Top Three Tips When Moving Your Virtual Workshop to In-Person

Recently, I hosted an in-person Find Your Word workshop at LEAD Filipino’s Annual Event, the Fly Pinay Leadership Summit.  A bunch of chatter showed up because this was the first in-person coaching workshop I’ve ever done for my practice after launching it in October 2022.  I’ve delivered coaching workshops online over the last two and a half years, and I didn’t know if I could migrate the content displayed through shared screen systems into a live and personalized format.  I had a two-to-three-week lead time to move this online version to in-person and wanted to share the Top Three Tips I learned in this experience.

1.Focus on your Content.
When your focus moves to worrying about logistics, conditions of the room, attendance, and event details, you are shifting some of your creative energy from your workshop to the presence you will bring to your attendees.  Be sure to check into any facilitator meetings that will give you an overview of what you need to know around the event, obtain answers to your questions, and follow up on all the essentials that will set you up for success.  You don’t have to sweat the small stuff.  (Yes, I am a big fan of Richard Carlson’s Book Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff).  Sweat about the stuff that is in your control.  Your content and your presence.

• Look over your content and see what can translate well into an in-person experience. 
  • For example, if there are breakout room questions which normally led to an online tool magically putting people in pairs, trios, quads, or groups, consider how you will do it during your meeting day.  Will you do a random selection of people, count off people like 1-2-3 and group all the 1s together, then the 2s, and 3s.  This example provides structure.  When there is structure, you and your attendees can stay focused on the workshop topic and minimize confusion on the how-to, when-to, and where-to do things during the workshop.
• Judiciously remove or enhance your content if the in-person workshop timeframe differs from the online version.
  • Online workshops run the risk of an asynchronous learning environment – some workshops run like a webinar more than a series of two-way conversations.  If that’s how you roll, GREAT!  If you would like more interactions during your workshop, that takes time, make space for it – your attendees will thank you.
• Gamify your workshop.
  • Remember when we were students in school and our teachers would make our learning environments fun?  Switching seats throughout the day or if you answer a question or finish a project, you get a gold star.  Inject some play and rewards throughout your workshop.  This demonstrates not only attendance in the workshop; but also, engagement.

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2. Embrace Improvisation
I’ve had the good fortune of being around a creative partner who has studied and does improvisation.  Watching his journey from novice student to steady performer and integrating improv into other activities gave me an opportunity to embrace some of the principles from that world.  Some of which helped me in being present in front of people instead of a screen.  If you have an opportunity to check out a local improv troop, do it! 
If not, check out this video from a Bay Area Local's Live Clickbait.

• Live Studio Audience Mindset
  • People’s energy can move you.  Take a moment to ground yourself and what you want to offer your attendees.  Prepare a purpose statement that aligns to your core values.  Write it on an index card, at the top of your planner, as a digital flashcard, or on a post it.    The purpose of this workshop is to offer my attendees [A]___________ and for me to [B]______________________.  Together, we will [C]_________________________.  As you move closer to the event date, look at your purpose statement a few times a day.  If you can put a tagline on it – a one liner if you will, give it a try.  If something goes sideways or an unexpected issue comes up, return to your purpose statement.  You can say it silently to yourself or take a moment to remind your attendees why we are all here to today.  If you want to keep it simple – go for the tagline.  “We’re here to have FUN!”  or “Remember, we’re here to learn something new.”  Over time, you develop an ability to read the room.  Read the energy and leverage it to move your workshop.
• Yes, and…
  • This improv principle allowed me to integrate willingness into this experience.  YES, this will be different AND I get to see what will happen live.  YES, there won’t be virtual breakout rooms AND attendees will get to connect via small groups.  YES, I will need to bring some supplies for the group activities AND I get to make it as colorful and engaging as I’d like.  When we take a chance to say YES AND, we have an opportunity to flow from one action to another without too much chatter.  This dynamic opens possibility to whatever unfolds in front of you.
• Go with it
  • Appreciate the contributions and discussions your attendees are offering.  Use some of their ideas to tailor the discussion with what themes and insights are emerging from the conversation.  Our ability to translate and transform the energy in the room with workshop material is a magical and illuminating moment.  This demonstrates presence, knowledge sharing, gathering, and community awareness.  By going with it, you are free, creative, and removing the “get it right” vibe which lends itself to elevating your authenticity factor.

3. Pre-Workshop Packing
Just like any other trip, move, or special event, making sure you have all your workshop materials is an important component in creating ease for moving from one physical location to another.  The goal we are looking for is preparation.  Not just in equipment but also in mindset.  Preparation is all about opportunity meeting luck; consequently, practicing mindfulness in the preworkshop packing step offers us a chance to perform a “run of show” like exercise the day of our event.

• Brainstorm on your Tech
  • Sitting at your desk or where you normally hold/host your virtual events, take inventory and stock of what you’ve used.  Create a list.  The easy items may come to mind, the laptop, monitor (maybe even a second and third monitor), microphone, headphones, mouse, etc.  Take a moment to read it over, and now go a layer deep.  Think, mouse pad, connection cords, power cords, stylus.  Take a moment to read that over and go one more layer deep.  Think, batteries, screen cleaner, and whatever else you use frequently and specifically to the workshop you are holding.  Now look at this piece of paper and ask yourself the question, do I need this to present live?  If yes, highlight in green or circle.  If not, highlight in pink or x out.
• Tech to Analog
  • Once you’ve considered what you need to present, think about what your attendees will need for your workshop.  Since you will be hosting, will you want them to bring notebooks, pens, pencils?  Instead of delivering files and tools electronically, will you flash it on the screen or have handouts?  Be in your attendees’ shoes for a bit and itemize what you would bring to your own workshop to ensure you reap all the benefits of the discussion.  Be sure to communicate these needs to people who have signed up to attend.
• Visualize the Departure
  • After you care for your gear and your attendees needs, take a moment to see the morning, afternoon, or evening of your workshop event.  Standing in my bathroom with wet hair and a towel around me, I forgot what to do next.  Thank goodness my nine-year-old said, “You might want to blow dry your hair.”  This gave me enough time to realize that after hosting so many events online, I forgot how to build in time to get ready, get on the road, and get to the event.  Put some thought into what you will wear (Is it clean?  Does it need to be ironed? Do you have to buy something new?), what will be in your non-gear bag, and what else you may need to be workshop ready.  If your event is local enough, you can do an end-to-end dry run of this visualization in real life.  If your event requires air travel, you can practice getting ready and going out the door.  In either case, the visualization exercise is more than half the effort in teeing you up for a successful morning. 

 
I hope these tips help you in your next in-person workshop event.  As you try these out for the first or third or tenth time, you will discover new things along the way.  Pause and reflect on these key learnings and I encourage you to continue fine tuning your experience, so each workshop improves over time.