Strategic meeting formats do more than foster engagement—they tap into the collective intelligence of attendees. When participants become co-creators instead of passive listeners, the richest takeaways often come from the room, not the stage.
Here are eight formats that spark dialogue, surface original ideas and generate content that lasts long after the session ends…
1. Jeffersonian Dinner
Best for: Building meaningful relationships and uncovering rich insights through dynamic, diverse conversations
Ideal group size: 8 to 14 participants
Inspired by Thomas Jefferson’s 18th-century curated dinner gatherings that brought together artists, diplomats and thinkers for lively, thoughtful exchange, this format invites anywhere from eight to 14 people to share one inclusive conversation around a single, meaningful question.
Unlike typical networking dinners, there are no side chats or splinter groups—just one guided dialogue where every voice is heard. To execute this, one host shares a question in advance and sets the tone for a relaxed but intentional experience. It’s especially impactful when guests come from varied backgrounds and are open to reflection.
These dinners often foster true connection and yield insights worth documenting.
2. World Café
Best for: Cross-pollinating ideas and surfacing group wisdom
Ideal group size: 20 to 100-plus participants, in clusters of 4 to 6 per table
World Café turns large-group conversations into a series of small, rotating table discussions by separating guests into tables of four to six people tasked with exploring a key question or theme. After 15 to 20 minutes, participants rotate to a new table, while one “host” stays to recap earlier ideas.
Over several rounds, insights build across groups. The best takeaways are shared during a final segment of the session.
World Café is a simple, scalable way to surface collective wisdom while giving everyone a voice.
3. Fishbowl Conversation
Best for: Exploring different viewpoints and encouraging inclusive dialogue
Ideal group size: 10 to 30-plus participants, with 4 to 6 in the inner circle at a given time
A fishbowl format sets up an inner circle of four to six people engaged in open discussion, with an outer circle of observers.
One or two seats in the middle stay open, so observers can “tap in” and join the conversation, replacing someone who steps out. As a result, the discussion stays focused but fluid, giving more people a chance to participate without losing structure.
Fishbowl conversations are especially effective for sensitive or complex topics where multiple perspectives matter.
4. Open Space Technology
Best for: Crowd-sourced exploration and co-created conversation
Ideal group size: 25 to more than 250 (scales with facilitation)
Open Space Technology (OST) starts with a theme or big question, such as, “How can we build trust through technology?” What makes this format unique is that it’s participant-driven. In other words, there’s no agenda.
With OST, participants suggest breakout topics by writing them on a shared wall, then self-organize into sessions based on interest. Conversations are then led by a volunteer or note-taker, and participants can move freely between groups.
The result is a high-energy meeting that’s great for surfacing unexpected ideas. Don’t forget to wrap with a quick group debrief to gather takeaways.
5. Design Charrette
Best for: Creative problem-solving and visual storytelling
Ideal group size: 6 to 24 participants, in breakout teams
A Design Charrette is a fast-paced, collaborative workshop for solving a challenge or prototyping a new idea.
In teams of four to six, participants move through four timed phases—brainstorm, sketch, build and present—using markers, sticky notes, journey maps or digital tools. A facilitator keeps the pace and guides each stage.
Originally used in architecture, a Design Charrette format works across industries to generate visual, ready-to-share concepts in real time.
6. Lightning Decision Jam
Best for: Fast decisions and clear next steps
Ideal group size: 4 to 10 participants
Lighting Design Jam (LDJ) is a quick, structured way to go from problems to action in less than 90 minutes.
Participants start by writing down challenges silently, then vote to surface the most important one. After each person sketches a solution, there’s another vote to pick the strongest idea to prototype or plan.
LDJ keeps things focused, balanced and fast-moving—with clear takeaways you can act on or share.
7. Reverse Brainstorming
Best for: Shifting perspectives and revealing blind spots
Ideal group size: 5 to 15 participants
With Reverse Brainstorming, instead of asking, “How do we improve this?” participants ask “How could we make it worse?”
Participants list worst-case ideas without judgment, then flip each one into a solution. (Example: “Confuse attendees with vague signage” becomes “Use bold, intuitive signs.”) It’s energizing, a little irreverent and often surfaces things you’d otherwise miss.
8. Story Circles
Best for: Honest insights and connection through storytelling
Ideal group size: 4 to 24 participants, in breakout groups
Story Circles help people share real experiences in a structured, safe space.
Small groups of four to six respond to a prompt such as, “Talk about a time you felt included at work.” Everyone takes a turn recounting a relevant, personal anecdote while others just listen.
Afterwards, the group reflects on what stood out: themes, emotions or phrases that stuck with them. With a good facilitator, these stories often uncover insights you won’t get from data or surveys—and they’re perfect for messaging, insight on incentives like diversity, equity and inclusion or corporate social responsibility, as well as leadership work.
