Training Event Planning Guide

• Download this guide in PDF format

To help you and your participants get the most out of this training event, we have captured the key steps to arranging the training you have booked with us. We hope you find this helpful.

Book the meeting room/s and equipment

• Check the meeting room is booked with at least 30-60 minutes either side of the training times to enable the trainer to set up and clear down the training room
• Arrange for working equipment to be available 30-60 minutes prior to the training I.E.
  • Data projector with connecting cables for between the trainer’s laptop and your projector or a large LCD TV screen
  • Projection screen
  • One (ideally two) flipchart stands
  • A pad of white A3 flipchart paper (minimum of 20 clean sheets with holes in to hook onto the flipchart stand)
  • Four coloured and black (working) flipchart marker pens
• Book or arrange catering facilities for the participants E.G. beverages, lunch etc
• Identify the contact person who will meet the trainer on the day, provide us with the telephone/mobile number for easy contact on the day.

Additional meeting rooms

With most of our skills development courses, it is highly advantageous if we can have two additional small rooms or quiet areas for the participants use during the practice sessions. However, we appreciate this is not always possible and it is not mandatory.

Complete our Logistics Form

To help us ensure the training runs smoothly and enable the trainer to deliver the training in the most effective way for your participants, please complete our On-line Logistics Form.

Make the learning fully inclusive

We endeavour to make our training as inclusive and accessible to all participants. If you have any specific requirements, please let us know in advance so that we can accommodate your participants’ needs appropriately in a timely manner. This could include, for example, participants with:

• Visual, hearing or physical impediments
• Temporary injuries e.g. broken leg
• English not their first language
• Care-taking responsibilities affecting the training times
• Different shift patterns i.e. not typical office working hours

Brief and support the participants

We will provide you will some pre-course information about your booked training event that you can share with your participants 2 to 3 weeks before hand. This will include:

• Course objectives and agenda
• Times of the training including breaks
• Pre-work that needs to be undertaken prior to the event. E.G. short piece of reading, completion of a questionnaire, items to bring with them
• Name of the trainer with a link to tour trainers’ profile web page
• Office contact for participant questions

Further steps can be taken to support and engage participants in the training:

• Where participants have not asked to attend the training, please let them know why they are attending the training
• Encourage full attendance by informing participants of the venue and attendance times as soon as the training is booked. A follow up reminder can also help
• Discourage potential interruptions or distractions from the training time
• Ask a senior manager or a suitable representative to open up the training for 2 to 3 minutes to explain to the participants:
  • The purpose of the training
  • Why the training has been arranged now, and…
  • the benefits of the training to the organisation and to them
• Arrange for someone suitable to return to the training room at the end of the training to see and hear the participant feedback and action points. This could also include participant suggestions for the organisation to consider, as well as receiving the training course register/attendance sheet

Prepare printing of the participant training materials

Based on the booking contract, we will either provide you with:

• A link to the training materials in PDF format at least one week prior to the training, or…
• A couriered delivery of the printed training materials to your offices, marked for your attention. Or, to the training venue at least one day prior to the training

If you are printing the participant training materials, we would appreciate:

• One printed participant workbook for each participant and the trainer (can be printed double sided with the exception of the front cover; stapled in the top left-hand corner of the workbook or spiral bound or placed inside an A4 clear plastic folder)
• Exercise handouts and participant feedback forms (printed single sided and retained in sets of the same handout)
• Participant list and/or training course register
• Name badge /labels or place cards for participants

Check the room set up and layout on the day

The ideal training room layout will include:

1. U shape table with one chair per participant plus one for the trainer
2. Small top table for trainer notes and laptop connected to client projector
3. One or two flipchart stands with white A3 flipchart paper (minimum of 20 clean sheets with holes in to hook onto the flipchart stand) and coloured and black (working) flipchart marker pens
4. Screen for projector
5. Table for beverages and lunch (if provided) unless situated outside the training room
6. Participant training materials and name badges/labels or place cards placed on the trainer top table (see preparation list)
7. Participant list and training course register (if you would like the participants sign attendance of the training)

For the ideal room layout for the training see below:

Brief the trainer on arrival

The trainer will arrive 30 to 60 minutes prior to the start of the training so they can fully prepare the training room. This will include but not limited to:

• Writing on flipcharts
• Hooking up their laptop/MacBook to your projection equipment
• Placing the participant workbooks onto the table
• Setting out some support visual aids

We’d therefore appreciate you providing the trainer with the crucial information they will need to maintain the safety and wellbeing of the participants during the training, E.G.:

• Additional break out areas of rooms available for the training
• Specific instructions regarding the use of wall space, heating/air-conditioning
• Catering arrangements for the participants and trainer (if providing)
• Location of the toilets
• Instructions regarding training register or participant attendance
• Evacuation drill including location of emergency exits in the event of a fire or other emergency
• Expected alarm tests or significant event taking place that day that may affect the running of the training or participant attendance
• Your contact number during the course of the day should they have any questions
• Inform trainer of when you will be returning to the training e.g. towards the end of the course

Review the day with the trainer at the end of the training

15 to 30 minutes prior to the end of the training course, the trainer will ask the course participants to review their learning against the course and their own personal objectives, and identify what actions they will be taking on board following the training. You are welcome to join the group at this stage of the training.

• Attend the learning debrief at the end of the course
• Receive the completed training course register (where requested by you)
• Capture photographs or actual flipcharts used during the training for future reference for the group
• Receive a verbal debrief from the trainer on how the training course has been received by the participants
• Participant written feedback will be summarised and emailed across to you within one week of the training

Follow up after the training

After the training, we will provide you with the following resources:

• A summary of the participants’ feedback on the training
• Suggested ways to apply the learning from the trainer
• For some of our training courses, a link to further resources to help embed and measure the results of the learning that includes –
  • Coaching Guide for each Participant and their Manager
  • A Post Training Evaluation Form for the participants’ Manager
• A certificate of attendance for each participant (where requested by you)

Our KSL Office team are available to support you with any questions or guidance on providing the most relevant and timely personal and team development.

About the Author

Kim Larkins, MCIPD is Company Founder of KSL Training. Kim has 30 years training and HR management experience in the Retail, Hospitality and Pharmaceutical industry.