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Breakout Program at Trellis Impact
Breakout Program at Trellis Impact
The majority of programming happens during our breakout blocks which we deliver in a variety of different formats to best land the content for attendees. They are powerful opportunities for attendees to interact while learning new things and reframing problems to help overcome obstacles.
Our best-rated sessions are those that feature new ideas, tangible knowledge, frameworks and actionable skills — in a highly interactive format.
Types of Breakout Sessions
Types of Breakout Sessions
Panel
Panel
An hour long session with 3 - 4 panelists and a moderator with interactive elements such as Q&A, polling, table conversations.
Tutorial
Tutorial
A tutorial is a 2.5 hour, interactive, hands-on session that is a standard feature kicking off Day 1 at Trellis events. They are powerful opportunities for attendees to learn new things and reframe problems to help overcome their obstacles. Our best-rated tutorials are those that feature new ideas, tangible knowledge, frameworks, and skills — and which allow participants to experience them in a highly interactive format.
Workshop
Workshop
Workshops vary in length from 1.5 - 2hrs and offer a variety of hands-on learning activities and specific takeaways for professional growth or education. The facilitator walks the audience through a new skill or concept, designed to help professionals do their jobs better.
Case Study / Lighting Talks
Case Study / Lighting Talks
A session featuring an impactful and original approach to tackling a tough climate challenge. This is an opportunity to highlight a new initiative or collaboration, and spark the imagination of attendees. Usually features a moderator and 3-5 speakers that give snappy stand and deliver presentations.
Wild Card
Wild Card
We also feature new formats you might not find at other events. For example, Slidedeck Karaoke, Jeopardy, Pecha Kucha. If you're interested in these, or want to bring your own, talk to your Trellis content partner to help bring this to life.
Tips for a Great Breakout Session
Tips for a Great Breakout Session
Engage your audience. The best breakouts are those that are interactive and participatory. Including a hands-on exercise in your breakout enables your breakout participants to meet one another and work collaboratively, and helps them get to know you. At the very least, include plenty of time for Q&A and feedback during the breakout.
Focus on tangible knowledge and skills. The most effective sessions are those that present data, metrics and case studies to help us ground an aspirational circular economy in the reality of what’s actually happening today, uplifting actionable insights and success stories (and failures we can learn from.)
Set a specific outcome. Participants appreciate knowing they’ve used their time well, especially when they have other options on how to spend it. Give them a specific goal or outcome — “Today, you will learn how to make smart choices in choosing energy-efficiency projects.” That will give everyone a clear vision of what success looks like for the hour.
Don’t sell. breakouts fail when they are preachy or sales-y. If you’re trying to promote something — yourself, your company, a product or service — you’ll lose the audience. Instead, share an idea, framework or set of tools. If you do it well, it will give you far more credibility, and will invite conversations that will allow you to make your pitch later on.
Use slides wisely. Slides can be very helpful in presenting your ideas to your audience, but it's important to keep them visual rather than text-based. Make sure you're not distracting attendees by using text-heavy slides that they'll try to read as you speak. Visual slides are a great way to support your presentation and guide the audience.
Have fun! Okay, it may seem hard to do after all these tips, but if you can make it happen, you're well on your way. Audiences appreciate breakout presenters who truly enjoy what they're talking about. It can be contagious.
Be sure to complete your complimentary registration for Trellis Impact! Registration is required for all speakers.
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