Creating a Live Workshop: Episode 4

Welcome to the last episode in our creating a live workshop series.

Have you been there before? You’re at a workshop which has kinda finised, because it’s that time and the content is finished, but it gets a bit awkward…. do you say goodbye, do you hug the person next to you…. is it actually finished?

This is why your workshop needs a closing ceremony of some sort.

What is a closing ceremony?

A closing ceremony is simply an official end to the event, a way to wrap everything up.
It clearly shows the next step your participants should take, even if that next step is just to go home.

Clearly and distinctly, you break a line between the last piece of content that you deliver and the end of the workshop.

How do you wrap up a live event?

Firstly, bring everyone together for a review session. Pick some key points from the session to recap and make sure they understand everything.
Then line up what they need to do next. This could be writing down their goals or setting up an accountability buddy.
This is also the perfect chance to up-sell them into your next offer, or get them to pre-book in for the next workshop, if you have other things you’d like to offer them.

Now it is time to close up

You need to create a break between the official part of the day and the unofficial part of the day, so that they don’t feel awkward about leaving. You could:
– Thank everyone for attending and suggest they all meet at the bar downstairs/nearby for a mini after party
– Host a small after party, telling them to head to the back of the room for drinks and snacks.
– Suggest the network with the people around them and share contact details
– Come up with your own exciting idea.

There isn’t a right or wrong here. Create some sort of celebration where they recognise that the official part of the day is done, and that they are free to leave the celebration when they wish.

How you wrap up the day is just as important as any of your content because how you leave your participants feeling at the end of a session will stick with them. That final feeling makes a big impact on if they ever come back again, what they tell their friends, and even how much they remember.

The power of recency shouldn’t be underestimated. We remember things that happened more recently, better than those that happened longer ago. Simply put, they remember the end of your workshop better than they will remember the beginning.

So give them a closing ceremony. Give them a gift bag, a hug, a party… whatever it may

Now, how do you wrap up your sessions?
Let us know below.