole table: open and attributed, shared without names, or private to the room. Then write what that means for quoting, notes, summaries and recordings in a short card that every guest and every staff member receives.
Wording that sounds confidential but leaves the practical questions open causes the most trouble. The host decides the rule; a qualified adviser checks any point that has legal or data-protection weight.
Three levels, and what each one commits you to
If you borrow the name of a published rule, such as one used by a policy institute, confirm its exact wording from the publisher and quote it in full. A label alone means different things to different guests.
| Level | Guests may | Host may | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open and attributed | Quote each other with names | Publish with names, after review | Public policy consultations |
| Shared without names | Use what they learned, but not say who said it | Publish themes with no names or identifying detail | Sector problems where candour matters |
| Private to the room | Use what they learned for their own thinking only | Share nothing beyond an agreed note of attendance and topics | Sensitive commercial or regulatory discussions |
Who the rule binds
- Guests, including anyone who attends as a substitute.
- Host staff, note-takers, moderator and any supplier in the room, such as an audiovisual technician.
- Any sponsor, partner or observer who is admitted. See handling a sponsor who asks to attend.
- Anyone who receives the summary afterwards.
What to write on the card
- State the level in one sentence at the top.
- Say whether notes are taken, by whom, and who can read them.
- Say whether the session is recorded. The recording decision guide helps you choose.
- Say how the summary will be written, who reviews it, and when it is released. See writing a summary without exposing remarks.
- Say what happens if a remark is quoted outside the room, and who the guest should contact.
- Ask each guest to confirm they have read it before the day.
Questions for the legal or data-protection adviser
The host should not decide these alone. Put them to a qualified adviser and record the answer in the decision log.
- Does the card bind guests in a way we can rely on, or is it a courtesy only?
- Do notes of what named individuals said count as personal data we must handle in a particular way?
- What should the invitation and card say about how notes are stored and for how long?
- Are there topics where a guest's employer or regulator may expect a different rule?
- Do the venue or any streaming supplier create recordings we have not planned for?
Worked example · Fictional example
A private table for senior risk officers
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
A fictional association of risk professionals invites 12 senior members to a closed discussion on a shared supplier failure. The host first intends to publish a short report, but two invitees say they would speak less if their employers could identify them.
The secretariat moves the table to the shared-without-names level, adds a one-page card to the invitation, and sends the draft wording to the association's legal adviser with the five questions above. Guests confirm by reply, and the card is read aloud at the start.
Use this yourself
Ground-rules card, draft wording
Adapt the wording, then have your adviser review it before it is sent.
- This session uses the following rule: [open and attributed / shared without names / private to the room].
- You may use what you learn to inform your own work. You may not [attribute remarks to a named person or organisation / repeat remarks outside the room].
- Notes are taken by [name or role]. They are kept by [role] and seen by [roles].
- The session [will / will not] be recorded or streamed.
- A summary will be written by [role], checked by [named reviewer], and shared with [group] on [date].
- Everyone in the room, including staff, suppliers and observers, is asked to follow this rule.
- If you see a remark quoted outside the room, tell [role] at [contact route provided to guests].
- Please confirm you have read this card by [date].
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- The group knows each other and the host has run closed sessions before.
- The topic is not commercially or politically sensitive.
- Your adviser has already approved standard wording you can reuse.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Guests come from competing firms or from regulated bodies.
- The host is unsure what the level means for notes, recordings and a published summary.
- Several parties, such as sponsors and venues, are present and each needs to be briefed on the rule.
Want the ground rules turned into a workable pack?
An Event Blueprint can document the chosen level, the card, the briefing for staff and suppliers and the list of points for your adviser, so the host reviews one coherent set before invitations go out. A project lead can then keep the process consistent in practice, while the rule and any legal view stay with you and your adviser.
Questions organisers ask
Is a verbal reminder at the start enough?
A verbal reminder helps but is easy to forget or dispute. Put the rule in writing in the invitation and again on the day, and ask guests to confirm they have read it.
Can we change the rule after the session?
Only with the agreement of the people affected. If you want to publish more than guests expected, ask each person whose remarks are involved before doing so.
Does a non-attribution rule protect guests legally?
This is a question for your legal adviser. The page can only help you ask it clearly and record the answer.
What about guests who attend online?
Treat them as in the room and say so on the card, including whether they may record. Ask your platform supplier what it records by default.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.