There’s a habit in the meetings and events industry that we need to rethink:
We keep trying to fill every minute.
When there’s an open 30 minutes on an agenda, our instinct is often to find something to put there. Another breakout. Another speaker. Another networking activity. Another opportunity to “add value.”
After all, attendees have invested their time and money to be there. We want to make sure we’re giving them as much as possible.
But what if giving them more is actually giving them less?
A packed agenda might look impressive on paper, but it doesn’t necessarily create a better attendee experience. In fact, when we move people from session to session without giving them time to process, connect or simply reset, we may be undermining the very outcomes we’re trying to achieve.
It’s time to start thinking about white space as part of the event design.
Stop Measuring Value by the Number of Sessions
One of the first questions I ask when looking at an event agenda is:
What do we actually want attendees to walk away with?
Because the answer is rarely, “We want them to attend 11 sessions today.”
We want them to learn something. Make a meaningful connection. Discover a new idea. Feel more connected to the organization. Leave inspired to take action.
Those outcomes require more than content.
They require time to absorb it.
Think about what happens after a really great session. Someone turns to the person sitting next to them and says, “That really made me think about…”
That conversation might be the beginning of a new idea, a collaboration or even a professional relationship.
But if the agenda says the next session starts in five minutes on the other side of the convention center, we’ve effectively told them:
Stop talking. Keep moving.
We designed the session, but we didn’t design for what could happen because of it.
Design for Absorption, Connection and Energy
When I review an agenda, I like to think about three things beyond the actual programming:
Absorption. Connection. Energy.
Absorption
If attendees are consuming content hour after hour, when are they processing it?
More information doesn’t automatically equal more learning. Give attendees opportunities to reflect, discuss and make connections between what they’ve heard and what it means for them.
Sometimes the best thing you can put after a powerful educational session is…nothing.
Connection
We consistently hear that one of the biggest reasons people attend conferences is to connect with other people.
Yet look at many conference agendas and networking is relegated to a reception at the end of the day or squeezed into a 15-minute coffee break.
If connection is an important outcome of your event, where have you intentionally created the time for it to happen?
Not every networking moment needs a facilitator, a prompt or a structured activity.
Sometimes people simply need enough time to finish the conversation they started.
Energy
We also need to be realistic about what we're asking of our attendees.
A fantastic 4:00 p.m. session can still fail if attendees have been sitting in meeting rooms since 8:00 that morning.
When you look at your agenda, don't just ask whether the timing works operationally.
Ask:
What will my attendees' energy look like at this point in the day?
There’s a difference between designing an agenda that fits into the available hours and designing an experience around the humans who will actually participate in it.
White Space Doesn't Mean Nothing Is Happening
This is probably the biggest misconception.
Adding white space doesn't mean putting a giant block on the agenda labeled “DO NOTHING.”
White space can look like:
A 30-minute break instead of 15 minutes
A longer lunch where attendees aren't expected to participate in programming
Optional sessions or activities
Open networking spaces
Reflection time following a major session
Flexible time to visit exhibitors
A later morning start after an evening event
Ending programming earlier and allowing attendees to choose how they use their time
The important distinction is choice.
We spend so much time designing what attendees will do that sometimes we forget to give them the opportunity to decide what they need.
For one attendee, that extra 30 minutes might mean continuing a conversation with someone they just met.
For another, it might mean calling home.
Someone else might use it to visit an exhibitor they haven't had time to see.
And someone might simply sit down with a cup of coffee and recharge.
All of those things can contribute to a better event experience.
Before You Add Something Else, Ask Why
As event professionals, we are really good at adding.
Adding another speaker. Another session. Another reception. Another activity.
I think we need to get equally comfortable with removing.
When you're reviewing your next agenda, don't only ask:
“What are we missing?”
Also ask:
“What could we take away?”
Look at every piece of programming and consider whether it directly supports the purpose of the event and the behavior or outcome you're trying to create.
If it doesn't, perhaps it doesn't need to be there.
And if removing it gives attendees more opportunity to absorb what they've learned, build relationships or simply have the energy to fully participate in what comes next, you've likely created more value—not less.
A Full Agenda Isn't the Goal
Our job isn't to make sure attendees are busy every minute they're with us.
Our job is to create an environment where the things we want to happen can actually happen.
Learning needs room.
Connection needs room.
Reflection needs room.
And people need room.
So the next time you see an empty space on your conference agenda, resist the instinct to immediately fill it.
Instead, ask yourself:
What could happen here if we intentionally left some space?
Because your attendees don't need you to fill every minute.
They need you to make every minute you do fill matter.