Workshop Your Workshop: Turn your expertise into an interactive workshop participants remember
You know your topic inside and out — but can you make it stick with an audience?
Most conference sessions are built from the presenter’s point of view: What they want to say, what they think is important, what they think people need. But knowing your topic isn’t the same as delivering it in a way that sticks. You need a structure that invites your audience in, gives them something to do, and makes your message memorable.
Led by expert facilitator Shannon Varcoe, this workshop will show you how to apply a facilitative approach to your talk, even if you’ve never facilitated before. You’ll learn how to structure your session, build in interaction, and create an experience that’s clear, energizing, and engaging.
If you’re speaking at Raleigh-Durham Startup Week (or anywhere this year) and want your session to be the one people rave about later, this is for you.
What we’ll cover:
A participant-first design process: Use a simple yet structured method to rethink your session from the point of view of the people in the room.
How to open, engage, and close with intention: If you nail these three points, everything else flows.
Easy ways to add interaction that don’t feel forced: Tools, prompts, and micro-activities that get people talking, thinking, and connecting without turning your session into a cheesy game show.
Who is this event for?
Raleigh Durham Startup Week speakers & moderators
Anyone who leads talks, workshops, panels, or sessions at conferences
Community builders and organizers who host events & gatherings
You do not need to consider yourself a facilitator to benefit from this session. This is for speakers and subject matter experts who want to try something different and level up their next talk.
Why should you attend?
Because great ideas deserve great delivery. And event attendees are craving connection, conversation, and sessions that help them think, not just listen. In just two hours, you’ll turn your topic into a session that is not only educational, but memorable and engaging. The kind of session people talk about long after the event is over.
You’ll walk away with ideas, templates, and tools you can plug into your next session, plus time in the workshop to begin redesigning your own talk. You can expect a mix of quick teaching moments, small-group work, and guided redesign time that helps you bring your session to life.
Who is hosting this event?
This event is powered by the Raleigh-Durham Startup Week team, as part of a year-round series of events that serve entrepreneurs in the Triangle.