Facilitation Matters – Festival of Learning

Kerri will be MCing this year’s event, sharing all sorts of hands-on activities in the plenary sessions. You will gather tonnes of Kerri’s favourite tools as she weaves all the in-between times together. Kerri will also be facilitating a plenary session on The Power of Being Present. What does it take to deeply listen to our participants and what is the magic that happens when we do? Discover the power of being present for yourself, plus learn some simple activities you can share with participants in your own sessions.

Kerri has been facilitating for 25+ years and has experience right across the facilitation spectrum. From small group trainings, Strategic Planning with Boards, Community Engagement workshops and everything in between. She is the founder of The Facilitators Network and is on a mission to ensure that no workshop is wasted. You can connect with Kerri here.

As facilitators we want to make sure the spaces we create are inclusive and welcoming for all. However, that sometimes feels either too hard or that there are conflicting needs within the group. In her workshop, Shaheen will explore how inclusive design practices can help us create spaces and environments that ensure all of our diverse participants feel included. Key areas of focus will be creating accessible and engaging spaces for all; fostering inclusive communication and participation; and supporting emotional safety.

Shaheen is an inclusive designer with a focus on learning, leadership and facilitation. She uses her 13 years of experience as a learning designer, her robust academic background, and experience across a variety of sectors to design and deliver human centered workshops that work for everyone. Shaheen is passionate about making inclusivity tangible through practices, frameworks and tools. Diversity is inherent, inclusion is intentional. You can find out more about Shaheen here.

Keen for a game-changing kōrero about Te Tiriti o Waitangi? Donna’s workshop will dive into Aotearoa’s most important document in a super engaging, judgment-free way—no guilt trips, just learning and growing together! You will explore the real story behind Te Tiriti, bust some myths, and share practical ways to be a genuine ally, giving you the confidence to discuss these important issues. You’ll walk away with a clearer understanding of our shared history, actionable strategies for supporting Māori self-determination, and insights for creating more inclusive spaces.

Donna is a high-energy and knowledgeable facilitator known for delivering collaborative and engaging workshops. With experience in the education sector, she excels at creating impactful content that caters to diverse learning styles. Recognized as a living example of biculturalism and the richness this brings, Donna is passionate about sharing her insights for a thriving Aotearoa. You can read more about Donna here.

Facilitation is more than techniques and activities—it’s about the energy, presence, and awareness that shape the experience in the room. In this interactive session, Karyn will help you uncover your unique facilitation superpower and learn how to harness it with intention. Through guided exercises, self-reflection, and group discovery, you’ll explore the unseen and unspoken elements that influence engagement, trust, and transformation.

Karyn is a transformational facilitator, leadership coach, and trainer with over 22 years of experience in conscious leadership, communication, and group dynamics. As the Co-Founder of Forward Focus Solutions – Whakamana te Tangata and The Wellness Group Ltd, she helps individuals and teams enhance their communication skills, develop presence, deepen self-awareness, and master facilitation through a multidimensional approach. You can connect with Karyn here.

The Emotional Culture Deck (ECD) created by Riders & Elephants, is a simple tool that helps people put language to and explore their emotions, and has endless applications in a workshop setting. In this session, Lotty will introduce you to the deck and together you will explore several ways to use the tool.

Lotty is an emotional culture coach, facilitator and mindfulness teacher, who specialises in cultivating emotional wisdom at work. Her mission is to help teams, leaders and individuals to emotionally flourish and build resilience in an ever changing world. Lotty is one of the worlds most experienced certified ECD consultant and the first to reach ‘Master’ level status, she has facilitated over 225 workshops, using the ECD, to date. Lotty has trained with some of the world’s best including the Oxford University Mindfulness Foundation (OMF) and Mindfulness Training Institute of Australia and New Zealand (MTIA). You can connect with Lotty here.

AI is here to stay and while it’s unlikely to replace the role of a facilitator any time soon, it can definitely add value to meetings, workshops and community conversations. In this session, Hannah will give an overview of what AI actually is, what you need to consider when using AI, and how you might use it in your facilitation practice. She will also introduce you to Contended AI, a New Zealand born platform that transcribes conversations to create meaningful insights.

Hannah is the co-founder of Contented, which has recently been recognised  at the UN General Assembly as an Impact-Driven AI startup.  With a background in mental health and HR, Hannah helps customers globally—across all types of roles—unlock the value of their meetings, workshops and discussions. She and the team at Contented are committed to making every conversation count. You can connect with Hannah here.

As facilitators, we are not immune to the comments and behaviours that show up in the room. Depending on our own values and beliefs, some of those comments we might handle with ease—and others might send us into an emotional spiral. That’s not helpful for us—or our participants! In this workshop, Laura and Kirten will show you how to recognise your own triggers and you’ll gather some tools and strategies for turning ‘fight or flight’ into ‘calm and present’.

Laura is a health psychologist with nearly 20 years of clinical experience across both New Zealand and Australia.  Her training in health psychology allows her to deliver a high level of comprehensive care for her clients with a focus on the biopsychosocial model of health, wellbeing and behaviour change. Laura is a skilled practitioner of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and self-compassion based practices. You can read more about Laura here.

Facilitators often work in contentious and complex situations, and as a result can sometimes carry a heavy emotional load. Add to that the pressures of running your own business or leading a team, throw in a dose of unexpected health or family issues, add self-imposed expectations or external demands, and burnout can be just around the corner. Kirsten and Laura will be exploring what you need to look out for and sharing simple tools and strategies for staying well and avoiding burnout.

Kirsten is a Physiotherapist and Health Coach. She has extensive training and experience in lifestyle medicine, holistic models of health and behaviour change science, with a special interest in the role of exercise in optimizing both mental and physical fitness.  Over her career Kirsten has worked with people from all walks of life with a wide range of health-related concerns. She believes that strategies required for wellbeing are actually simple, but the modern world makes them seem complex and difficult to implement. You can read more about Kirsten here.

Whether you’re just starting out or an experienced facilitator with gaps in your calendar, this workshop will show you how to attract a consistent flow of clients. In Sarah’s hands-on session, you’ll discover how to be noticed for your expertise – even in a crowded market; create workshops and trainings your future clients are excited to invest in; and build a rinse-and-repeat marketing plan so you can attract leads, clients and revenue. If you want to spend less time chasing clients and more time doing what you love, this workshop will give you the tools and confidence to make it happen.

Sarah Davies a.k.a The Business Whisperer, helps service providers turn their expertise into a profitable business. She works to bridge the gap between being an expert at what you do and running a successful business. Through her international mentorship program, Beyond the Hourly Rate®, Sarah teaches the business skills needed to attract leads, clients and revenue. You can connect with Sarah here.

If you are an independent facilitator, video is a great way to demonstrate your expertise and is a simple way for potential clients to get to know, like and trust you. In Leeann’s workshop you will gather simple tips and tricks for not only making video, but being confident actually posting it to Social Media. Plus, you’ll make a video to post before you leave the workshop!

Leeann is a social media coach and facilitator who helps people gain the skills and confidence they need to grow their business, share their awesomeness, attract the right kinds of clients, and feel authentic as they do. She has been in education all her life and has the patience and skills to make the seemingly difficult aspects of social media accessible and understandable. You can find out more about Leeann here.