In this day and age, it can be tricky to hold the attention of a large group, especially at a work meeting or conference.
How can you keep your audience engaged?
One major key is to keep people moving and engaging with others by allowing them to actively participate in the meeting. One great way to achieve this is with a breakout session. A breakout session is generally a workshop or presentation on a specific topic that serves as part of the meeting agenda for the conference, or convention. Breakout sessions offer meeting or conference attendees an opportunity to reflect or act upon those themes in a more focused or smaller group setting.
How do Breakout Sessions Work?
Although breakout sessions can be set up a number of different ways, they are all designed to be relatively short, small group sessions. It is standard to have multiple breakout sessions happening simultaneously, with all meeting attendees participating in a small group for a designated period of time before returning to rejoin the greater group. Oftentimes, each small group will present their findings or ideas to the larger group once back together. This allows for more of a summary learning experience with key points from each group vs. a much longer meeting with too much information to digest.
Benefits of Breakout Sessions
- Attendees have the opportunity to get to know others in their smaller groups and potentially network
- Attendees are able to express ideas and thoughts more openly in smaller groups vs. a larger, intimidating setting
- Allows attendees to address specific concerns or alternate options for problematic issues that may have not been heard before
- Gets attendees up and moving vs. sitting in the same place all day, potentially causing them to “zone out”
Important Breakout Session Tips
It’s crucial to have a proctor or leader for each breakout session to help keep attendees on task and focused. This person can also assign people roles if needed (note taker, speaker, etc.). It’s also pertinent to be certain each breakout session has a clear objective. If not, the session can quickly turn to gossip or complaining about the purpose of the event.
Kansas City Meeting Venue for Breakout Sessions
If you’re looking for the perfect venue in the Kansas City area to host your meeting and breakout sessions, look no further than Ball Event Center! We offer several room options to suit your needs. Contact us today!
