Tips for a great meeting

On the day of the event, a couple of tips and tricks may help you keep attendees interested and engaged while creating an inclusive and participatory environment.

As part of your meeting planning, you should have a couple of engaging, relevant activities on the agenda. Will any of those activities require extra materials like post-its, markers, worksheets to print ahead of time? Remember to have paper copies where appropriate and try to get attendees to engage with the material physically, either by teaming up, using giant notepads, or getting creative with hands-on participation. Also consider having a sign-in sheet available at the start to capture names and email addresses of new attendees.

Do introductions and icebreakers

It's tough to feel on the same team with a bunch of strangers. Introductions help set the stage for collaboration and the ongoing relationships that sustain any group effort. Ask everyone to introduce themselves, and consider asking for a bonus detail like their favorite ice cream flavor, superhero, or guilty pleasure TV show.

Provide snacks

It's simple, but providing snacks makes any event feel more inclusive and welcoming. Be thoughtful about dietary restrictions and allergies.

Ask for feedback

At the end of each session, ask attendees provide their feedback about how future meetings could be better. Here's the form WPRDC uses, as an example. Incorporate that feedback as transparently as possible.

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