Free yourself from monotonous virtual breakouts: a guide
But not all breakout sessions are made equal. With no proper preparation, they can become an unproductive, time-consuming distracting event.
In this article, we'll share some tips and the most effective practices to ensure you can create breakout sessions that leave your audience buzzing long following the event.
What you'll be learning
- What exactly is a breakout session?
- 6 methods to host an effective breakout session at your virtual event
- How do you plan the breakout session of your choice
- FAQs about building breakout sessions
- The wrap-up
What is a breakout session?
A breakout session can be described as a small or a formal meeting where participants can think about and discuss a live or in-person event's topic.
Breakouts are usually smaller than other types of sessions, they are usually scheduled midway or toward the end of an event. This is because participants already know a bit about the context and issue.
These events provide an opportunity for attendees to interact with other like-minded event attendees, discuss opinions, learn new abilities, compete in competitions, and take some time off away from the main program.
How can you tell if whether you require a breakout session?
The best breakout sessions usually contain interactive elements that allow attendees to speak to each others, separating them from other, more passive live event sessions like panels or keynote addresses.
Breakouts are also a chance to group participants according to their preferences and level of experience.
Six ways to conduct an effective breakout session at your event online
1. Set them up with a clear goal
Think about what you would like participants to achieve in the course of your session. Then, set clear objectives for the virtual breakout session.
If you're looking to stimulate attendees to debate different topics in the keynote address or even speed network make clear the objectives to the participants prior to the beginning of the session to provide context and the direction.
It's also beneficial to share written guidance so attendees can reference your responses throughout the course rather than being confused as to the right thing to do. Write down the answers to a variety of FAQs and posting them on the help page of your live event or distributing them through Live Chat.
2. Host breakout sessions with hosts
You might consider assigning a host for every session, who serves as moderator, note-taker, and timekeeper in each session.
Neeha Curtis, VP for Global Corporate Communications of Jugo is of the opinion that facilitators help breakout meetings flow efficiently. "Assign an instructor to every breakout session in order to ensure that the discussions are in the right direction and to ensure everyone has an opportunity to be involved. The facilitator can note down and then write down the main takeaways of the discussions."
Sometimes attendees may need to warm up before discussing their thoughts with fellow attendees. The host could share an icebreaker to get people talking. It doesn't need to be complicated. Simply sharing the name of the person as well as their work location, and the reason they went to the party is enough to spark conversation.
Alex Birkett, a Co-Founder of Omniscient Digital, describes how the facilitation of breakout sessions helps keep conversations flowing.
"When we conduct Interactive breakouts, we ensure to have prompt questions plus a group facilitator." Alex Birkett, a Co-Founder of Omniscient Digital
3. Keep your breakout groups small
Neeha Curtis of Jugo is of the opinion that small groups are more likely to encourage involvement. "Breakout sessions work best when they are conducted in smaller groups. The number of people who participate to three to four people to ensure everyone has the chance to take part and participate," she says.
4. Check in on different groups
If there aren't different hosts for each group of breakouts, ask your principal host to switch between virtual rooms to another.
Joe Kevens, Founder of B2B SaaS Reviews, says hosting hosts should make sure that the group stays in the right direction. "During the breakout session, it's helpful to the host (if there are several break-out groups) to check in to ensure that each group is in the right direction and to answer any questions that might have arisen."
5. Have a rest
In order to keep your focus, keep track of your time, and plan brief breaks at 20 or 30 minutes of activity. When the scheduled alarm sounds, encourage participants to turn off their devices and to take a short break. Grab some food or drink a glass of water.
Daniel Anderson, the Founder and editor The Money Maniac, written by Daniel Anderson. The Money Maniac, adds that it's important to let participants choose the things they'll be participating in. Certain attendees might like a quiet breakout session in lieu of an informative one.
"Not all participants want to participate in intense breakout sessions, so I always give them options to relax and choose activities unrelated to the subject. Based on my experiences, wellness programs as well as mental health guidance and productivity tips have many people in attendance."
6. Follow-up
Following the break-out session, you should encourage attendees to discuss their experiences with each other. Joe Kevens of B2B SaaS Reviews recommends a brief follow-up session so everyone in the gathering is aware of various discussions.
"After the break-out, at least one participant from each group should summarize their session for the greater crowd so that everyone can learn from the different conclusions from each group."
Post-event, share follow-up materials or materials with attendees, like brief notes, handouts or further reading. This can help to enhance the presentation's contents and also provide participants with a reference for future use.
How can you organize your breakout sessions
Breakouts require a clear and defined structure but also need some flexibleness so that discussions and activities can flow.
Find a way to encourage participation
Breakout sessions are typically the only time in the virtual conference that attendees can engage with each other. These are also the only time attendees get to pick the activities they engage in.
Grant Polachek, Head of Operations and Marketing at Squadhelp advises utilizing attendee feedback to determine participants' preferences. "Before the event begins I'll include a prior-event survey to identify the attendees would like in a breakout," he explains. Then he adds:
"Attendee data and feedback allow us to group participants and tailor the event to their needs, ensuring an engaging break-out session. Additionally, there are different levels on specific topics that range from beginner to expert. This allows the conference to make it as inclusive as is possible. ."
Grant Polachek, Head of Operations and Marketing at Squadhelp
Depending on the event's goals and the preferences of your audience Here are a few breakout session ideas to consider:
- speed networking. Give participants two minutes to connect with each other.
- brainstorming. Ask attendees to solve a problem or come up with innovative ideas in relation to the main topic.
- Interactive polling. Participants vote on the correct answer or offer their opinions.
- Interactive games. Include a competitive aspect and have players give the correct answer in the shortest time that is possible.
Lean into tools to aid collaboration
Based on the type of activities you choose for your breakout spaces Some well-chosen interactive tools can help boost the real-time interaction between participants.
Utilize a whiteboard that is digital, such as Figjam or Miro to let participants brainstorm concepts and then display notes from the group at a larger screen in the last group feedback session.
Questions about creating breakout sessions
- How do you start a breakout session?
It is best to begin the breakout sessions midway throughout your conference when the attendees already have some knowledge of your topic. In order to begin, present some breakout session guidelines and divide the attendees into smaller groups, then introduce your hosts to the attendees, then start the icebreaker exercise.
- Are there any suggestions for breakout sessions?
Here are a few activity ideas for engaging breakout sessions:
- Icebreaker activities
- Polls and surveys
- Discussions in small groups
- Q&A trivia
- Speed networking
- Brainstorming
The wrap up
Breakout sessions are a great way to convert a crowd of passive attendees to active participants. These sessions can help energise and keep attendees engaged throughout the program of events. A key element to running an effective breakout session is to set clearly defined goals and make use of the preferences of your attendees whenever you can. Keep these tips and best practices in mind to help your attendees gain more value from the next gathering. Do you want to boost your live event engagement?