36 Convention Breakout Session Concepts & Examples

What do you bear in mind most about your final convention? Was it the sensible keynote speaker, or maybe the take-home swag? How in regards to the breakout periods that related you with fellow attendees or helped you study a brand new ability? 

Breakout periods are key to facilitating necessary conversations, networking, and skill-building. They break up the tempo of the convention day and diversify the attendee expertise. 

Learn on for 37 artistic convention breakout session concepts so as to add to your subsequent convention program!

What Are Convention Breakout Periods?

Convention Breakout Periods are a key alternative to interrupt bigger teams (E.G. panels, workshops) into smaller teams, to facilitate networking, dialog, and workout routines.

Breakout periods could be applied right into a session agenda for all types of causes, like: 

And extra! Whatever the motive, breakout periods are nice methods for attendees to attach.

How Do You Make a Breakout Session Attention-grabbing & Productive? 

While you plan your breakout session along with your objectives in thoughts, alternatives for artistic implementation could bounce out of the woodwork and shock even you!

Listed here are our suggestions for crafting a dynamic session that gives even greater worth to individuals.

Get suggestions earlier than the occasion

You don’t should plan in a vacuum! You by no means know the place different folks’s suggestions would possibly take you.

Some folks to ask for suggestions may embody:

Skilled facilitators. Are you aware somebody who’s organized an incredible breakout group or two of their time? Ask what helped make their expertise nice—and what to keep away from.

Consultants within the discipline. Working an academic breakout session? Ask seasoned specialists within the discipline what they wished they’d realized earlier of their profession.

Your convention attendees. When you can ballot attendees earlier than they arrive, ask them what expertise they’re hoping for! Questions may embody what abilities they hope to construct and what their supreme convention construction seems like.

Choose one of the best format to your session

The appropriate format to your breakout convention session is determined by what your session goals to attain!

For instance:

Talent-building. These periods would possibly permit attendees to observe the ability in thoughts. For analysis, gross sales, or pitching, a three-minute thesis format would possibly match the invoice!

Management. A management session may contain role-playing workout routines or a roundtable dialogue with prompts.

Teambuilding. Strengthening bonds takes time—and it may be enjoyable! Your session may concentrate on skill-sharing and collaboration. An escape room is a superb instance.

Networking. Attendees want an interactive format to attach with one another. Think about small teams with dialog prompts, pace networking, or expertise sharing.

Rest. Typically attendees simply want a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the convention setting. Think about guided meditation, a respiratory train, or a quiet collaborative exercise.

There are additionally methods to range how attendees take part in periods. For instance, interactive convention session concepts may embody gamifying your session to encourage larger participant engagement.

Set clear expectations

While you set objectives to your breakout session, you not solely present your self with planning pointers—you even have built-in attendee participation pointers.

Be sure you convey your objectives to your breakout teams earlier than they start.

Hold the breakout on matter

With a lot taking place at conferences, it may be simple to wander off-topic! Appointing facilitators inside every small group is an effective way to ensure the session strikes in the precise route. 

Give your facilitators a hand by offering a top level view or different facilitation suggestions. Even a number of pattern segue phrases may assist preserve the group on activity. 

Designate the correct quantity of time

How a lot time do you may have obtainable for a breakout session? Make it possible for individuals have sufficient time to heat as much as their group, get into it, and work out—if related—what they’ll share on the opposite facet.

Too quick, and the breakout periods received’t be productive. Too lengthy, and breakout session individuals would possibly full the duty and disengage.

Calculating the correct quantity of time could require some trial and error. “Three-minute thesis” occasions make it fairly simple to estimate timelines, however a extra collaborative and constructive occasion would possibly want extra flexibility.

All people deserves an opportunity to talk, so don’t overlook to issue within the variety of individuals in every breakout group!

Use the precise house or occasion tech

From the in particular person setting to the digital house, your setting and instruments set the tone to your breakouts.

For in particular person, is the room large enough, or too large? Does every breakout group have their very own house? Does everybody have the instruments they want (whiteboard, pens, paper, fidget toys, seating), and, if related, privateness?

For digital, do you may have occasion tech that allows you to simply arrange and run digital breakout rooms? Do your facilitators know how you can use it, and is there troubleshooting obtainable to your individuals?

Determining your wants earlier than the occasion provides the session itself extra time to flourish.

Combine introverts and extroverts

The trick to any effectively constructed group is steadiness. Group robust talkers with robust listeners for a dynamic dialog stuffed with insights and alternative ways of processing info.

Create an inclusive occasion

An necessary query to think about when planning your breakout session is: how simple is it to change or accommodate the setup relying on individuals’ skills and wishes?

For instance:

If there’s a robust visible element to the session, is there another manner for folks with low imaginative and prescient to take part?

If there’s a robust bodily element, how can mobility wants be accommodated?

If there’s a robust verbal element, is there a visible lodging (like captions) for folks with audio processing problems?

In any case, the very last thing you need is for somebody to be unable to benefit from the occasion you’ve so thoughtfully put collectively!

Create security measures

Attendees come from a wide range of backgrounds and every could have various ranges of consolation at occasions.

Security measures assist all individuals really feel empowered to take part in breakout periods, the place occasion workers may not be current to assist average uncomfortable conditions.

These can embody:

Offering facilitators with de-escalation or segue abilities. If tensions rise in a breakout group or if somebody says they aren’t snug, facilitators ought to really feel empowered to rapidly tackle the strain and/or transfer the dialog alongside.

Code of Conduct. A complete code of conduct that attendees are required to conform to beforehand holds everyone to the identical customary and protects you from any attendee misbehavior.

Safety. Spend money on employed safety so that you could concentrate on operating your occasion and supporting your facilitators. That manner, any in particular person disruptions could be professionally addressed. 

Moderation. In a digital setting, it’s necessary to activity a number of folks with moderating the digital house and managing breakout room assignments. With EventMobi’s GoLive! Manufacturing Companies Staff, you possibly can even discover skilled assist to your breakout periods. 

Incorporating illness-prevention protocols. Recommending and offering masks or making certain your venue implements air filtration helps you create an inclusive occasion. Disabled and immunocompromised folks could really feel extra snug coming to your convention and breakout periods! Plus: nobody likes con crud.

What Are Some Good Convention Breakout Session Matters?

Internet hosting one of the best convention breakout session will rely on what sort of convention you’re internet hosting!

To start out brainstorming concepts, focus in your objectives for the session.

Unsure of your objectives? Ask your self:

What are folks studying? Are they constructing abilities, or gaining data? One other manner of framing that is what conference-goers need from the breakout session—whether or not that be trade data or skilled abilities.

What are folks sharing? Once more—will they share abilities, or data? One other manner of framing that is what conference-goers have to supply the breakout session.

How do you enrich the prevailing programming? Will you present attendees with new abilities, new data, new connections? Will you construct on or deviate from present convention programming?

What instruments will facilitators use to drive dialogue? This might embody expertise like slideshow shows or facilitation instruments like brainstorms and mediation abilities.

Along with your objectives clearly established, it’ll be simple to align your convention breakout session concepts along with your attendees’ pursuits! 

Searching for breakout session examples? Attendees at a management convention would possibly profit from a breakout session that permits them to share management experiences and problem-solve. Or, at a tutorial convention, a three-minute thesis competitors may encourage educational inspiration and studying.

How To Construction a Breakout Session

Breakout periods are extra than simply the principle occasion! Right here’s one construction to assist make your periods really feel social and pure—and to construct connections between your individuals.

Present a framework or define. This helps you share your objectives for the session with attendees. Ensure individuals know what’s anticipated of them—and how you can time the parts of the session.

Appoint breakout leaders/facilitators. Determine leaders earlier than breaking into teams, or ask the teams to elect one among themselves. Ideally, your leaders will volunteer!

Facilitate introductions. It is a nice time for an icebreaker query, and even an exercise if time permits! Have individuals provide one enjoyable truth about themselves, or ask what made them smile within the final week.

Dive into the exercise. The explanation everybody’s right here!

Wind the session down. Present some mild steering on how teams ought to wrap the session amongst themselves earlier than returning to the principle room.

Reunite and share findings. Everybody might be desirous to share what they realized! Have a plan for the way greatest to debate the convention breakout session as soon as everybody’s come again collectively.

Ask for suggestions on construction. Discover a option to acquire suggestions effectively, similar to by way of reside polling, then implement these solutions within the subsequent session you host!

Now you realize what ought to be included in a convention breakout! When you’ve set objectives to your periods and deliberate round them, odds are that your breakout session’s construction has already began taking form. 

Now, let’s discover 37 interactive convention session concepts to assist information your subsequent occasion.

Advisable Useful resource: Nice breakout periods are just one a part of making a memorable occasion. Try our full information on occasion Expertise Design!🎨

5 Collaborative Dialogue Convention Breakout Session Concepts

A convention breakout session that focuses on dialogue could be an effective way for attendees to attach, problem-solve, or brainstorm.

When you’re hoping for attendees to return away with some vibrant concepts, strive considered one of these breakout session concepts:

Roundtable 

Roundtables are a traditional breakout session. A roundtable dialogue allocates time for small teams to debate a selected matter or immediate. Typically non-hierarchical, these periods generally is a nice probability to provide quieter attendees devoted house to share their ideas. 

Case research discussions

Seeking to resolve an issue? Assigning a case research to your breakout periods permits your attendees to place their heads collectively and concentrate on the answer. While you reunite as a room, you’ll have many new concepts to think about. Many fingers make mild work, in spite of everything!

Brainstorming and ideation

Massive desires want house to breathe! Your attendees have lots to supply, however the convention setting doesn’t all the time allow collaborative ideation. Creating breakout periods the place individuals can use their creativity will end in recent solutions and assist everyone really feel heard. 

Purpose setting

First comes the brainstorm, then comes the plan! Whether or not or not it’s to set particular person, crew, or organizational objectives, your attendees can take a hands-on method to the way forward for your occasion matter by taking part in a breakout assembly centered on goal-setting.

Ebook dialogue

Working an occasion the place a key textual content or e-book is central to the attendees’ pursuits? It’s simple to skip over the person studying expertise when in a big group, so that is the place the breakout session shines. Present prompting questions so that every group has a spot to start out chatting. 

5 Presentation Convention Breakout Session Examples

At a busy convention, not each attendee will get the prospect to talk at size to a big viewers. However that’s no motive to imagine your attendees can’t share data in different methods! 

Listed here are 5 methods to supply presentation alternatives by way of breakout session examples:

Three minute thesis

A staple of educational conferences, three minute thesis periods permit presenters to share their thesis in a brief, concise method. Your individuals can both register and put together their pitch beforehand, and even enroll on the day-of and ship a fast discuss. 

Demo or showcase

Typically one of the simplest ways to know a product or new concept is to see it in motion. When you’re seeking to give attendees a more in-depth take a look at a product, tech answer, or one other tangible merchandise, holding breakout periods can provide higher entry to particular person attendees and an opportunity to ask and reply key questions. Finally, this may be the distinction that makes a sale! 

Debate

Frequent convention session codecs don’t permit for a lot forwards and backwards between presenters. By way of breakout periods, your presenters can have extra freedom to converse on their matter of selection. Or, you possibly can create a team-building train and separate attendees into teams to strategize round preset matters. Return from the breakout periods and let the talk start!

Lightning talks

Even essentially the most fascinating convention shows can really feel monotonous after a protracted day. To interrupt up the rhythm of prolonged convention periods, use a sequence of lightning talks. Invite attendees to share their experience for 5-10 minutes every and also you’ll be stunned what you study!

AMA

Engaged attendees will all the time have questions that don’t get answered in a major convention session. The answer? An AMA—or Ask Me Something—the place attendees get direct entry to convention audio system or different specialists in a discipline. Comparatively unstructured, these Q&A periods permit your presenters to talk in larger element primarily based on the pursuits of attendees within the room. 

7 Talent Growth Convention Breakout Session Concepts

Many attendees hope to develop skilled abilities after they attend a convention.

Whether or not they’re seeking to study one thing new or to brush up on previous abilities, listed here are 7 breakout session concepts to provide attendees a manner to enhance their abilities at your convention:

Workshop

Most workshops encompass facilitator(s) and attendees targeted on a selected matter. With one or a number of specialists main, workshops can embody interactive in addition to presentational parts. The very best workshops give attendees key takeaways to use after the session!

Worksheets

For a lot of, one of the simplest ways to recollect info is to write down it down! Give individuals worksheets to fill out in response to prompts through the convention breakout session, or have registrants fill them out beforehand to organize for dialogue. You may pair this concept with others on this listing!

Coaching session

Coaching is essential to the operations of any group, irrespective of the dimensions. And attendees from throughout completely different organizations can profit from studying related abilities to carry again to their groups! A gaggle setting can present coaching the place attendees have time to ask questions, whereas additionally effectively working by way of materials. 

Roleplay

Apply makes good, and what higher setting to observe in than throughout a breakout session? Get artistic by presenting attendees with a hypothetical situation they may encounter professionally. Then, invite attendees to play out these conversations! Afterwards, your attendees will really feel higher geared up to sort out the actual factor. 

Mentorship session

There are a lot of methods to study, however nothing is kind of like having a mentor within the discipline take time to talk to your particular issues. Hold the headcount in these breakout periods low so attendees get particular person consideration. You could possibly even think about using an occasion app that makes reserving 1-on-1 conferences simple for attendees and mentors alike! 

Talent sharing

Each attendee of your convention brings one thing new to the desk. Create a breakout session the place every participant has an opportunity to share their abilities, maybe round a theme or organizational want, and your attendees will empower one another with data. 

Peer studying

Much like ability sharing, some attendees could have abilities that different attendees are searching for! Moderately than bringing in outdoors specialists, faucet into the educated folks within the room and encourage them to steer a peer studying session. This could additionally improve crew cohesion and assist peer leaders preserve their abilities sharp.  

3 Networking Breakout Session Concepts

Do you know 80% of execs think about networking to be essential to their profession success? 

Conferences are an incredible place to kind new and lasting profession connections, so breakout conferences created for networking helps make that course of even simpler. 

Pace networking

A bit like pace relationship, pace networking units up individuals in small teams of two or three to talk and join. After about 3-5 minutes of dialog, individuals will rotate to new teams. You may present prompts to information dialog, or depart issues open for attendees. 

Drop-in networking café

An extended convention day means hungry, thirsty attendees. Why not mix refreshments with networking? Arrange a seating association that encourages new connections, or take an additional step and embody prompts at your café tables! 

Icebreaker video games

Who says networking can’t be enjoyable? Whether or not throughout a devoted session or at first of every breakout group, you possibly can introduce video games that facilitate connection between individuals. From two truths and a lie, to a participant bingo, there are various video games that encourage dialog.

6 Informal Breakout Convention Session Concepts

Typically what your attendees want after information-packed convention periods is to unwind.

As a bonus, informal periods passively tick plenty of packing containers that other forms of breakout periods explicitly develop!

Assist your attendees recharge with these 6 convention breakout session concepts: 

Meditation

These days, worker wellness is extra necessary than ever. In a quiet house, arrange your attendees with a meditation teacher to take them by way of a 15-minute guided meditation between periods. The peace and quiet will refresh your attendees they usually’ll emerge able to concentrate on the remainder of the day!

Trivia

All the time successful with a crowd, internet hosting a trivia recreation is a straightforward option to loosen up your breakout periods. If you wish to make issues enjoyable and academic, you would break attendees into small breakout teams to reply trivia themed round a chat they simply attended. 

Recreation room

Arrange a leisure house at your convention venue with small areas for various video games, and also you’ll have a straightforward manner for attendees to loosen up. You may embody board video games like Charades or Werewolf at completely different stations to encourage individuals to collaborate on groups.  

Inventive exercise

No matter your discipline, creativity is a helpful ability to domesticate. Give your attendees a manner to make use of their artistic power by offering arts and crafts supplies or a canvas and paints. Contributors could have a tangible reminder of their time at your convention and get to see the artistic facet of their fellow attendees! 

Scavenger hunt

Ship groups on a scavenger hunt all through your occasion venue to get attendees shifting. You may even use occasion tech to assist gamify your convention breakout session and encourage attendee engagement! Simply be certain that to assume up a helpful prize to your winners. 

Impartial work time 

Do your attendees have work to complete whilst they attend your convention? Create an area and time for coworking in order that they will concentrate on work, then let everybody test in or share for social accountability all through the session. Working alongside others could be very motivating!

9 Digital Breakout Session Concepts

At your subsequent digital or hybrid occasion, strive utilizing these 10 digital breakout session concepts to maintain your breakout session attendees engaged: 

Digital lunch & study

Give your attendees the choice to interrupt into small teams that study as they snack on their lunch! Introverts would possibly spend a while to themselves, however it is a nice option to let your high-energy con attendees preserve engagement up by way of relaxation time.

Digital Ask Me Something

Actually, plenty of the breakout session concepts we listed above could be repurposed for digital! However skilled periods like an Ask Me Something can typically be MORE helpful on-line…as a result of your specialists aren’t restricted by geographic location.

Present & inform

Display screen sharing makes exhibiting off initiatives, experiences, or previous occasions manner simpler than in particular person. Make use of the truth that your attendees have all their work at their fingertips, and create present & inform breakout rooms the place they will discover actual experiences collectively.

Interactive brainstorming

Probably the greatest methods to drive a brand new technique house is letting folks put it into observe. Give your breakout rooms a while to brainstorm how they’d put their new abilities to work in a pattern situation, or work in direction of an precise undertaking they’ve readily available. Then they will current their new findings utilizing a digital whiteboard or related tech!

Digital video games

Heard of scribblr? Letting attendees have a second to interrupt out into smaller teams targeted on ridiculousness and enjoyable may help them bond and join, when digital occasions can really feel much less participating on an attendee-to-attendee degree.

Script-based roleplay

Need to problem some new abilities? Give your attendees a script to stroll by way of a situation, and put them in breakout rooms of 2-4 people. One particular person might be on-script, one particular person will reply, and the others can present suggestions. Then they will swap roles!

Questions & dialogue

A tried and true standby, ship breakout teams off with an inventory of questions for them to debate. Need to preserve issues shifting? Be sure you get the group to assign a bunch chief as quickly as they begin, to shorten these awkward silences.

Ballot-based matters

Are some individuals feeling quiet? Dwell polls are a beautiful option to democratize session choices and acquire attendee suggestions in a digital setting. Then, when you’ve allow them to select their breakout session matters, ship them off to debate and return!

Pace networking

Put teams collectively and allow them to chat for 2-5 minutes, earlier than swapping who they’re chatting with. This works greatest if attendees may also e-book time with each other on the occasion platform you’re utilizing (psst: EventMobi does this!).

Conclusion

Whether or not your convention is educational or skilled, in-person or digital, your breakout periods are positive to impress attendees whenever you plan round your objectives and construction the periods in keeping with their wants. 

Working digital breakout periods? It’s a lot simpler with the precise expertise companion. With EventMobi, you possibly can:

Taken with studying extra about EventMobi? Ebook your customized demo of EventMobi’s Occasion Administration Software program platform at this time!