7 Ways to Liven Up Your Business Meeting

It is an unfortunate fact that boring meetings are all too familiar. It does not have to be this way, however. If you want your meeting to be a time of productivity, consider the following to help make it more engaging.

More Input

Many meeting attendees will zone out during an extended monologue. Sure, sometimes meetings need to be dominated by one individual who shares a lot of information, but group input is often valuable. If attendees don’t get any input or don’t have the chance to share their thoughts or questions, they’ll likely lose focus. By asking questions and allowing for more dialogue, however, the speaker can combat this potential boredom. An interactive meeting is less likely to bore those present.

Change of Scenery

Sometimes the location contributes to a meeting’s dullness. Meeting in the same stuffy room every time can take a toll. Maybe it’s too warm, or too cold, or not private enough—whatever it is, meeting in the same place over and over again can hinder your productivity. This makes off-site meetings a great opportunity. Escape the office! Why not visit a resort or a city where you’ve opened a new office? Changing things up occasionally can liven up a meeting and prevent it from growing stagnant.

Food

People like food. It’s a fact. There are very few occasions when the addition of food cannot improve the situation. Meetings are prime examples: someone dreading the impending gathering may find a little extra incentive to be there if they know they’ll receive a meal. But how much more incentive is there if they know they’ll receive an excellent, high-quality meal? Even better, interesting local cuisine and heartier, healthier options, combined with entertainment, a beautiful view, or a setting, can truly enchant attendees. Providing meeting participants with a genuine dining experience will undoubtedly enhance your event.

Communication Styles

While most meetings focus on visual and auditory experiences, few focus on the other styles in which many attendees may use to learn or communicate.  Some participants may be tactile learners, who need to hold something in their hands, feel it, and touch it to engage with the experience fully.  Other attendees may find it helpful to tug at their emotions, so a compelling story or video may provide a lasting memory.  Whatever your meeting is about, be sure to incorporate various communication styles so that your message resonates with everyone in the room.

Visual Aids

Sometimes, a visual aid or two (or three or four) can help break up the monotony of a meeting. PowerPoint presentations sometimes get a bad rap, but if they’re done well, they can help keep people engaged. Alternatively, consider other visual mediums: a brief video, hands-on experiences, or breakout sessions can be highly effective.

Break It Up

Breaks are not bad! Too often, meetings are run as if there can be no stopping, as if any loss of momentum guarantees the meeting’s failure. But many times the opposite is true—well-timed breaks can make a meeting more productive. Giving people time to stretch their legs, use the restroom, or collect their thoughts will help them stay focused.

Change of Structure

One way to liven up your meeting is to deviate from your typical structure. If your past four meetings have followed the same structure, for example, it might be time to change things up. This modification, however subtle, helps keep your meetings from sinking into the kind of mind-numbing repetition that makes attendees zone out.

Utilize Social Media

Social media has taken over the world, so it’s worth trying to implement this technology into your meetings. Encouraging meeting attendees to post, tweet, etc., about your meeting can help keep people engaged. Sharing content helps that content stick in attendees’ minds.  It can also help build interest among potential customers, especially if it is a new product nearing launch.

Conclusion

Business meetings are a necessary element of the modern workplace, but they don’t have to be boring. By incorporating variety and changing things up, you can help attendees stay focused. After all, the more engaged your attendees are, the more productive your meeting can be.

Seeking a change of venue for your next meeting?  Contact Gavel International to learn more about planning and travel programs for your next meeting or corporate gathering.

This article was last updated on June 11, 2025

• Author
• Recent Posts

John George

As an experienced meeting professional, John employs his 32 years of industry experience to pour individual care into creating customized meetings and travel programs. Prior to his time at Gavel, John worked tirelessly to create a diverse knowledge of all aspects of destination travel and the hotel industry. Additionally, he worked for a major pharmaceutical company as their corporate meeting manager, and spent several years in hotel sales management at both Hyatt and Westin Hotels. He uses his specialized destination and product knowledge to guide clients toward the perfect location to achieve their goals. Employing his expert negotiation skills, he ensures optimal value while helping clients stay on or under budget. From start to finish, clients can enjoy stress-free meeting planning, knowing both big-picture and small details will run smoothly under John’s watchful eye. For the past 23 years he has been lending his expert knowledge to Gavel as an Account Manager.

Latest posts by John George (see all)

• Memorable Meetings in Abundant Sunshine and the Natural Beauty of Phoenix - March 24, 2025
• Incentive Trailblazing with John George in Banff, Canada - December 4, 2023
• Nature’s Playground: Big Sky and Bozeman, MT - September 26, 2022