Planning the agenda for your next corporate event and not sure how to organize your breakout sessions?
You’ve come to the right place.
Simply put, breakout sessions are like mini-events within the main event. They’re great for workshops, seminars, or conferences, helping boost engagement and connect attendees.
In this article, we’ll walk you through 8 steps on how to create a breakout session that fits your event’s vibe and your attendees' needs, complete with a useful template to make your planning easier.
Here’s a breakdown of the key categories we’ll cover in this article to help you plan your breakout session:
We’ll also highlight best practices for arranging your breakout groups and organizing tables towards the end.
Now, let’s get to it!
Choosing a breakout session title might seem straightforward, but it should be given some thought.
Your title sets the tone for your session and influences whether attendees show up excited, curious, or confused.
When done right, it grabs attention, clarifies the session’s focus, and aligns with the broader goals of the conference.
Here’s how to create your breakout session title in 4 easy steps:
Before you even start brainstorming titles, it’s important to determine the type of breakout session you’re offering. There are typically four types of breakout sessions:
Each of these serves a different purpose and will shape how you frame your title. Workshops, for example, often focus on hands-on activities or skill-building, making them highly interactive and distinct from other session types. Identifying the right category ensures your session resonates with your audience's expectations.
If your breakout session is centered around networking, make that clear in the title.
People should immediately know that this session is about making connections, exchanging ideas, or even informal discussions.
You can also hint at what makes this networking experience special: Is it industry-focused? Speed networking? Problem-solving with peers?
Examples:
For sessions offering certification or learning opportunities, the title needs to reflect the value and knowledge attendees will gain.
Educational breakouts should feel structured and purpose-driven, so make sure the title highlights the benefits participants will receive.
Examples:
Workshops are designed to be hands-on and interactive, allowing attendees to actively participate and develop skills in real-time. These sessions are perfect for deep dives into practical topics or fostering creative problem-solving. Highlight the hands-on aspect in your title to attract participants who are eager to learn by doing.
Examples:
For more unique or niche topics, you have the opportunity to get creative with your titles.
These sessions might dive into subjects not covered elsewhere in the conference or offer fresh perspectives on broader themes.
Examples:
Your breakout session should connect to the overarching theme of your event.
Does it build on a keynote topic? Does it tackle a major industry challenge being discussed throughout the conference?
Reflecting this in the title can make your session feel like a piece of the overall experience.
For example, if your conference is centered on “The Future of Business,” and your session is about how to improve team dynamics, you might go with something like:
Example:
Clear, straightforward titles result in a 17% increase in user engagement.
People are skimming dozens of sessions, and they’ll likely skip over anything that feels too vague or complicated.
Here’s a rule of thumb:
Examples:
It can be tempting to go overboard with fancy words or complicated ideas, but simplicity is key.
Avoid jargon or buzzwords unless they’re actually relevant to your audience.
A good title is short, to the point, and conveys the value of your session without making people guess what it’s about.
Instead of:Try:
“How to Plan Engaging Corporate Events that Tell a Story”
Now that you’ve got your breakout session title picked out, let’s narrow down your objectives and goals.
People who have goals are 10 times more likely to achieve them than those who don't.
Objectives set expectations for both you and your attendees.
They provide focus and structure, making it easier to plan your agenda and facilitate discussion.
When attendees know what they’re working toward, they’re more likely to engage, participate meaningfully, and leave the session feeling like they’ve achieved something.
When crafting your session objective, consider these factors:
What do you want attendees to learn or accomplish by the end of the session?
This could be anything from gaining new knowledge to developing practical skills or coming up with innovative solutions to a problem.
Objectives should be specific and actionable.
Instead of vague goals like “learn more about event planning,” aim for something measurable, such as “develop three new strategies for improving attendee engagement.”
Tailor your goal to the needs and interests of your event attendees.
Are they beginners looking for basic insights or experienced professionals seeking advanced strategies?
The objective should align with their experience level and expectations.
A well-structured agenda helps keep your breakout session on track.
Outline the key points to be covered, time limits for each segment, and transitions between discussions or activities.
Keep things flexible to allow for natural conversation while meeting your session goals.
This section doesn’t apply to every breakout session, but if you need to, make sure to have any physical materials ready in advance.
These could include printed handouts, digital resources, or any equipment needed for presentations or group activities.
Example materials:
Who will be leading your breakout sessions?
Choose someone with a positive and encouraging attitude.
Your facilitator will steer the conversation, keep the agenda on track, and make sure everyone gets a chance to speak.
Breakout sessions work best with small groups that allow for meaningful discussion.
Depending on the size of your event, you can organize several breakout rooms with 8-10 participants per session.
Arrange seating in a way that encourages collaboration, like in a U-shape or around small tables.
For in-depth tips on group seating and table arrangements, check out the section below: How to Arrange Your Breakout Groups & Organize Tables.
To keep participants engaged, try incorporating interactive elements like:
You could also add activities or offsite components to increase engagement. For example, at a recent conference in New York City, we arranged an outdoor lighting tour for attendees attending a lighting conference.
Looking for more inspiration? Check out these 8 gamification ideas for your next conference.
End your breakout session with a clear wrap-up that reinforces key takeaways and provides a space for reflection.
Summarize the main points discussed during the session and highlight any actionable steps participants can take moving forward.
Then after your wrap-up, spend a couple of minutes gathering feedback.
Quick methods like live polling, post-event surveys, or even a show of hands can be used to assess what participants found most valuable and where improvements could be made.
This real-time feedback will help you improve future sessions, making them even more effective.
Use this template to help you plan and organize your breakout sessions for your next conference.
Simply follow the sections in this document, and fill in the details for your session. You can use this guide to craft a session that encourages active participation, delivers value to attendees, and helps achieve your conference goals.
When setting up your breakout sessions, how you arrange the groups and tables impacts how well people collaborate and engage.
Here’s a simple guide on how to organize your groups and tables, plus some layout options that work best for different types of sessions:
When planning breakout sessions for large conferences, it’s important to balance group size and practicality.
For larger breakout rooms, aim for around 50 attendees, but organize them into tables of 6-8 for more focused discussions.
Here’s an idea of how you can arrange your tables:
The way you arrange the seating will depend on what kind of session you’re hosting and how much group interaction is needed. Here are some seating options that work well for different activities: