13 Proven Strategies to Transform Your Virtual Meetings from Mundane to Motivational
After Covid, virtual and hybrid meetings changed the workplace forever.
Organizations now focus on team engagement.Â
Interactive meetings promote participation, encourage creativity, and boost productivity for attendees.
But how can you make your meetings more interactive?Â
Various digital tools and discussion formats allow you to take your meetings from mundane to motivational.Â
Read on for 17 ideas to inspire you!
1. Set Clear Objectives
Defining the purpose of your meeting upfront keeps your team focused and on-task.Â
What do you hope to achieve?Â
Make sure your objectives are:
With well-defined objectives, stay focused and maximize meeting productivity.
Get Buy-In from Your Team
Getting buy-in from your team members and stakeholders makes all the difference when transitioning to interactive meetings.Â
Explain the benefits of increased engagement and collaboration.Â
Show how interactive discussions allow you to listen to diverse perspectives and gather feedback to refine your approach.Â
With team support, interactive meetings will become an important part of your organization’s culture.
2. Send a Pre-Meeting Survey
Event planners often send pre-event surveys to gauge attendee expectations.Â
Take the same approach with meetings by sending a short poll ahead of time.
Some survey questions to consider:
Feedback helps you customize the agenda based on your team’s needs and interests.
Pro tip: Send the survey 24-48 hours in advance so you have time to incorporate responses.
Host a Brainstorming Session
Meetings usually follow strict rules, but making space for unusual ideas sparks creativity.Â
Prompt “what if” thinking and allow for imperfection, mistakes, and wacky suggestions without judgment.Â
Encourage free thinking and unique concepts.
3. Start With an Icebreaker Activity
Ease into your meeting with a fun icebreaker question or activity.
A little social interaction upfront builds engagement, especially for calls with remote teams.
Some quick icebreaker ideas:
Humor relaxes participants, so they’re primed for an interactive meeting.
For a more comprehensive list of engaging icebreakers, check out our ultimate list of icebreakers and group exercises here.
4. Spotlight Member Updates
Don’t launch right into old business—start by catching up personally.Â
Go around the (virtual) room and have each team member share quick updates:
Giving participants a chance to spotlight their work makes them feel valued.Â
And you never know what nuggets of wisdom might arise from these updates.
5. Use Clients or Customers as Co-Presenters
Want to add authentic interactivity to a session?Â
Invite existing clients or customers to co-present.
Their first-hand perspectives lend credibility and reinforce your expertise. Plus, their presence allows for interactive Q&A with real-life users.
To find eager co-presenters, look for clients who:
A 10-15 minute co-presentation plus Q&A makes meetings relatable and engaging.
6. Demo New Features
When launching a new product feature, app update, or website redesign, resist the urge to simply tell people.
Instead, provide an interactive demo.
Walk participants step-by-step:
Then, invite questions and feedback:
An interactive demo brings the update to life so participants can experience it first-hand.
Easy starting packages • Advanced options • Proven results
7. Divide Into Virtual Breakout Rooms
Small-group breakouts are a simple way to increase participant interaction in virtual meetings.
First, split your team into video breakout rooms of 4-6 people each.Â
Pose a problem, challenge, or discussion topic in the breakouts.
Give groups enough time to discuss and arrive at a conclusion.Â
Each group appoints a spokesperson to summarize their discussion when they return to the main video room.
Breakout conversations prompt deeper information sharing versus large-group discussion. Mix up groups each time to encourage fresh perspectives.
8. Host a Brainstorming Session
Meetings often follow a strict unwritten rule of avoiding anything “wacky” or out of the mainstream.Â
But making space for imperfection and unusual ideas sparks creativity, innovation, and fresh perspectives.
Create a culture that embraces, not shuts down, unexpected contributions.Â
Allow for some playful “what if” thinking outside the box.Â
Unusual, innovative ideas keep your organization flexible and fluid.
Accepting mistakes and “wacky” suggestions creates a safe, judgment-free zone.Â
This psychological safety net encourages people to think freely without fear of ridicule.Â
The more open to diverse ideas, the more unique concepts emerge.
9. Make a Group Mind Map
Mind mapping collaboratively is an excellent problem-solving tool.
Start with a central topic.
Participants add related ideas and subtopics.Â
As branches of thought emerge, watch the map grow visually on a shared screen.
Mind maps encourage non-linear thinking as concepts spread in all directions.Â
The visual format enhances understanding and retention, too.
Bonus: Mind maps provide handy meeting recaps. Save and distribute the finished map afterward.
10. Poll Your Attendees
Don’t just ask yes/no questions – take it up a notch with interactive polling during your presentation.
Virtual polling allows introverts space to share opinions without pressure since extroverts no longer dominate the live conversation.
Offer multiple participation modes to improve inclusive engagement for remote and hybrid meetings. With polls, chat, annotation tools, and more, everyone has an equal voice.
11. Play a Game or Trivia
For fun, incorporate a game or trivia into your meeting.Â
Games break up long presentations and get endorphins flowing – priming participants’ minds for learning.
Some examples:
A quick game (5-10 minutes) wakes up brains, so groups are attentive for the meat of your meeting.
12. Host a Virtual Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts inspire friendly competition and collaboration.
Plus, they’re fun!
For a virtual hunt, assign teams and give them a list of household items to locate and display on camera – things like a whisk, shoe, stuffed animal, etc.
Give a time limit, then see which team collects the most items.
Pro Tip: To add an educational twist, tie the scavenger list to meeting topics.Â
If discussing office supplies, items could include a stapler, sticky notes, a pen, etc.
Scavenger hunts make meetings lively and experiential.Â
The activity also serves as an energizing break.
See our virtual Van Gogh Museum scavenger hunt if you’re looking for an example. Feel free to try it yourself!
13. Conduct Live Q&A Sessions
Don’t just ask if there are any questions at the end – webinar attendees are often hesitant to speak up.Â
Instead, build in Q&A time throughout your virtual session.
Pose a key question to the group and call on individuals by name to share their thoughts.Â
Or have people type responses in the chat.
Repeat the process several times on different topics.Â
Dialogue allows you to clarify points and tailor the discussion to the audience.
For large webinars, use a moderator to filter and consolidate questions.Â
Reply live or save detailed responses for later if time is short.
Transform your virtual meetings from lackluster to lively! From icebreakers and Q&As to digital whiteboarding and live polls, discover simple yet powerful ways to boost collaboration, creativity, and productivity.
Ready to make your meetings more impactful?
Contact We & Goliath today to customize an interactive virtual event strategy.
With 20+ years of experience producing dynamic conferences and summits, we have the expertise to help you connect with your team and achieve your goals.
