A good workshop facilitator is hard to find, but workshops are often a great way for event attendees to share experiences, tips and network. Here's how you or your event speakers can be sure to provide the best workshop experience For more, check out our blog: https://blog.swapcard.com/en/workshop-facilitation/

1. How to Facilitate
a Workshop
Tip to Create Engaging Discussion
at Your Event

2. Why do people attend workshops?
● Creative, diverse perspectives
● Collaborative analysis
● Sharing Ideas and Experiences
● Networking
● Discovering industry trends

3. Why a workshop and not a lecture?
Lectures
● Specific information from specific people
● Emphasis on thought leaders and influencers
● Far less emphasis on networking opportunities
Workshops
● Crowdsourced information from fellow professionals
● Emphasis on sharing experiences and advice
● Smaller groups are great opportunities to meet people

4. Common Worries for New Workshop Facilitators
● No-one will talk
● The same few voices will dominate the discussion
● Arguments between participants
● Workshop topics will be too easy/difficult for attendees
● Workshop will turn into a lecture
● Workshop content won’t match attendee expectations

5. Getting a range of viewpoints
● Don’t get hung up on how many people are talking - focus on quality and
range of topics.
● Ask different sorts of questions, both open and closed. Take votes, small
engagement turns into offering comments
● Create a schedule and stick to it, don’t just stay on one subject. If one
topic is popular, you can return to it at the end.
● Offer contrasting views as talking points, event if you don’t wholly agree
with them.

6. Making the Most of Workshop Networking
● Don’t default to split off into pairs. Groups of three or
four spread the work of making conversation
● Give break-out groups specific questions to answer
● Rotate through groups to make sure people stay on
task and are talking
● Remind people that they can continue the discussion
outside the workshop

7. Icebreakers
● Be specific - ‘Give us one interesting fact about yourself’ will have your
attendees drawing a blank about their whole personality.
● Aim of an icebreaker is to get people comfortable with speaking, not to
get to know each other.
● Examples
○ Who would play you in a movie?
○ Which celebrities, alive or dead, would be at your dream dinner party and why?
○ What famous person would you never want to meet?
○ Where was the best place you ever visited?

8. Diffusing Tense Discussions
Set basic rules at the start of your workshop about civility and tolerance
Explain that if people find a discussion uncomfortable, they can ask that the
subject be changed.
If a discussion goes beyond what is acceptable, take control and change the
subject. Be clear, calm and state that the conversation is finished and the
group is moving on.
Don’t get personal. Disagreements are inevitable, personal insults are not.

9. Meeting Attendee’s Workshop Expectations
Give a clear, point by point agenda to the event organizer of what you plan to
discuss so they can reflect it in marketing materials.
Make goals and expectations for the event and workshop part of the
introductions.
Look around your group. What is their expertise level? What other events have
they enjoyed?
Get feedback forms afterwards!

10. Improving Your Workshop
Create a short, specific feedback form. Ask for feedback
on specific topics rather than a vague ‘Did you enjoy the
workshop?’
Catch up with people later on to ask what they thought
Ask someone with more facilitating experience to attend
your workshop to give pointers