WORKSHOP FACILITATORS, TRAINERS & KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Workshop facilitators, hosts and trainers feature at conference and convention events. When organizations look to bring in outside experts to facilitate training sessions, team-building activities or strategy workshops, they have a wide array of presenter types to choose from, though. Different workshop facilitators bring their own unique backgrounds, specialties and facilitation styles to the table.

Subject Matter Experts
Many workshops aim to impart targeted knowledge or skills related to specific topics or domains. For these types of educational sessions, companies often turn to workshop facilitators who are recognized subject matter experts with deep experience and credentials in the field being covered. Corporate trainers, industry consultants, academics, authors and researchers frequently take on subject matter expert facilitation roles for workshops focused on areas like technology, finance, marketing, leadership development and more. Their expertise allows them to share valuable insights, best practices and frameworks related to the core subject.

Process/Methodology Facilitators
For workshops centered around systematic processes or methodologies – such as design thinking, lean six sigma, agile development or project management principles – there is demand for facilitators skilled in guiding groups through the associated exercises, activities and iterative steps involved. Premier workshop facilitators have extensive training and certification in specific process-oriented methods and can deftly facilitate the workflow while providing expert coaching.

Creativity/Innovation Facilitators
When the goal is to spark creative thinking, innovation or problem-solving, many workshops employ facilitators who specialize in fostering an environment conducive to generating new ideas. Advisors leverage hands-on exercises, visual thinking techniques, design frameworks and unique interactive tools to unlock perspectives and solutions. Their role is as much about energizing and enabling creative collaboration as subject-level instruction.

Team Dynamics Facilitators
For internal company workshops aimed at areas like team building, leadership training or group dynamics, facilitators with a background in organizational psychology, coaching or Human Resources are often brought in. Consultants’ facilitation style focuses on activities and discussions that improve areas like communication, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, cohesion and performance management. Pros’ expertise is leveraging team psychology for better collaboration.

External Strategists/Facilitators
Company leaders looking for an outside perspective for strategy workshops frequently turn to facilitators who have worked across multiple industries and organizations. These “Content Agnostic” facilitators from management consulting firms or other strategy practices are not Subject Matter Experts, but rather facilitate the strategic thinking process itself through stakeholder interviews, ideation exercises, decision frameworks and more.

No matter the facilitation type, the most effective workshop facilitators have strong communication abilities, can energize and engage participants, leverage thoughtful exercises and create an open, productive environment for learning and growth.