To organize a training workshop, you’ll need to sort out the venue, prepare your materials, confirm who’s attending, and make sure the session runs smoothly on the day. It can feel like a lot to juggle, especially if you’re running training alongside your usual workload. These eight tips can help you plan a clear and stress-free workshop.
Quick Guide: How to Organize a Training Workshop
- Clarify the purpose & audience
- Secure the right venue & room layout
- Prepare or buy ready-made training course materials
- Market the session & confirm attendees
- Set up the room and use a training-day checklist
- Follow up with feedback and improvements
Before you plan the practical details, it helps to define the learning objectives, clarify the target audience, and do a simple training needs analysis to confirm what employees actually need from the session. A short workshop agenda will then guide your timings and the flow of activities.
If you’re looking for more tools and practical advice, you can also explore our full collection of trainer delivery facilitation guides – or visit our workplace Train-the-Trainer guides and frameworks for more trainer and HR advice.
1. How do you arrange and organize the training venue?
To arrange the training venue, confirm a room that matches your group size, accessibility needs, and equipment requirements, then agree on clear logistics with the venue contact in advance.
Furthermore, even if providing in-house training for a company, they often fail to provide everything that you, as the trainer, might need for the training day, facilities-wise, so it is worth having a checklist to run through what you need to do.
You will need to make sure that you consider the following:
- You create a brief workshop agenda so you can check that the room layout, timing, and resources support each part of the session.
- Training room scheduled/booked.
- Finding out the contact information for venue support – i.e., key holder and IT support in case the computer network doesn’t work on the day.
- Make sure that you provide participants with clear entry information to get into the venue and training room on the day.
- Disability access is considered and discussed with the venue (ensure you, for example, know how to guide wheelchair users as needed on the training day or have access to someone in the venue who will help).
- Discussing what food and refreshments they can offer. Depending on whether you are running a two-hour, half-day, or full-day, refreshments may or may not be needed. At the very least, though, providing glasses and drinking water for participants is always a good idea.
It also helps to create a simple budget for venue costs, refreshments, materials, and any extra resources you may need for activities.
If you’re unsure how long your session should run, our guide on choosing the ideal workshop length explains how to match timing to content, learning goals, and participant needs.
Small factors like hydration and comfort significantly impact how well employees absorb and retain learning — see more strategies for improving employee learning retention.
For event-day logistics, many trainers also refer to this Eventbrite event-planning checklist, which includes reminders that often apply to workshops, too.
2. How do you create or buy training course materials?
You can either create your own training course materials or save time by using ready-made, editable training packs that already include slides, trainer notes, and handouts.
The training materials should include:
- PowerPoint slides and presentation (with teacher notes and the training activities included)
- Students’ guide
- Printable participants’ certificate
- Teacher’s guide
- Feedback form (to gather valuable feedback to continually improve your workshops)
- Signing-in sheet for the workshop
Example of our editable training materials that trainers can use to run complete workshops in-house.
You can buy pre-made training course materials that include what’s shown in the image above, for example.
The other option is to design and use your own training materials.
When designing your own materials, there are generally two common situations here, and these are:
- You already have the materials available to you, i.e., you have taught this same topic before, or a colleague has provided you with good enough quality materials to use.
- You are starting from scratch and will design the materials yourself. If this is the case, then make sure to read this post on How to Design Teaching Materials on PowerPoint.
3. How can you market your training workshop to find attendees?
Market your training workshop by clearly explaining the benefits for employees, using email and internal channels, and making sign-up as simple as possible.
Sites and tools such as Eventbrite, SessionLab, or even simple planning systems such as SeaTable can help you organize sign-ups, structure your agenda, and track participant information more efficiently.
I have written a post dedicated to how to market yourself as a freelance trainer that you might find really useful.
If you are being hired or paid as a trainer for a company that already has people they need you to train, the need to market your training will not be necessary, and you can skip this point.
4. How should you prepare yourself as the trainer?
As the trainer, prepare yourself by planning your timing, checking your materials and technology, and taking care of practicalities such as clothing, hydration, and business cards.
Whether you act as a trainer or a facilitator, the goal is the same: guide participants through the learning experience in a structured, supportive way.
The list of things to prepare includes:
- A clean set of clothes.
- Alarm set on your watch or cellphone or both (try to be at the training venue at least 30 minutes before to ensure that you are not late on a training day).
- Carry a bottle of water (to moisten your throat during training in case it gets dry as you present).
- I recommend having a batch of business cards printed to hand to anyone who might want one.
- Have backups of your training materials (discussed further in extra tips below).
You can also explore our corporate training tips for additional ideas on managing timing, learner engagement, and session flow.
5. How do you set up the training room on the day?
Set up the training room so participants can see and hear clearly, move easily, and access any equipment or power points they need.
Considerations will include:
- Is there a sign on the door making it easier for participants to find the room?
- Also, if you are permitted by the venue, can you put up temporary signage from the building entrance to the training room?
- Are there enough chairs? Do the chairs allow enough space for any wheelchair user to still navigate the room easily enough?
- Give careful consideration to the seating plan when giving training. You can read more here in our post on training room seating planning. Are there computers in the training room that you will use? Do they require a login, and will someone ensure the login is taken care of on the day? Find out!
- Find out where the nearest fire exits are so that you are aware.
- Ensure there are enough glasses and water for participants to help themselves in the training room (you do not have to do this, but it creates a better impression).
- Ensure that the room temperature is moderate and, if possible, that there is some airflow.
- Ensure that you know how to use the blinds or how to block direct sunlight into the room in case it becomes an issue.
- If participants will use their own laptops during the training, are there enough power access points set up?
For more guidance, see our guide on choosing the best seating arrangement for training sessions, including layouts that boost interaction and visibility.
6. What should be on your training day checklist?
A good training day checklist covers venue access, key phone numbers, materials, equipment, and backup options so you’re not caught out by last-minute issues.
Things you might include:
- Access key or other access information (and key holder telephone number for emergencies).
- Key phone numbers (in case you need IT support or aircon help, etc).
- Training course materials (including any handouts).
- Name tags – and markers so everyone can write their name on a tag.
- Mobile phone (cellphone) fully charged (in case you need to, for example, call the building key holder on the day).
- Make sure you have a whiteboard (if needed and make sure it’s wiped clean), markers, flip-chart (if needed), and projector screen ready (if needed).
- Your own laptop and power cable (don’t forget the power cable, as I did one time).
After the session, plan a simple evaluation process. This could be a short survey or quick reflection activity to help you assess the impact of the workshop and identify improvements.
You might also find it helpful to review the 10 most common training-day problems and how to avoid them.
7. How do you prepare participants before the workshop?
Prepare participants by reminding them of the workshop details, sharing any pre-work, and giving clear contact and parking information so they arrive relaxed and ready to learn.
If the session requires any short pre-work, such as a reflection question or a quick survey, send it in advance so participants arrive ready and focused.
The list of things to prepare includes:
- Send an event reminder 72 hours before, by, for example, emailing to say how you are looking forward to welcoming the participants and providing a reminder of the starting time and training location.
- Provide parking information for participants on where to park at the venue, or recommend nearby public car parks.
- It can also be worth ensuring that they have a contact email or telephone number to call in case they have any issues finding the training venue and room.
8. What extra tips make your training workshop run smoothly?
xtra tips include doing a test run in the room, double-checking catering, planning for a missing co-trainer, and keeping backup copies of all materials.
After the workshop, schedule a quick follow-up email to thank participants, share materials, and keep the learning momentum going.
Do a Test Run
Personally, I try to visit the training room a day or two before if it is practical to do so, to check that I can set up my laptop and connect to a power source and to the overhead projector, etc.
If using a room that is commonly used as a training room, then it is less of an issue, as the facilities needed will be there.
Last Minute Catering Check
Follow up with the catering provider (if providing refreshments) 72 hours before to just re-check that everything is in order.
Co-Training and Absent Co-Trainer
One of the most awkward situations you can potentially experience as a trainer if you organize a training workshop is when you are working with another trainer to run the training together, and the other trainer pulls out at the last minute.
It might even be on the morning of the training when you get the dreaded call to say that they are sick and cannot attend.
What I always recommend, to counteract the missing co-trainer situation, is to do the following:
- Have a copy of the training materials for the FULL training session (meaning a copy of both your and your co-trainers’ notes and slides, etc.)
- Make sure you know how to teach the parts that your colleague would have taught. In other words, you should always ensure that you are able to provide the full training if needed.
Having Backups of the Training Materials Available
Do not rely on having your digital training materials just on one source, i.e., just on one USB drive or just on your online cloud space.
I recommend having access to any digital teaching materials from at least two sources. Perhaps one copy on your laptop and a copy available on an online cloud.
If you plan to organize a training workshop.
FAQs: Organizing a training workshop
How do you prepare a workshop checklist?
1. Think about the things you will need on the day (such as marker pens, handouts, teaching materials, etc).
2. Also, add things you will need to check on the day (such as keys, important contact numbers for access, etc.)
3. Include things you need to do leading up to the workshop, i.e., send out event reminders and check the venue facilities.
How do you run a workshop training?
1. Preparing all workshop training materials yourself or buying training course materials that are pre-made.
2. For marketing the workshop, you might already have been asked to provide the workshop. If you need to market yourself, consider using a site such as Eventbrite or Meetup.com
3. For presenting the workshop, practice and practice. Consider recording the practice sessions on video and watching them back to improve.
How do you begin a workshop?
I always recommend starting with an icebreaker or team-building activity. This can put participants at ease and lighten the mood to create a positive atmosphere at the start of a workshop.
