From Passive Listener to Active Participant:
Live, Virtual, and Hybrid Events People Won't Forget
Design engagement into your event so the energy (and the attendance) holds all day
You booked great speakers, planned great content, and still watched the room drift to their phones by 2 p.m.
ABOUT THIS SESSION
The problem usually isn't the content. It's that the audience was only ever asked to sit and listen.
When fun, low-pressure interaction is designed into a program, people remember more, stick around longer, and rate the event higher. Jon Colby has run whole-audience participation for rooms of every size, and in this session he shares the playbook.
Participants don't just hear about engagement; they experience it, playing games with fellow attendees that they can drop straight into their own events.
Who It's For
Event and meeting planners, association staff, L&D and training teams, and conference organizers.
What Your Team Walks Away With
TAKEAWAYS
Build interaction into an agenda without making introverts squirm
01
Practice a toolkit of ready-to-use engagement games with other attendees
02
Redesign an existing program to boost participation and retention
03
Keep energy and attendance steady through the afternoon sessions
04
Adapt each technique for live, virtual, and hybrid formats
05
Wayne Schoeneberg
Certified Professional Coach and Professional Speaker
"Jon was able to put together one of the most interesting presentations I have had the pleasure of attending. It was educational, informative and creative. I learned a lot that I immediately started using for my next presentation."
Questions About This Session
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Design participation into the program instead of hoping speakers bring it. Short, low-pressure interactions between sessions and inside them keep energy, attention, and attendance up through the afternoon.
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Keep it low-pressure and inclusive: pairs and small groups before full-room moments, and never single anyone out. When everyone participates together, no one feels on the spot.
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Yes, with adjustments. This session covers versions of each technique for live, virtual, and hybrid audiences.
Pairs Well With
Beyond Boundaries: Unlocking Creative Genius
Help your team think differently, together
Getting Real in Virtual Space
When your team is remote, connection doesn't happen by accident
Your Meetings Suck
How to run meetings people actually want to attend (and remember)