Photography, cooking, IT, business workshops… Regardless of the industry you specialize in, the rules of interaction with meeting participants are unchanging. Before you start organizing workshops, think about what a good presentation should look like and whether the planned meeting has a chance to influence the development of your guests, your employees, your company. You have to be very skillful in offering your own knowledge and experience to others. Fortunately, an interestingly conducted training can become a success for anyone who follows a few basic rules.

How to organize workshops?

Get to know your audience.

Your target group is the fundamental pillar on which you should build all your activities. Remember that workshops will only be positively received if you strictly match the topics and form of conducting classes to your recipients. A different plan of action will be appropriate for events dedicated to children, a different one during training of employees from the IT department, and yet another for women who want to learn crocheting. When organizing photography workshops for professionals, you can afford to use advanced terminology that is probably familiar to everyone gathered. However, when you are dealing with amateurs, e.g. seniors or children, the term “white balance” may require a detailed explanation and illustration using specific examples. Think about who the workshops are dedicated to? Choose from the categories and create a profile of the meeting participants. AGE: children / youth / adults / middle-aged adults / seniors GENDER: women / men / both sexes PLACE OF RESIDENCE: village / city LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE: amateurs / beginners / specialists

Take care of the language.

And we don’t just mean linguistic correctness here! Depending on the profile of the workshop group you have created, plan your style of speech. It is best to avoid complex sentences so that the listener can clearly understand the main points of your speech and remember them easily. Similarly, a veryformal style of expression can create unnecessary distance between you and the training participants. People who feel insufficiently competent towards the trainer may avoid asking questions and not engage in planned activities. It is also inadvisable to use professional industry vocabulary when dealing with beginners or amateurs. If it is necessary to use a difficult term or describe a problematic phenomenon, provide the recipients (e.g. in the form of a definition on a slide, a visual example) with a discussion of the phrase.

Choose the right place.

Where to conduct the workshop? It is best to conduct it in a place that guarantees maximum comfort for the listener and provides access to all presentation tools (projector, screen, TV). Business workshops should be organized in a well-equipped conference room, while intimate meetings should be held in a cozy café or small gallery. The location is important (guests should be able to reach the workshops from any corner of the city without much effort) as well as the visual attributes of the room. Cool, white walls and austere decor do not allow you to feel comfortable enough. It is worth choosing a place that will provide the greatest possible comfort to the audience – great when there is a possibility to buy their favorite coffee, refreshing tea or a small snack. Nobody likes to absorb knowledge on an empty stomach! We invite you to visit us – prices from PLN 20/h for renting the room 

Prepare a multimedia presentation.

An interesting presentation, full of images and condensed content is another “clue” of your preparations. You can’t underestimate the power of the sense of sight – people are much more willing to absorb what they see than what they hear. Using the most popular multimedia presentation program PowerPoint or other free editors, create a visual setting for the workshop. Remember to follow a few rules:

1. Don’t write too much text on the slides. Use short slogans that you can expand on verbally during the workshop.
2. Display as many photos, diagrams and graphs as possible that illustrate the topic being discussed. Make sure that the images you use are of high quality.
3. NEVER USE READY-MADE PRESENTATIONS! One of the guests may have previously come across an identical one on the Internet. You don’t want to be accused of plagiarism or theft, do you?
4. Choose backgrounds and fonts that match each other in color. Avoid bright, neon colors that can be tiring for the eyes.
5. Beware of overly long and overly complicated transition animations – it doesn’t look professional.

 

Create an attractive advertisement.

If the workshops are not aimed at a specific group (e.g. your employees), you need to take care of attractive invitations. To attract as many people as possible, create an attractive offer in which you include the workshop schedule, emphasize the benefits of participating in the event and ensure that the investment of your own time is profitable. Depending on the form of conducting the classes and the target group to which you are directing the advertisement, choose the right place for promotion. Company profiles and websites are perfect for this – they are usually followed by people who know your projects and it is them that you will reach the fastest. However, you do not have to limit yourself to a closed circle of customers, fans and supporters. If you want to get the most publicity, advertise your workshops onthematic internet forums, Facebook groups or ask your friends to share the information/event. Then there will be more willing participants in the meeting!

Seat reservation system.

How to predict the number of participants? Why do only half of those interested show up from a large group? When you reserve places in a rented venue, equipping the workshop stations with the necessary items, you incur costs. It is not good when they are not refunded due to the absence of participants. Therefore, it is a good idea to introduce advance seat reservation (by confirming participation with an appropriate payment). In the case of free workshops, an e-mail registration or a special online form will suffice. This way you will avoid the situation described above. Additionally, when the number of places in the workshops is limited, absent people who have previously expressed their willingness to participate will not block places for other interested people.

 

How to run a workshop?

Activation of participants.

If you are wondering how to run a training or business workshop so that the participants do not sleep through half the meeting, then know that even the most creative and varied presentation is not enough. The most important person is YOU – as a charismatic presenter who can charm crowds of listeners with his person. How to do it? First, activate the workshop participants. Ask various questions, encourage joint discussion, ask for examples and your own experiences. Do not be pushy, but skillfully create an atmosphere of freedom and comfort. Between individual workshop topics, plan exercises and other activities provided for in the meeting program. This way you will avoid boredom, which kills all creativity.

 

Small gifts.

Everyone loves receiving gifts – it’s scientifically proven! All you need to do is give your guests a small gift: a cup of coffee during the meeting, a notebook, a pen, a brochure with a summary of the workshop, a sample of cosmetics, etc. A nice gesture does not expose the organizer to noticeable costs, but pays off in a positive attitude from the guests. People who receive gifts without a reason always feel special! There is therefore a really high probability that they will show up at the next meeting – perhaps they will tell their friends and relatives about it. It is worth informing potential participants about attractive bonuses before the meeting, e.g. on a poster advertising the workshop or in an announcement. Even if the meeting is not paid for (and therefore you do not have the funds to buy gifts for the meeting participants), you can: OPTION A: invest in extras from your own pocket (not very beneficial) OPTION B: obtain a sponsor (very beneficial!) Sponsored meetings are in practice no different from those “without a sponsor”. The only difference is the promotion of the goods and services of the company financing the workshops, for which you receive benefits in the form of presentation equipment, advertising materials, gadgets for meeting participants and other amenities. Well-functioning companies are very willing to agree to establish cooperation. Your workshops are a source of certain advertising for them, and for you – reducing costs and increasing the attractiveness of the meeting! The easiest way to obtain workshop sponsors is to contact company representatives by phone or email. It is worth informing about who and to what extent supports the organization of the workshops on the poster/announcement advertising the workshops. If the sponsor also shows willingness to promote your event on their own pages and profiles, you can be sure that interest in your venture will increase significantly!

Now that you know everything, get to work! Become a master in your field and share your passion with others.