The success of an online conference (as well as many other types of virtual events) largely depends on the guest speakers and valuable content that is provided to participants. However, organizers forget that online events are governed by slightly different laws than in-person ones and do not pay much attention to the proper planning of breaks. Why are breaks so important, especially at online events?

Why do we need breaks?

During a stationary event, breaks are most often scheduled between thematic segments, modules or speeches to move from one space to another. This is when participants can also use the restroom, have a short chat with another person or drink water. Performing an activity or movement will effectively "refresh" the head, making the participant able to refocus during the next segment. What's more, even if the conference involves long lectures or panels, the presenters and speakers have direct contact with the audience, so they can see when the audience is already tired and loses attention - people then begin to turn around, giving the impression of being more nervous. This is a clear signal for the presenters to announce a short break and return to the substantive part afterwards.

Skipping breaks is a mistake

At online events, it is unfortunately a common practice to skip breaks and arrange speeches and agneda points one after another. Organizers most likely believe that attendees connecting from their homes as spectators, without cameras and microphones, have no need to move around, and can use the restroom or get a drink of water at any time during the event. This is a big mistake because it reduces the online event solely to an almost-anonymous joining the broadcast and logging out right after it ends. The organizer, so to speak, even deprives the participant of the opportunity to fully engage in the event. It also does not help here that the presenters and speakers cannot see the audience and their reactions, so they have no way to react by announcing a break. This leads to the fact that they often recall it quite late or forget about it at all.

Properly plan the breaks at an online event well

So how do you schedule breaks at an online event so as to keep participants as focused and engaged as possible, while not exhausting them? There is no clear answer to this question, as a lot really depends on the type of event and its theme. However, you should certainly remember that the longer the event, the more breaks it should have and the longer they should be. If we are organizing a 2-hour webinar, we can safely plan one 10-minute break between the first and second hour of the broadcast. If our event lasts from 8 AM to 6 PM, there should definitely be more breaks, and in addition to the short ones, we should also include longer coffee breaks and a minimum of one hour break for lunch or dinner.

Before we start planning breaks, let's answer the question of how long we can stand in one position at the computer. Will it be 30 or 45 minutes? Or maybe a full hour? Let's also try to predict when the moment will come when we get hungry, assuming we have eaten a meal 30 minutes before the event starts. Will it be after 2.5 hours or more like 4? Thinking about the event from the perspective of the participants, who are expected to spend several hours in front of a monitor screen, will allow us to look more empathetically at their needs and understand that properly planned breaks will be necessary to make it to the end.

And most importantly. When planning breaks, do not treat them as an unpleasant necessity, but rather as an opportunity to provide attendees with interesting experiences and further engage them in the event. After all, 20-minute coffee breaks or hour-long lunch breaks do not have to be all about making coffee and eating! Use them to give attendees space to network and meet new people on the event's platform (such as Gridaly's speed networking module, which brings people together for a few minutes of conversation based on their interests).

So what should an event look like with properly planned breaks? Let's look at the examples below.

9:00-10:30 Thematic block 1
10:30-11:00 Coffee break
11:00-12:30 Thematic block 2
12:30-13:30 Lunch break
13:30-15:00 Thematic block 3
15:00-15:30 Coffee break
15:30-17:00 Thematic block 4

The event's agenda calls for 4 substantive blocks of 90 minutes each, between which there will be two 30-minute breaks and a one-hour lunch break. Although the thematic blocks are quite long, the breaks are similarly long, which will allow participants to rest from the monitor and recuperate before the next blocks.

9:30-10:00 Speech
10:00-10:05 Break
10:05-10:35 Speech 2
10:35-10:40 Break
10:40-11:10 Speech 3
11:10-11:25 Coffee break
11:25-11:55 Speech 4
11:55-12:00 Intermission
12:00-12:30 Speech
12:30-12:35 Break
12:35-13:05 Speech

The event agenda calls for six 30-minute speeches interspersed with 5-minute breaks and one 15-minute coffee break. Although there are more speeches than at the first event, they are much shorter, so the breaks between speeches are also shorter. The agenda does not include a longer lunch or dinner break, as the entire event lasts less than 4 hours.

Good practices during an event

Now that we know how to plan breaks well during an online event, it is worth mentioning a few words about how to approach them from the organizer's perspective. First of all, always inform participants about breaks after the end of a given module or speech. It is also a good idea to announce the break at the beginning of the speech, so that the audience can plan their time accordingly. If our event includes a break on the main stage, let's prepare special boards to remind the audience of its duration and provide a clear sign, e.g. for latecomers, that the broadcast will still continue. If we anticipate breaks during workshop sessions, where participants connect to the sound and video from the camera, ask them to turn them off or leave the session altogether for the duration of the break.