Creative Facilitation: Bring Your Meetings & Training to Life #29

Creative Facilitation Two Day Training

This hands-on workshop is designed for facilitators and trainers who want to share information in ways that keep people engaged, energised, and curious. You’ll walk away with practical tools to make your sessions more interactive, more alive and a better use of everyone’s time.

We’ll explore creative ways to share knowledge, invite participation, and encourage people to bring their own insights and experiences into the room.

Expect facilitation tips aplenty:
• The problem with some room set-ups
• The importance of finishing on time
• How to avoid the Plenary Vortex and the Teacher Trance

It offers a rich, hands-on learning experience in a small group setting. It’s especially useful when you’re designing training or events with a lot of content and want to avoid defaulting to lecture-style delivery.

Who should attend?

Anyone who designs and leads training or events, whether internal, with clients, or in community or consultation settings. If you’ve ever felt frustrated or bored by traditional approaches, this workshop is for you.

What can I expect?

You’ll be surprised by the variety and depth of ways to engage people. You’ll experience them yourself, reflect on your reactions, and discuss insights with other professionals facing similar challenges.

You’ll spend very little time sitting down and a lot of time doing. Our approaches are grounded in behavioural science, but you won’t be overwhelmed by theory. You’ll leave with practical ideas you can use straight away in your next workshop or meeting.

We’ll explore different types of conversations, new perspectives, and how to use physical space creatively. It will be fun and energising, and we’ll gently challenge some of the unspoken rules and assumptions of traditional facilitation.

This workshop is less about formal structure and more about co-creating an experience with the group. In many ways, this is the meta-skill of facilitation—being able to shape the experience together.

Topics we’ll cover

Beyond traditional approaches
Avoiding the mistakes we were taught in school and moving toward how people actually learn and connect.

Participatory methods
Creative ways to share information, generate ideas, and foster trust and collaboration.

Beyond words
How to use photos, movement, and story to bring ideas to life, without relying on endless slides and jargon.

You as a performer
How to manage nerves, stay present, and deal with unexpected moments. The second day focuses on you—your mindset, energy, and confidence in the room.

The Small Print

GST of 10% is added to your registration fee.

Early bird rates require booking and PAYMENT to be completed before the close of early bird sales. Group rates will automatically generate a $50 discount per ticket if three or more people are attending on the one transaction and one invoice will be generated.

We understand that sometimes plans change. If you find you need to cancel, we'll be sorry and will reimburse your registration fee less a 20% handling charge. Cancellations must be two weeks prior to the event.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Start and Finish Time Each Day

9.30am until 3.30pm each day

Location

The Larwill Studio is an Art Series Hotel celebrating the work of David Larwill. It has reception, restaurant/bar, accommodation and conference facilities. It is attached to The Royal Children's Hospital

Parking

Parking is available underground, and fees are managed by the RCH hospital. A discounted parking rate of $29 per day applies to customers staying at the hotel.

The Royal Children's Hospital – Point Parking

Public Transport

Both the #55 and #59 trams stop directly outside the hotel on Flemington Road (Tram Stop Number 19)

Catering

Cost of training includes refreshments and lunch on both days.

Acknowledgement

This workshop has been designed by Viv McWaters and Johnnie Moore and is based on the ideas in their book Creative Facilitation.

We’re grateful to Viv and Johnnie for their generous and ongoing support, and for entrusting us at Liminal by Design Pty Ltd to continue sharing and evolving this work.

Both Margie and Chad have had the privilege of working alongside Viv in Australia, and bring their own experience, energy and care to delivering this training.

Your Hosts

Margie
Margaret has worked across education, community development, and project management, bringing people together to explore new ideas, navigate change, and create positive impact. She specialises in facilitation and workshop design, balancing reflection, storytelling, and collaborative problem-solving.

Originally trained as a teacher, Margaret holds a Bachelor of Teaching and has over 25 years' experience in both structured learning environments and grassroots community settings. She’s known for creating spaces where people feel heard, valued, and ready to take action.

Margaret is energised by people, how they connect, communicate and co-create. She has a natural ability to build rapport and adapt in real time. Her work is grounded in trust, curiosity, and a passion for helping others stretch beyond their comfort zones in creative, supportive ways.

Chad
Chad is a facilitator, foiler, and founder of Liminal by Design. He works with groups to explore, decide, and relate in more meaningful ways.

Chad’s experience spans all levels of government, communities across Australia, universities, NGOs (local and international), and private enterprise. He’s seen both the power and the pitfalls of group conversations and is passionate about helping people talk about what really matters.

With a background in public policy and research, Chad became frustrated by how often great ideas are stalled, and how people working for change can burn out. He now helps organisations and communities reshape their meeting and training cultures, often by slowing down, speeding up, or rethinking the furniture altogether.