Breakout Room
Smaller meeting spaces adjacent to main conference areas used for concurrent sessions or small group discussions.
Definition
Breakout rooms are smaller meeting spaces used for concurrent sessions, workshops, or small group discussions that happen alongside or between main sessions. They enable conferences to offer multiple tracks, interactive workshops, and intimate discussions that large ballrooms can't accommodate.
Planning breakout rooms involves capacity matching to expected attendance, ensuring adequate AV, minimizing travel time from main sessions, and managing noise bleed between adjacent rooms. Signage and wayfinding are critical when attendees navigate between spaces.
Why It Matters
Breakout rooms enable content personalization—attendees choose sessions relevant to their interests rather than sitting through one-size-fits-all programming. This increases perceived value and engagement while serving diverse audience needs.
Breakouts also create more intimate settings for interactive formats, networking, and sensitive discussions inappropriate for large audiences.
Examples in Practice
A conference offers 4 concurrent breakout tracks, letting marketers, developers, executives, and beginners each find relevant content.
A workshop breakout with tables and whiteboards enables hands-on exercises impossible in theater-style general sessions.
An unconference uses breakout rooms for attendee-proposed discussions, creating emergent programming that feels fresh and relevant.