Breakout Session
Smaller, focused sessions that run concurrently during a conference.
Definition
Breakout sessions are smaller, topic-specific meetings that run simultaneously during a conference, allowing attendees to choose subjects most relevant to them. They encourage deeper discussion and networking among people with shared interests. Effective breakout planning considers room sizes, speaker quality, and balanced attendance distribution.
Why It Matters
Breakout sessions allow events to serve diverse audience needs simultaneously. While general sessions address broad themes, breakouts deliver deep dives that create real value for specific attendee segments.
Effective breakout programming requires understanding audience needs and balancing breadth with depth. The best conferences create meaningful choices rather than filler sessions competing for attention.
Examples in Practice
A marketing conference offers beginner, intermediate, and advanced tracks, serving attendees at all experience levels.
A tech event's hands-on workshop breakouts consistently rate highest in post-event surveys despite smaller attendance.
A sales kickoff uses breakout sessions to address regional challenges, making global content locally relevant.