What if the secret weapon is silence?

In events, we often script every moment, as if silence or stillness is a gap to be filled. But what if these moments aren’t empty at all? What if they are part of the work, and maybe the best part?

As Mishe Schemmann, our Creative and Strategic Director, returned from her summer break, she found herself reflecting on this very idea.

"I had a marvelous camping trip alone in my van with two of my dogs. I chose slower country roads instead of motorways: meadows, cows in the fields, stone farmhouses, tiny villages with deserted streets, and finally the curves of the Atlantic north of Bordeaux. Wind. Waves. No screens. Long walks and solitary coffees on my camping chair or perched on a cliff. When a friend asked me later how the holiday was, I said: beautiful—but more than that, my mind felt still. Uncluttered. And for me, whose brain usually runs on bright voltage, that’s rare."

ln events, we rarely leave that kind of space. Every slot is packed, every moment filled. Yet what if pause isn’t absence? What if it’s the source of presence?

A page for notes. A minute for breath. A buffer that isn’t dead air but fuel for conversation. Silence might be the tool that's been overlooked—for clarity, inclusion, and better outcomes.

So how can we build more silence into the rhythm of events without losing energy or flow? Here are five ways to start.

Pause prompts

We often overlook the power of pausing and reflection when we plan our presentations. When we gift people this time to process, they don’t just rest, they are able to digest ideas, connect dots, and find meaning.

So, halfway through a session, why not show a visual, a video or a quote and invite participants to spend 60 seconds in silence jotting down thoughts.

Share and compare in the room or digitally (you can also use this to fuel open discussions at the end of your session).

Reflection improves retention by solidifying insights and understanding

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Cognitive psychologists call reflection a form of spaced learning paired with active recall.

Micro-journaling moments

After each session, offer a brief journaling window. Use prompts such as:

“What is one way you can apply what you have learned?”

“What will you do differently or more/less of now?

“What do you want to know more about this topic?”

Even two minutes gives your brain time to transition from “heard it” to “own it.”

Research from Harvard Business School (Di Stefano et al., 2014) shows that people who reflect, even briefly, improve their performance by up to 23%.

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In our experience at Vantage, attendees also love a great journal (even in our digital age).

Quiet corners

Set up a breakout room in virtual venues or a real room at live events and communicate this to participants as a “Quiet Lounge” where people can briefly disconnect, reflect, or simply breathe.

Research shows structured quiet times enhance creativity, emotional regulation, and decision quality.

Our minds need breaks from stimulation to recharge and consolidate new information.

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Without breaks, continuous stimulation leads to mental fatigue and reduced cognitive capacity.

Introverts and neurodivergent people often need ambient calm to process: quiet spaces, quiet protocols, and safe spaces for authentic thinking. Extroverts benefit from deeper and less reactive engagement.

Think-pair-share

Build silence into this classic engagement structure. Pose a question. Provide a problem to solve. Give people 30-60 seconds to reflect in silence.

Then have them share in pairs and again in groups of four. Ask the groups of four to report back top learnings.

By asking small groups to prioritise you democratise the process of learning.

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Moreover, the process of sharing thoughts in small groups results in a shared knowledge map; hundreds of distilled takeaways that capture what resonates.

Remember to harvest insights by making them visible.

End on a quiet note

Most events end with noise: applause, wrap-up chatter, action lists, rushed goodbyes.

Instead, as part of the closing session each day, try one of these techniques:

/ End with a single image, short quote, or visual metaphor. No narration. No call-to-action.

/ 60 seconds: “In one sentence: What will you take forward from this?”

No discussion. Just pause. Write. End. Let the silence carry the meaning.

/ Guided breathing: “Let’s close with one deep breath. Eyes closed, shoulders down. Think about the one thing today that shifted something for you.”

Ending in silence makes space for meaning-making.

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These quiet sign-offs create ritual, concentration and offer a collective breath that carries meaning.

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