We have found a few different options to be helpful, especially with virtual events: 

  • Share the materials and group assignments in advance, so that participants can take time to prepare and develop ideas to share. 

  • Encourage active participation during the event itself by asking for different speakers each time.

  • During the debrief for virtual events, we find it useful to break out people into private groups of 2-3 people (if your web platform has this feature). This helps discussion flow more easily and prevents only a few people speaking up about their experience in the larger main group. 

  • Use the 60 seconds of silence after closing the summit or creating a successful En-ROADS scenario. We find that this gives time for participants to process the experience and be able to sit with how they're feeling, something introverts might crave after a high energy simulation.

  • Assign participants a follow-up writing assignment (such as this exercise for En-ROADS or this exercise for C-ROADS). This can help those who weren't able to participate as actively, or who take a longer time to process, to share their thoughts. 

For more facilitation techniques check out: