A workshop a week
Since the start of 2024, we’re not far off facilitating a workshop every week. We didn’t plan it this way. Somehow, on top of planned engagement workshops with councillors and local groups, we’ve also had some last-minute requests for help facilitating discussions with in-house teams and stakeholders.
By the start of April, we created and successfully run 12 workshops, each carefully tailored to keep the content engaging for participants. It’s been busy!
Why workshop?
Workshops are a great way to gather insight from target audiences, bring everyone together and, through thought-provoking exercises, make decisions to drive projects forward.
Here at Filigree, we specialise in communications and engagement so naturally we try to keep our activities as light and as interesting as possible, which is why our workshops tend to be a hit with participants.
Keep the momentum going
In our opinion, the key to a successful workshop is to keep your audience invested at all times – keep the momentum going. Start with lighter activities and keep them as engaging as possible – brainstorming, polling or a quiz. We like using Mentimeter.
When it’s time to get down to business, it’s important to keep the pace – bitesized activities that build on the topic. For instance, a Filigree favourite was the recent workshop we delivered for Hounslow Council – everyone was very chatty, engaged and lively (plenty of cake and chocolate helped). With a tricky topic to discuss, we planned a fun Top Trumps–style exercise which provided lots of entertainment and generated heaps of insight for the project.
One of our more interactive workshops was a youth workshop for Breckland District Council, we created a graffiti wall for teenagers to express their opinions on the project. It was fun and creative and kept their attention. We received lots of positive feedback whilst gathering our information in a relaxed environment.
When it all goes wrong
Having delivered many workshops for councils and organisations over the years, we have built a good understanding of how to make sure they run smoothly. With plenty of planning and practice runs, we prepare for any small bump that may occur. If anything goes wrong for us, it’s usually to do with the tech (top tip – take all the connecting cables you can get your hands on) or printed materials not being ready in time. However, there’s no problem that can’t be solved with some improvisation.
Get in touch if you’d like us to facilitate a workshop for you. If you decide to go it alone – here’s our three top tips to running a successful workshop;
Plan to the minute – evaluate your brief and leave enough time to warm up participants, introduce the activities and gather the insights and feedback you need.
Don’t second guess – your client’s opinion on the workshop is essential. We plan several quick check-ins ahead of time to make sure our planning is in line with their expectations.
Stay hydrated – it is thirsty work public speaking all day and you’ll be under a lot of pressure whilst being the centre of attention. Staying hydrated will keep your energy levels up as well as keeping you focused and able to deliver a workshop to be proud of.