We chose 12 of the best break activities to make your event more memorable and fun, enjoy!
1. Speed Networking
Yes, you read correctly. We’re not talking about speed dating but speed networking, which works the same but has a completely different purpose. It’s a great way to maximize the number of new connections in a limited amount of time. Limit the time to max. 5-7 minutes per session to ensure that they meet as many new people as possible, they can exchange their contact information or business cards if they hit it off.
For a complete guide on how speed networking works and an elaborate guide, click here.
2. Meditation Sessions
In a world of high stress levels and constant push notifications, imagine having the option to participate in a meditation or yoga session after lunch whilst attending a busy event. A few minutes of quiet reflection can go a long way and can be the perfect way to refresh the attendees’ thoughts. Even at the World Economic Forum in Davos, delegates reportedly queued for half an hour to get a place in the early morning meditation session, hoping to get an instruction to the art of meditation and be “in charge of their minds”. The World Economic Forum put together an interesting article about the effects of meditation here.
3. Rapid Fire Questions
Similar to the concept of speed networking, fire questions is also a straightforward networking game to connect new people in a short time span. All your attendees have to do is find a partner and answer the questions (which they can choose themselves or are provided by you) in a minute and repeat this 10-15 times. After this exercise, it’ll be easier to connect to other people or continue the conversation from before.
Some examples of questions:
- What business are you in?
- What are you hoping from this event?
- What are you hoping from this event?
- What’s your dream job?
4. Sponsor Booths
A win-win situation for you and your sponsors. Encourage them to have a booth at your event with an exciting activity (e.g. Ice cream making, playing videos games, trying out VR) and argue this by telling them the guests are all potential customers and will have a good impression of their brand after engaging with them.
5. Short Physical Sessions
If you’re organising a big conference, consider integrating short physical activities such as a group walk around the venue location, a guided tour of the neighbourhood or a short bike ride. Anything that gets their heart beat racing and clears their head for a few minutes.
6. Tower Team Building Ice Break
Now it’s time to get creative. The attendees have eighteen minutes in teams of four to build the tallest freestanding structure using 20 sticks of spaghetti, yard tape and string and one marshmallow (which has to be on top). This well-know team exercise is a fun and innovative way to create a great team spirit.
This TED Talk explains how it works and what the advantages are.
Video: TED Talks
7. Learn New Tricks
As Leonardo da Vinci once said “Learning never exhausts the mind”, so why not take his advice and create a corner with mini learning opportunities. The activities don’t need to be related to the topic of the event and can range from decorating cupcakes to knitting scarves .
8. Scavenger Hunts
The rush of adrenaline whilst running around looking for clues is something we always look forward to. Imagine integrating one into your event? Make it a group activity to bring attendees together and set up a few challenges they need to achieve to be rewarded with a prize.
Fun challenges could include:
- Find someone who had the same major as you or has the same job title
- Share a team photo in front of the event sign on social media
- Visit 3 sponsor booths that sparked your interest
9. Human Bingo
Another way to break the ice and a fun way to network is human bingo. It’s easy to prepare, all you need to do is create bingo cards with boxes filled with industry and audience relevant topics.
This website offers a short, easy guide to play human bingo as well as a free template.
10. Networking Roundtables
How does it work? Divide your guests into small groups of 5-8 people, assign each table a discussion topic and let your audience do the work from there. Give them 10 minutes to exchange their knowledge on the said subject and after that move on to the next table.
Image: Slido
11. Live Band
Alright, this isn’t exactly an activity but it makes the breaks a lot more fun. Having a live band or DJ at your event enforces a great atmosphere and puts everyone in a good mood. Just make sure they aren’t too loud and that you can still hold a normal conversation without having to shout.
12. Photo Booth
Last but certainly not least: the classical photo booth. Who doesn’t love standing in front of a camera with a few props and having a memory to cherish after the event? It also makes a perfect instagram post, which is a great way to promote your event on social media through guests.
Conclusion
Also, be sure to provide drinks and snacks during these activities to reenergize your attendees!
These were just 12 of many ideas there are to keep your guests busy, we hope you inspired you.
Eventor wishes you happy event planning!
Feel free to contact us on our chat if you have any questions.
