Sometimes a virtual summit that spans many hours and multiple days can become, a little, well, ‘too much’ for an attendee.

Whether the content is a little dense, the topic a little heavy, or it’s all just a lot to take in, our minds need a little lightheartedness to stay engaged. (And you don’t want your attendees leaving their desks to find that moment for themselves...)

Crafting ways to keep your audience ‘right there with you’ is key to the success of an event, and one of the best ways to achieve that is to give their brains a break sometimes, and have a little fun. By a ‘break’ we are talking about a short 10 to 20 minute segment in between items (eg. in between panel discussions), or to commence and conclude the day.

There are many ways to add a little ‘break’ to your run of show, and they should be personalized for your virtual summit. The best breaks are entertaining, maybe a little quirky, align with the purpose of your event, and would directly connect with the general interests and profile of your audience.

Here are some quick ideas from previous Happily events that you can adapt, or use as inspiration.

1. A moment of mindfulness

A guided morning meditation can be a great way to bring your attendees together ahead of a day full of content. Meditations can come in many forms, such as a classic verbally guided meditation, through breathing exercises, or through the sound of singing crystal bowls. We have a menu of talented mindfulness experts and artists that we work with if you are looking to include something like this.

(GIF below) With a DoorDash event, we had ‘Waking up with gratitude’ with Sophia Li for a quick intro to gratitude journaling and writing prompts.

2. A game of ‘Never Have I Ever’

This popular game format is a perfect way to adapt the ‘never have I ever’s to your audience with quirky and specific things that only they could relate to as a collective.

(GIF below) For example, we recently included a ‘Never Have I Ever: Breast Cancer Edition’ for the Young Survival Coalition Summit and it was a big hit!

3. Getting that heart rate up

There are endless options for including a break that is a little higher energy, to get your attendees to their feet and shake out any restlessness. From classic workout classes, belly dancing, salsa, hip hop, or just a moment to dance along to some classic hits, we can bring to the table a teacher or DJ to make it happen.

4. Bring some (virtual) stand up comedy

How about a comedy night to conclude the day? Having a comedians that understand your audience, or perhaps can relate to them, is an absolute bonus.

(GIF below) For example, the YSC Summit had an all-female line-up of comedians, some of whose lives had been touched by breast cancer.

5. A much needed stretch with desk yoga

Chances are that your attendees are going to spend hours in the same position for your virtual summit - which is what you want! However, you do not want them to get stiff and sore. Some casual yoga stretches that can be done from the comfort of a desk or chair, will give your summit attendees a moment to ease any body stiffness.

(GIF below) We did this as part of an event with DoorDash with one of our Happily Wellness Leaders, Tommy Lucas.

6. The most adorable break at a fur baby cafe

This is a must for animal lovers. Hosted by a pet adoption center, attendees can meet and greet with some animals that need homes, and hear some heartwarming stories from people who are doing amazing work for animals-in-need within the community.

Also, it is a great opportunity for attendees to show off on camera their beloved dogs, cats, and pets (who are probably already hovering around their desk at home as they watch, let’s be honest).

(GIF below) We did this with an event for DoorDash with virtual pet adoption center, Wagmor Pets Dog Rescue. And just look at all those adorable animals!

7. A trivia moment

We all enjoy some quirky fun facts and to have our general knowledge challenged. Just like a classic bar trivia night, the questions can be as random or as specific to your audience as you like - just as long as they are also fun, of course. The key is to make it visual with some awesome slides.

(GIF below) Together with MJ Sieber, we had some Zoom Trivia for this event with DoorDash.

8. A live feed of… puppies

On the microsite (GIF below) for YSC’s 2021 Summit, attendees could at any time drop into the YouTube live feed of the Puppy Playroom at Warrior Canine Connection.

It was a huge success!