You wrote: 

Just what exactly is the panel all about?  Can you be a bit more 
detailed about what being on the panel involves?

Basically, the panelists discuss their work, how they got into writing, 
and the experiences they've had.  The audience is a mix of readers and 
writers.  There's usually also discussion of r.a.a.stories and the 
Fanfic ML.

------RM