13:30Openers and energisers
Conference icebreakers that work for 50 or 500
Not a chat with the person next to you. Whole-room games on my own software, every delegate on their own phone, ten minutes to change the temperature of the room. For the cold start at nine and the slump at half past one.
5.0 from 29 reviews·800+ events·Hosted a live Q&A with Deborah Meaden
WhereThe three moments
Three moments every conference loses people, and what I do about each
Icebreakers fail at scale because they were designed for twelve people in a training room. These were designed for a hall.
The cold room at nine
Delegates arrive as strangers with coffee. A two-minute round of Top Answers, table against table, and the first speaker walks into a room that is already laughing.
The slump at half past one
Blood sugar drops, the third speaker walks on, phones come out. Ten minutes of Higher or Lower with the whole room shouting at the screen resets the afternoon.
The gap before networking
Networking fails because nobody has an opening line. A Scavenger Hunt or a round of Category Clues gives every table something to talk about before the drinks.
FormatsThe games
Eight formats, all on the big screen, all on their phones
Top Answers
We asked 100 delegates. Two tables go head to head on the survey board. The fastest way to get a cold room laughing.
Opener · tables v tables
Quiz Show
Pick a category, buzz in first. Rounds written around your company, your industry and your in-jokes.
Any time · teams
Higher or Lower
A row of giant cards. The whole room shouts higher or lower before the flip.
Energiser · whole room
What the Blank
Fill in the blank and match the hidden ranked answers. Instant table banter.
Post-lunch · tables
Guess the Phrase
A hidden phrase, revealed letter by letter, with the room calling it out.
Between sessions
Category Clues
One describes, one guesses, against the clock. No saying the word.
Networking mixer
Scavenger Hunt
Sends the whole room hunting. Up to ten teams against a countdown.
Gets people moving
Conveyor Belt
The conveyor belt of prizes rolls past. Remember as many as you can.
FinaleHowOn the day
How it works on the day
A QR code goes up on your screen. Delegates scan it and they are in: no app, no sign-up, no IT ticket. I run the round from one host control panel and switch games in a tap, so there is no dead air while a laptop catches up.
Scores are live, by table or by team. Everybody plays, nobody has to stand up, and the round ends exactly when I say it does, which is the part your production manager will like.
- Load-tested for 250+ players answering at once
- Works on venue wi-fi or mobile data
- Runs in your brand colours
- Included in every conference I host
StepsThe process
What happens when you book icebreakers with me
Send the agenda
I look for the three moments the room will dip and suggest a format for each.
I write the rounds
Around your company, your industry and the in-jokes you send me. Nothing that singles anyone out.
Ten minutes, three times
Short rounds placed where the energy needs them, not where a slot happened to be free.
The room stays with you
The next speaker gets an audience that is awake, mixed up and on side.
FAQBefore you book
Icebreaker questions
Not answered here? Call me on 07596 851647 or send the agenda and I will come back within one working day.
What makes a good icebreaker for a large group?
It has to work without anyone leaving their seat, without a microphone being passed round, and without singling anyone out. That rules out most of what gets called an icebreaker. Whole-room games on phones work because everyone plays at once and nobody has to perform.
How long should a conference icebreaker be?
Five to ten minutes. Long enough to change the temperature of the room, short enough that the agenda does not notice. I usually run two or three across a day rather than one long slot.
Do delegates need to download anything?
No. They scan a QR code on the big screen and play in their phone’s browser. It works on venue wi-fi or mobile data, and I have run it with 250 people answering at once.
Can you do icebreakers for a virtual or hybrid conference?
Yes. The same games run for remote delegates, and I host from a studio or the venue so the online room and the physical room play the same round.
What if our audience is senior and serious?
Senior audiences are the ones who enjoy it most, because nobody has let them play anything for years. The games are quick, corporate-safe and written around your business. I have run them for boards, partners’ conferences and a room full of CEOs.
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17:00Close
Send me your agenda. I’ll show you where the room comes alive.
A fixed price, a free planning call, and a reply within one working day.