What are the best practices for designing interactive conference sessions?

1 Know your audience

Before you plan your session, you need to understand who your audience is, what they expect, and what they want to learn. You can use surveys, interviews, or social media to gather information about their backgrounds, interests, goals, and challenges. This will help you tailor your session to their needs, preferences, and learning styles. You can also use this data to segment your audience and create personas that represent different types of attendees.

2 Choose the right format

When planning an interactive session, you can choose from various formats depending on your objectives, audience, and time. Workshops are hands-on sessions with exercises, games, or simulations to teach new skills or demonstrate concepts. Panels involve a group of experts or practitioners sharing their insights, opinions, or experiences on a topic. Q&A sessions allow the audience to ask questions or share feedback on your presentation, product, or service. Lastly, roundtables facilitate a small group discussion on a specific topic or issue with prompts, scenarios, or cases to guide the conversation.

3 Prepare your content

Once you have chosen your format, you need to prepare your content and materials. You should keep your content relevant, concise, and clear. You should also use visuals, stories, or examples to illustrate your points and make your content more engaging. You should also prepare your materials, such as slides, handouts, or props, and make sure they are easy to use, read, and understand. You should also test your materials and technology before your session to avoid any glitches or delays.

4 Set the tone

At the beginning of your session, you need to set the tone and expectations for your interaction. You should introduce yourself and your topic, explain the purpose and objectives of your session, and outline the agenda and format. You should also establish some ground rules and norms for your interaction, such as asking people to mute themselves, raise their hands, or use the chat. You should also encourage people to introduce themselves, share their goals, or ask questions.

5 Facilitate the interaction

During your session, you should facilitate the interaction and keep it flowing by engaging your audience in various ways. Open-ended questions can invite reflection, opinion, or feedback. Polls, quizzes, or surveys can collect data, test knowledge, or gauge opinions. Breakout rooms, chat, or forums can create smaller groups or subtopics for discussion. Gamification, rewards, or incentives can motivate, challenge, or recognize participation. Feedback, praise, or acknowledgment can validate, appreciate, or support participation. It is also important to monitor the interaction and adjust your pace, content, or format as needed. If there are any challenges like technical issues, distractions, or conflicts, handle them with professionalism and empathy.

6 Wrap up and follow up

At the end of your session, you need to wrap up and follow up with your audience. You should summarize your main points, highlight the key takeaways, and reinforce the learning outcomes. You should also thank your audience for their participation, ask for their feedback or evaluation, and share any resources or references. You should also follow up with your audience after your session, such as by sending a thank-you email, sharing a recording or transcript, or inviting them to join a community or network.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?