How o o ganise a
Face- o-Face Mee ing
An easy guide
h ps://www.p o-wild.eu
Table o
Con en s
In oduc ion
P e-Mee ing P epa a ion
Conduc ing he Mee ing
Pos -Mee ing Follow-up
Basic Facili a ion Skills o E ec i e
Mee ings
Las Bu No Leas ...
3
4
7
10
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14
I’ e lea ned ha people will o ge
wha you said, people will o ge
wha you did, bu people will ne e
o ge how you made hem eel
when hey me you. (Maya Angelou)
2
In oduc ion
Welcome o you Guide o Engaging S akeholde s Face-
o-Face Mee ings! The main pu pose o his guide is
simple: o help you e ec i ely o ganise ace- o- ace
mee ings wi h you key s akeholde s. We know ha o
many esea che s, en e ing he wo ld o e en logis ics
can eel somewha daun ing. You a e an expe in you
ield, no necessa ily in enue booking o ca e ing menus!
This guide aims o b idge ha knowledge gap, p o iding
you wi h he p ac ical s eps and insigh s you need.
1
Why ocus on ace- o- ace
mee ings? Because, despi e all
ou digi al ools, he e's s ill
immense powe in human
connec ion. Si ing ac oss a
able, sha ing a co ee and
discussing ideas ace- o- ace
can build us , os e deepe
unde s anding and spa k
collabo a ions in ways ha
i ual in e ac ions o en can' .
These mee ings a e c ucial o
meaning ul engagemen .
Don’ o ge o consul he PRO-WILD p ojec
S akeholde s Engagemen S a egy o mo e insigh s
abou you s akeholde s. Fo any o he ques ions o
assis ance, please con ac he HCC eam
(alina@highcle e-consul ing.com).
So, le 's ge s a ed on making you nex ace- o- ace
mee ing impac ul and smoo h. 3
P e-Mee ing P epa a ion
De ining Objec i es: You Mee ing's No h S a
E e y success ul mee ing s a s wi h a clea pu pose.
Be o e you send ou a single in i e, ask you sel : Wha do
you wan o achie e wi h his ga he ing?
●
In o ma ion-sha ing: A e you p ima ily he e o deli e
upda es, p esen esea ch indings o sha e p ojec
p og ess?
●
Decision-making: Do you need o each a consensus,
ge app o al on a speci ic plan o make a collec i e
choice?
●
Rela ionship-building: Is he main goal o os e us ,
s eng hen connec ions o c ea e a mo e collabo a i e
en i onmen among s akeholde s?
2
Iden i ying You Audience: Who Needs o Be The e?
Once you objec i e is clea , i 's ime o pinpoin who you
key s akeholde s a e o his pa icula mee ing. Think
abou he di e en g oups you p ojec in e ac s wi h:
●
A e you b inging oge he b eede s and a me s o
discuss new echniques o cul i a ing he CWR?
●
Do you need inpu om policymake s o shape u u e
egula ions?
●
A e seed buye s and endo s c ucial o implemen ing
solu ions?
●
Pe haps i 's a mix o esea che s, ad iso s, and local
communi y leade s.
Unde s anding you audience's backg ound, p io i ies
and p e e ed engagemen s yle will help you ailo he
en i e mee ing expe ience.
4
Logis ics Planning: Making I Happen Smoo hly
Now o he p ac ical s eps ha u n you ision in o
eali y. Good logis ics a e he backbone o a s ess- ee
mee ing.
●
Choosing a sui able enue:
Accessibili y: Is i easy o e e yone o ge o, especially
hose a elling om a a o wi h speci ic needs?
Com o : Is he e enough space, good ligh ing, and a
com o able a mosphe e o p oduc i e discussions?
Neu ali y: Does he enue eel welcoming and impa ial
o all pa icipan s? Some imes, a neu al loca ion can
encou age mo e open dialogue.
●
Scheduling: Find a da e and ime ha wo ks bes o
you key pa icipan s ( hei li es yle is e y impo an !). Be
mind ul o peak seasons, holidays o o he majo e en s
ha migh con lic . Ea ly planning helps he e!
●
Budge ing: Ge a clea pic u e o you cos s. This may
include enue en al, ca e ing (such as co ee b eaks and
lunch), ma e ials (p in ing and s a ione y) and po en ially
a el eimbu semen s o some a endees.
2
“You ne e ge a
second chance o make
a i s imp ession.” –
Michael Reed
5
Sending In i a ions: Ge ing Them in he Doo
You in i a ion is he i s imp ession o you mee ing.
Make i coun !
●
C a ing clea , engaging in i a ions: Whe he by email,
phone call, o o mal le e , you in i a ion should clea ly
s a e he mee ing's pu pose, wha a endees can expec ,
and why hei p esence is impo an . Be concise bu
in o ma i e.
●
Se ing RSVP deadlines and acking a endance:
Include a clea da e by which a endees should con i m
hei p esence. This is c ucial o managing ca e ing,
ma e ials and sea ing a angemen s. Keep a unning ally
o who's con i med. I ’s a good idea o con i m
pa icipa ion by phone, a leas o he key pa icipan s.
2
Agenda De elopmen : S uc u ing o Success
The agenda is you mee ing's oadmap. A well-designed
agenda keeps e e yone on ack and ensu es all
objec i es a e me .
●
S uc u ing a balanced mee ing low: Think abou an
engaging sequence – maybe s a wi h an in oduc ion
and objec i e e iew, mo e in o key discussions,
inco po a e in e ac i e pa s like g oup wo k o Q&A and
inish wi h nex s eps.
●
Alloca ing su icien ime o ne wo king and in o mal
con e sa ions: Don' unde es ima e he powe o co ee
b eaks and lunch! These in o mal momen s a e o en
whe e he bes connec ions a e made and us is uly
buil . Plan o hem, a he han le ing hem happen by
chance.
6
C ea ing a Welcoming A mosphe e: Se ing he Tone
The momen you a endees walk h ough he doo ,
you' e se ing he s age. A wa m and in i ing a mosphe e
can make all he di e ence in os e ing open dialogue.
●
G ee a endees pe sonally and in oduce key people: A
iendly ace and a di ec welcome make e e yone eel
alued. Ensu e key eam membe s a e in oduced so
s akeholde s know who's who. Don’ o ge : pa icipan s
need o sign he a endance lis /o he documen s.
●
Use iceb eake s o os e in e ac ion: A sho , engaging
iceb eake can quickly b eak down ini ial ba ie s, ge
people alking, and c ea e a mo e elaxed en i onmen
o he discussions o ollow. Keep i ele an and b ie !
Some examples o easy iceb eake s o adul s can be
ound he e.
3
“Fos e ing
connec ion is
abou in es ing
ime in o
unde s anding
one ano he .” –
Isaac Palme
7
Conduc ing he mee ing
Facili a ing Discussions: Guiding he Con e sa ion
You ole as a acili a o is o ensu e ha discussions a e
p oduc i e, inclusi e, and s ay on ack owa ds you
objec i es.
●
Ac i e lis ening and inclusi e mode a ion: Pay close
a en ion o wha 's being said, no jus o espond, bu o
uly unde s and. Encou age e e yone o con ibu e,
ensu ing no single oice domina es and quie e
pa icipan s eel com o able speaking up.
●
Adap ing o di e en communica ion s yles o
s akeholde s: Some s akeholde s a e di ec , o he s p e e
a mo e nuanced app oach. Be lexible in you mode a ion,
ensu ing e e yone can exp ess hei iews e ec i ely.
3
Ensu ing Engagemen : Keeping E e yone In ol ed
An engaged audience is an ac i e audience. You wan
pa icipan s o eel in es ed in he con e sa ion and he
ou comes.
●
Encou aging pa icipa ion wi h open ques ions: Mo e
beyond "yes/no" ques ions. Use open-ended ques ions
ha in i e deepe hough , a ied pe spec i es and
s imula e discussion. Fo example, "Wha challenges ha e
you encoun e ed wi h X?" o "How migh his solu ion
impac you daily ope a ions?"
●
Using s o y elling and eal-wo ld examples: Abs ac
concep s can be ha d o g asp. Illus a e you poin s wi h
ela able s o ies o p ac ical examples ha esona e wi h
you audience's expe iences. This makes he in o ma ion
mo e memo able and encou ages ac i e discussion.
8
Tips & T icks
Use a isual ime : A simple, isible
coun down can keep e e yone ocused
on he ime emaining o each opic.
Gen ly edi ec he con e sa ion: I
he discussion ge s o - opic, poli ely
guide i back o he agenda.
Use a "pa king lo ": C ea e a space (like
a whi eboa d) o aluable bu non-
u gen ideas o be discussed la e .
Assign clea ac ions: Be o e mo ing o
he nex opic, con i m wha was
decided and who is esponsible o he
nex s eps.
Managing Time E ec i ely: Keeping on T ack
Time managemen is key o a success ul mee ing ha
espec s e e yone's schedule. S icking o he agenda
while allowing lexibili y o aluable discussions. The
agenda is you guide, no a igid p ison. Be p epa ed o
gen ly s ee con e sa ions back on opic, bu also
ecognise when a angen is genuinely p oduc i e and
wa an s a li le ex a ime. Balance e iciency wi h dep h.
3
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How o o ganise a
Face- o-Face Mee ing
An easy guide
h ps://www.p o-wild.eu
The PRO-WILD p ojec p o ec s and p omo es wild
ela i es o whea , suga bee , and oilseed ape,
ha nessing hei aluable ai s o imp o e nu i ional
quali y and esilience o bio ic and abio ic s esses.
The p ojec in ol es 19 pa ne s om 11 coun ies and
is co- unded by he EU, UK and Swi ze land.
h ps://www.p o-wild.eu
Au ho s:
Elena Ion (elena@highcle e-
consul ing.com)
Alina Alexa (alina@highcle e-
consul ing.com)
B așo , Romania, 2025.
Design and pic u es: Can a.com
