Virtual breakout groups are great for keeping your attendees engaged and learning in smaller groups. Making these sessions part of your agenda gives attendees the chance to experience a more bespoke, hands-on experience that will make your virtual event more memorable. But it’s important to get it right for maximum effect and efficiency – here we offer our tips.
- Get the right speaker for your virtual event
This is really important. Just like with live events, if you’re working alongside another speaker, choosing the perfect one for your virtual breakout makes all the difference. Make sure your speakers are not only highly knowledgeable in their field, but who will also inject some fresh ideas whilst keeping your audience entertained and engaged.
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- Understand the tech
Make sure you’re completely happy with all the technology you’ll be using. Check your speakers and microphone are working correctly and you know what features the platform (particularly Zoom) has to offer. Use everything available too! This could be chat, screen sharing, polling or Q&A tools, polling. You don’t need to be a technology genius, but it’s well worth preparing and practicing ahead of the session to save time (and blushes) on the day.
- Don’t treat breakouts like an actual “break”
A bit of downtime is important during any event or training session, but breakout sessions are not “breaks”. Yes, your learners will be virtually heading off into smaller groups, but they’re still learning and concentrating. Breakouts may feel more informal but they must not replace proper breaks so that people can nip to the loo or make a coffee.
- Keep things light and interesting
The last thing you need is for your attendees to start nodding off! With this in mind, it’s important to create an interactive atmosphere that allows them to get involved. Throw in some stories and anecdotes and encourage others to share theirs. Active engagement is the key here so they don’t start zoning out.
- Collect feedback afterwards
A great way of finding out whether your session really hit the spot is to get some feedback from attendees afterwards. A simple survey is ideal, asking questions like was the session energetic enough? Was your content engaging? Was the technology easy to understand and use?
Virtual event platforms give you the chance to gather responses digitally, which is one big advantage over live events. The feedback you get can then act as inspiration for your next session, helping you plan and improve your offering.
Brush up your virtual presentation skills with our online course
PDUK’s Virtual Presentation Skills course is ideal for healthcare professionals of any discipline who wish to hone their virtual classroom teaching skills.
The training centres around Zoom but the techniques learnt can be used on other platforms.
Delivered entirely online, this very popular course is a flexible way to gain some extra skills and build your confidence. It’s worth 3 hours of CPD over half a day.
All course materials will be provided so why not take a look and secure your spot.
