3 innovative meeting formats to spice up your 2025 events

Are you and your attendees tired of the same old meeting format? Here are three meeting formats that can add excitement and engagement to your next event.

Asking attendees to sit in a classroom and listen to a speaker may work at some conferences, but most conferences these days require more energy to keep attendees engaged and focused. If you want your events in 2025 to be more interactive and productive, one or more of these innovative meeting formats may be just what you need.

fish tank

The room setting is key to this form, which requires two circles of chairs, a smaller inner circle and a larger inner circle outside, similar to an amphitheater setting. Divide your group into two, with the smaller group sitting in the inner circle, called the “fishbowl.” The meeting begins with the people in the fish tank discussing a specific topic – only the people in the fish tank can speak. If the people in the inner circle say everything they want to say, they can leave and join the outer circle. If someone in the outer circle is willing to contribute, one of the fishbowl participants can be replaced. Coordinators can help ensure a smooth transition between participants and observers.

The non-hierarchical format makes it easier for everyone who wants to participate, and those who prefer to observe can do so without feeling like they’re missing out. It works best when everyone is familiar with a topic – this is not a good format for disseminating new information.

world cafe

You can further interest this format by making the room look like a cafe, with small circles covered in thick cardboard and colored pens that people can use to write on the table. Each table is dedicated to a specific topic and usually has a dedicated “table moderator” who leads the discussion and takes notes. You divide attendees into small groups of four to five people and have them choose a table and begin discussing the topic of that table. After 20 minutes, ring the bell and ask people to move to another table that sounds interesting to them, or they can stay at the same table if they have more to say before moving on. At the end of the meeting, have the facilitators at each table report on key lessons learned from their discussions. These meetings can also be enhanced by having a graphic recording artist roam between tables and draw graphic depictions of key discussion points and conclusions.

Just like a fish tank, a good coordinator keeps things running smoothly and efficiently.

Nao Zao

Brain Dates are somewhat similar to World Café Meetings, except attendees set the agenda in advance by digitally sharing topics they want to share knowledge or learn more about. Other attendees can sign up for one-on-one conversations or group discussions. After a set time, ring the bell to indicate it’s time to move on to the next Brain Date. Self-guided, experiential, collaborative peer learning combined with human-centered technology is designed to create genuine moments of inspiration and connection, and provide a foundation for building relationships and career growth.

Stay tuned for more ideas on how to make meetings and events more engaging and interactive – please share what works for you by emailing sue.worthit.com! Your suggestions will appear in a future story.

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