Client references to our moderators

Initially we were planning to hold the inspiration day event in an ordinary seminar format, but due to the COVID-19 emergency situation we decided two weeks prior to the event to conduct it via the webinar environment Zoom. From the beginning, the SpeakSmart team was very supportive and offered various options, along with including the audience through the video seminar format. It was very important for us to have technical support and help with managing the participants in the video environment. Everything went smoothly. At first, we couldn't get Estonians to ask questions in a room with 60 other participants, but there were more questions after the last presentations. All in all, thanks to the help of Margo and Helina the day was less stressful! Jaarika Järviste, Estonian Health Insurance Fund
SpeakSmart's moderator Marleen was very helpful and thorough. She was quick on her feet and developed a format that enabled our event to still go ahead. We got all the support we needed from her - she prepared us very well for the webinar. Agnes Miidla, Good Deed Foundation
Guaranteed quality in thinking along and implementation. Trustworthy, thinks along with you and has a good sense of the audience. Kadri Lainas, Akkadian partner
Our collaboration with Marleen was very good. She is able to grasp a subject that is often even confusing to the professionals of our field. Thanks to the moderator, the discussions between representatives of the two states went smoothly, had a focus and reached important conclusions. All parties involved had very positive feedback for the moderator and workshop. Ministeeriumi valdkonna nõunik
SpeakSmart helped us with setting a focus for the event and adjusted it very well to our team's wishes. I was very pleased about your flexibility in finding the right moderator - even when there is a budget limit, you were able to offer a solution (moderators with less experience, but still very professional), so that the event would still go ahead. We had an excellent experienced moderator, who was able to relate to the topic really well and excite the participants at the event (as much as one can get Estonians excited). Our communication with the moderator was smooth and he was willing to be flexible and make minor adjustments, so that the event would be even better. It was a very important experience for me to be able to trust a moderator to conduct the entire event and not to have to worry about anything other than my own presentation (not staying on schedule, technical issues, involving the participants etc.). The moderator's help allowed me to focus on my own work. I am still waiting for the follow-up conclusions on the event, but I am certain they will be just as professional as our collaboration. Piret Väljaots, Tartu City Government
Most likely I would recommend SpeakSmart's services. Of course, it all depends on the specific needs and cases. I really liked that the preparation work was good and that the format, content and concept/expectations/objectives of the event was thought through collaboratively, so that the event would be a success. A big thank you! Very good collaboration and pleasant communication, systematic and professional approach. Kaja Kuivjõgi,  Tallinn University of Technology
Our collaboration was very good. The moderator knew how to ask necessary questions already during the preparation period and then created the suitable format for the discussion-seminar. The moderator knew how to understand the target group, keep their attention and direct the conversation while keeping it all in the time frame. Maarja Pikkmetsa, Kodukant Läänemaa
The moderator did excellent preparation work and got to know the topic, very good moderating of the panel as well as engagement with the audience. We highly appreciate the willingness to negotiate the fees and invest with pro bono work. Thank you! Karita Sall, JLP partner
The collaboration was smooth, the team was professional and the experience was positive. We worked with four moderators and got along with everyone.
The support Siim Vahtrus provided us in organising the international conference exceeded our expectations. In addition to moderating the day and offering a show-debate, Siim gave us advice on other organisational matters, including for the day he was not moderating. Offering an electronic conference environment was an excellent idea and it was necessary. With that we avoided printing out papers. His knowledge of how to engage with the audience and ensure a smooth progress of the day was a big help to us. Kadi-Kai Kollo, Centre for Defence Investment
Excellent ability to think along, to consider the client's wishes and to offer technical solutions as well as ideas. Although the moderator wasn't familiar with the topic, he was able to notice important opinions and use them over the course of the discussion. The moderator was able to hold a very different group of people working and thinking together until the end. The follow-up conclusion of the day was submitted on time and the notes were very thorough and systemised. Piret Hirv,  Tehnopol, HealthTech Health Cluster manager
We think it's a professional and experienced team, who will help you to ensure the success of the event and I definitely recommend SpeaksSmart to other people. Our collaboration with 6 moderators (Margo Loor, Marleen Pedjasaar, Kaspar Kelder, Vladimir Svet, Kristina Mänd, Lauri Kriisa) was very smooth. I especially liked that the moderators worked with our Foresight Centre experts to prepare for the workshop. It's also notable that the moderator did more than necessary, for example, helped with setting up the technical equipment on the spot. The workshops were moderated well and had an interesting structure. There could be more time planned for moderators to make conclusions of the workshops, which could give a more in-depth description of what took place in the workshops. Kadri Mats, Foresight Centre
The moderating training session was very useful and we recommend it to other people and institutions, who need to have competent skills in moderating in their work. We liked that SpeakSmart concentrated on our needs and offered appropriate content for our training session. Our trainer Margo Loor is clearly one of the best in his field in Estonia, his extensive experience and knowledge was exactly what we needed. He knew how to balance giving participants new knowledge with taking into account their existing knowledge and experience. The session gave a systematic overview of moderating and showed how to comprehensively plan the activities involved in moderating. As a result of this session, we are definitely much smarter in planning our moderating activities and know how to avoid mistakes. Thank you for an informative training session! Laura Kirss, Praxis, programme manager
When at first I had to convince the people in the communication work group that we needed a professional moderator for the panels and conference, then after the conference there was no doubt that we had made the right decision. The panel discussions were interesting because people were talking about what they actually thought of the matter and participants were listening with interest. For example, one of the sections had very different topics and I was wondering how it was possible to ask anything from the panel, but the questions to the panel were logical and interesting, and the discussion was so smooth. Siim had done very good preparation work and it seemed that he had worked in our field :) We were quite busy with other things during the conference, so we were very happy that we could trust the content of the conference to someone, who knew what they were doing. Communications manager and organiser of the international conference
Our collaboration in preparing for the discussions went smoothly and together we were able to find new topics for another fair that locals in Tallinn could relate to more. On many occasions, the audience praised the moderator of the discussions. The content of the discussion was also praised as one of the best parts of the entire fair. The audience was very pleased with the discussion moderation. Everything was super! Organisers of 2016 Day of Countryside Living fair
In my estimation, the preparation process was very well organised from idea to implementation. The offer had enough details and the parameters of the parties, assignments and expectations were very clear. Before the start of the meeting, our trainer Kaspar proactively participated in developing the meeting topic. Quick and accurate management and clear communication created a 100% trust. The trainers were flexible and adapted to the situation (for example, changes in use of room and so on). I like it a lot when trainers embody and express the content of the course. The course was very well balanced - the theoretical part was long enough to give a good introduction to the practical part. The set up of the meeting enabled the participants to find the least ineffective patterns in their work and with the help of good examples it offered a new understanding.