Unique ideas for event breakout sessions

If you’re hosting a conference, convention, or corporate business trip, you’ll probably want to implement some Unique ideas for event breakout sessions. Even if you have great presentations and keynote speakers, breakout sessions allow attendees to interact with each other and apply the lessons they’ve learned throughout the day. Breakout sessions should be held in small groups and should be relatively short and to the point, with specific points.

If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas for your event, check out this article that outlines a number of unique breakout session ideas to get you started. Some are universal activities that you can use at any event. Others are specific to specific types of events and venues, which, as you’ll see, ALWOFOD can help you with.

Remember, a great breakout session is only as good as the place it’s held in. That’s why we recommend booking a spacious, attractive, and well-appointed venue for your event.

You can book comfortable, well-stocked spaces that will help you achieve your business goals, with separate spaces that will help you refocus and bond with your attendees. Look for spaces that are rented by the hour and include high-tech equipment in a clean, stylish environment. You can also work with your local host to arrange catering, event staff, and equipment rentals.

Also read: How to book the best conference and seminar rooms in the Kingdom.

What are event breakouts?

An event breakout, or event breakout, is a workshop-style group activity designed to solve problems, generally (but not always!) centered around the theme of the conference or event. These sessions are shorter than other items on the event agenda. Participants in event breakouts often join the full group to present or discuss the results of the workshop. Or simply to relax, recharge, and improve relationships among participants.

Opportunities for breakout sessions during an event:

• Learn, or share skills
• Discuss common issues
• Brainstorm solutions
• Explore ideas in a less structured format
• Break up the overall event schedule
• Regain attendee attention
• Improve attendee engagement
• Provide time and space to delve deeper into relevant topics
• Reinforce targeted content that interests some, but not all, attendees
• Break targeted content across experience and skill levels (i.e. beginners and advanced)

Use visuals and play a spectrum game

Creating a spectrum is a unique way to visually represent opinions and facts about your team. This simple activity is a popular breakout session idea for small to medium-sized groups. It doesn’t require much planning, and it’s a great way to get attendees on their feet after sitting through a long presentation. The general idea is that you ask everyone to stand in a row based on certain personality traits or feelings about a topic.

For example, you could ask your group to stand in a row by their birthday. This would require them to interact with each other and see who shares their birthday or birth month. Then ask them to stand in a row based on how excited they are about a new project or policy. Use all four corners of the room if you want to measure opinion on an X-Y axis and create a real human spectrum!

Host Quick Talks to Highlight Areas of Expertise

Quick talks are a great way to break up the monotony of a busy presentation schedule. Quick talks are short, usually no longer than five or ten minutes. You can invite attendees to give a talk on a topic of their choice to change the pace of the main event.

This allows your team to share a side of their expertise, allowing everyone in the room to speak and learn something new. When it comes to stimulating breakout ideas, quick talks are among the most versatile.

Choose group facilitators who guide participants without dominating

Facilitators should provide appropriate support for the topic at hand and direct activities, all without disrupting the process. While the session facilitator takes the lead, the purpose is to encourage independent problem-solving and idea generation. Rather than telling participants what to think, the facilitator should encourage them to think.

Set the right amount of time

How much time do you have for a breakout session? Make sure participants have enough time to prepare for their group, engage in it, and figure out what they will share with the other party if appropriate.

If sessions are too short, they will not be productive. If they are too long, participants in breakout sessions may finish the task and drop out.

Finding the right time may require some trial and error. Three-minute thesis events make it very easy to estimate timelines, but a more collaborative and constructive event may need more flexibility.

Everyone deserves a chance to speak, so don’t forget to factor in the number of participants in each breakout group!

Determine the best session format

The right format for a breakout conference session depends on what your session is aiming to accomplish!

For example:

1. Skill building: These sessions might allow participants to practice the skill in their minds. For research, sales, or presentations, a three-minute thesis format might work!
2. Leadership: A leadership session might include role-playing exercises or a roundtable discussion with prompts.
3. Team building: Building connections takes time—and can be fun! Your session could focus on skill sharing and collaboration. An escape room is a great example.
4. Communication: Attendees need an interactive format to connect with each other. Consider small groups with conversation prompts, quick networking, or sharing expertise.
5. Relaxation: Sometimes attendees need a break from the hustle and bustle of a conference environment. Consider guided meditation, a breathing exercise, or a quiet collaborative activity.

There are also ways to change how attendees participate in sessions. For example, interactive conference session ideas might include turning your session into a game to encourage greater participant engagement.

What are some good conference session topics?

Hosting the best meeting session will depend on the type of conference you’re hosting!

To start brainstorming ideas, focus on your goals for the session.

Are you unsure of your goals? Ask yourself:

• What are people learning? Are they building skills, or gaining knowledge? Another way to approach this is to figure out what conference attendees want from the discussion session whether it’s industry information or professional skills.
• What are attendees sharing? Again – will they be sharing skills or knowledge? Another way to approach this is what conference attendees can bring to the discussion session.
• How can you enrich the current program? Will you provide attendees with new skills, new knowledge, and new connections? Will you build on or deviate from the current conference program?
• What tools will facilitators use to lead the discussion? This could include technology like slideshows or facilitation tools like brainstorming and mediation skills.

With your goals clearly defined, it will be easier to align your discussion session ideas with the interests of your attendees!