We’ve all had our share of boring lectures and lessons at school, college and sometimes at business meetings and conferences too. With so many guests and all their needs to cater to, making your workshop engaging for all of them is a daunting task!
But it’s not impossible. Take a walk down memory lane, to the time you were at school or college. There sure must be one particular teacher or lecturer who’s classes you loved to attend. Why? Because they were interesting! Because he/she explained stuff in a way everybody liked and followed.
The same goes for organizing your workshop. But before you start, it is quintessential to find out what your potential audience would like to learn. You might want to start with some initial research or pre-event survey to identify your potential audience’s pain points and how you could include them in your session.
Once that is done, you can follow these tips from a popular event and venue management companies to spice up your next conference or workshop and engage your guests.
- Revamp your venue layout. Yes, that’s right! Your room needs to be a lot more than just a classroom or a conference room or a big hall with tables and chairs. Do away with all the conventional arrangements and surprise your guests with a more relaxed bean bag arrangement or bar stools if you have a small group. Being a little creative with your venue layout can help keep your audience hooked!
- Put your point across using different learning mediums. Well, research proves that everyone has a different learning style. Incorporating a few of them in your workshop can make your presentation highly engaging. Using a visual presentation with graphics and the right kind of music is customary. It is a fairly accepted method of reaching out to your audience but you could use memes as examples together with your regular presentation to add a touch of humor to your talk while keeping your audience on the same page as you.
- Never keep your workshop strictly formal unless it is some serious business because people now have a shorter attention span than a goldfish! Yes, the human attention span has come down to a mere 8 seconds, thanks to all the digitization and technology. Therefore, make use of props and games for better engagement. This might sound a little childish to you but it still works. As per the norm, you split them into groups and bring in the element of competition amongst them with fun and interactive games and pop quizzes. Moreover, you could also use props that are crazy and fun such as a wand, rubber chicken, sword (Be careful with that one!), shield or anything that makes your workshop interesting.
- Play music for the duration of your class. It can really help stimulate your audience and set the right mood for the event. Music keeps your attendees from getting distracted and also adds the right amount of emotion you need during your talk. You could play a peppy number to let your attendees feel pumped and mellow it down to soothing tunes when they are busy with their tasks and discussions.
- Keep your sessions short. This way your guests do not feel overwhelmed by all the information provided and they remember what they have learned. Give your guests short breaks during the workshop. It gives them time to process what they have learned while they grab a cup of coffee or discuss stuff with their groups. Don’t forget to provide them with pens and notepads etc.
- At the end of it all, give away awards to the best participants of your workshop and certificate of recognition to all of them for having attended your session.