There are many different approaches to creativity. And - perhaps most importantly - it makes your workshop more fun. Infusing workshops with creative play inspires innovation in business and beyond. Regardless of your workshop theme, creative exercises can unlock growth and the potential for out-of-the-box ideas. Incorporate creativity into your workshop plan While workshops are typically small affairs, you can make them even more intimate by breaking participants into pairs or small groups to communicate, create, and cooperate. Icebreakers, group exercises, and speed-networking activities are all effective ways to warm people up. And always factor in time for feedback at the end, even if it means a follow-up email survey.Īs you create your workshop, make sure to incorporate activities that involve participants to the fullest extent. For those who don’t like to speak up in a group, consider using real-time polling apps like Sli.do to encourage people to ask questions and answer prompts from their mobile devices. Instead of a passive audience, attendees become active participants who contribute to the outcome.Įncourage total participation, even from shy attendees. Turn audience members into workshop participantsīy their very nature, workshops are interactive. These tools might include lighting, music, or even the snacks you provide. If you’re creating a workshop as part of a greater event and don’t have control over the venue, use the elements you do have at your disposal to set an effective mood. When you’re vetting venues, consider whether your workshop requires elements like: You could even turn to Airbnb to lease a space such as someone’s roomy, light-filled home so attendees can relax.Ī “must-have” list of venue requirements will help you settle on and set up the right space. Consider different types of venues for your workshop, like warehouses, barns, and gardens. Workshops in sterile hotel conference rooms aren’t always the most inspiring. Once you have your theme solidified, it’s time to get logistical. And if you have a mailing list, take advantage of tools like SurveyMonkey to send out an email questionnaire. If Instagram is your medium, the Stories feature now has polls embedded. If you have a Facebook Business Page, you could conduct a poll on that platform. Reach out to them to find out what they’re interested in and what they haven’t seen before. You might already have an audience in mind.
One of the best ways to brainstorm inventive workshop plan s is simple: ask people what they want to do. How can you make sure your lesson is compelling and memorable? Once you know your lesson and your audience, the next step is to create an innovative theme for your workshop.
Here’s how to create a workshop plan that leaves participants not just educated, but also motivated.
To reach their full potential, workshops require vision and imagination.
They set the stage for learning, growth, and relationship building.They’re intimate and interactive - no one can hide in the back like they might in a lecture.But all workshops have a few elements in common: The subject matter could be academic, professional, personal, creative, or even parental. Your workshop may be a part of a greater event like a business conference, or an independent class that’s open to the community.
But to make your workshop most effective, you need to go beyond basic education and think about inspiration. You know what participants will learn at your workshop.