Brown Bag Presentation: What Is It And How To Run One

When it comes to team building, productivity maxing, and employee improvement, there are a million and one strategies out there for business leaders. Stand-up meetings, company town hall meetings, and agile frameworks, to name a few. But, smart leaders looking to improve their teams’ collaboration also use brown bag sessions.

These sessions can be great for learning, and even brainstorming in an informal and relaxed setting. Some sources suggest that brown bag meetings can be even helpful for discussing work-related issues like human resources training, policy changes, and other topics that may be challenging to discuss.

So what do brown bag sessions involve? Should your business make them a part of your company culture, and if so, how do you get started?

What is a brown bag session?

A brown bag session, also known as a brown bag lunch meeting, is an informal meeting, usually over lunch. They are usually designed to facilitate knowledge sharing in a casual, relaxed atmosphere. The term brown bag refers to the meeting's origins where attendees brought their own lunches in brown paper bags.

In a brown bag meeting, everyone is encouraged to share insights, discuss new trends, technologies, and best practices, or bring up topics on personal and professional growth. While primarily focused on workplace awareness, brown bag lunch meetings may also lead to broader discussions beyond the workplace, fostering an exchange of ideas.

The beauty of a brown bag session is that, unlike conventional workshops or seminars, they are simple, flexible, and employee-driven. This makes them excellent places for engagements.

Typically, a brown bag session will have a combination of the following:

• Informal setting
• Bring-your-own-lunch
• Focused topic
• Interactive format
• Cross-departmental participation
• Flexible scheduling
• Open communication
• Optional attendance

What are the types of brown bag meetings?

Here are four of the most common types of brown bag meetings. It’s important to keep in mind that because these are largely informal, you can pretty much create your own structure as you go.

Seminar meetings

The brown bag seminar meeting is an educational session that revolves around a specific topic or theme. These are usually hosted by a guest speaker or in-house expert with everyone else making up the audience, and the goal is to dive into important subjects. Since it's a brown bag meeting, you might find employees eating lunch during the event - and in fact they are sometimes known as a 'lunch and learn session'.

Seminar meetings are:

• Education focused
• Expert-led
• Full of audience interactions

Small group meeting

Small group meetings are intimate gatherings that encourage personal interaction and discussion among everyone present. These sessions focus on fostering collaboration, brainstorming, and problem-solving on a more individual or team-based level.

Small group meetings have:

• An interactive format
• A collaborative focus
• Flexible discussions

Combination meeting/ hybrid meeting

A combination meeting is a hybrid of a seminar and a small group meeting, and it merges elements from both to create a versatile model. They typically begin with a speaker presenting a key topic in a seminar-style format, sharing knowledge broadly among all participants. This is followed by a transition into small group discussions, allowing members to share ideas and expand on the topics presented by the speaker with a more informal meeting vibe.

With combination meetings, you have:

• A two-phase structure
• Diverse interaction
• Broad level of engagement

Social meetings

Social meetings are the most informal of all brown bag sessions. They focus on relationship building and encouraging a sense of community among everyone present. 

Key features include:

• A relaxed, informal atmosphere
• Multiple activities
• Community building

Benefits of brown bag meetings for businesses

While it might sound like just another work meeting, the lack of formal agenda and the more open social style makes a brown bag meeting less of a business lunch and more of a social meeting. That's the theory anyway.

And while not every business meeting will fit the brown bag model, it can be an interesting experiment to adopt them as a more regular session. Some of the benefits include:

Knowledge sharing

Brown bag sessions are a prime example of informal training, serving as little learning sessions where people share their knowledge during their lunch break. When team members discuss their current projects or a new skill they've acquired, they help everyone improve their skills and stay current with the latest information.

These meetings also have a more relaxed atmosphere than a regular training session, which can be good for slower-paced learners. Since they often focus on real-world applications, brown bag sessions can function as a form of on-the-job training, allowing employees to gain insights and develop skills that directly impact their daily work.

Team bonding

Think of brown bag meetings as team-building picnics, contrasting sharply with formal meetings. People come together with their own lunch to chat and connect, fostering a relaxed atmosphere conducive to team bonding, unlike the rigid structure of formal meetings.

These sessions help build a sense of community within the company. For instance, during a brown bag session, team members might talk about their hobbies or interests outside of work, which can help them find common ground and build stronger relationships.

Open communication

Chatting over brown-bagged lunches can be surprisingly conducive for open communication. Everyone gets a chance to share their thoughts, ask questions, and give feedback in a casual environment.

This helps foster a culture of openness and honesty within the company. For example, during a brown bag session, employees might discuss challenges they're facing or suggest improvements to processes, which can lead to valuable insights and solutions.

Professional development 

Brown bag sessions are like mini-training sessions that happen during lunchtime. They give everyone a chance to learn new skills and grow in their careers. For instance, a brown bag session might cover time management, public speaking, or project management tips.

Boost morale

Brown bag meetings can also be a fun and productive use of the lunch hour, offering a break from the daily grind; they give employees something to look forward to.

For example, during a brown bag meeting held during the lunch hour, employees might bring their own lunches or enjoy a catered lunch while participating in a team-building activity. This informal setting fosters continuous learning and boosts morale, creating a positive work environment.

How do you run a brown bag meeting?

Informal lunchtime gatherings in the workplace such as brown bags can be great for team relationships and company culture. But that doesn't mean that they're easy to set up and manage. And yes, there does need to be some degree of management or they can descend into a bit of a free for all.

Since these sessions tend to hinge on engagement and information exchange, it’s important to place those at the center of your planning. It also helps to remember that these are informal meetings so don’t stress too much about structure.

If you're running a remote presentation then you also need to factor in things like being engaging or sharing content effectively.

These tips should help you to plan a successful brown bag meeting:

1. Share the plan

Define the goals and objectives of your brown bag session to guide the discussion and keep it focused. When you put coworkers in an informal setting, the conversation can head in a different direction. Setting objectives and sharing those helps everyone stay on task.

So for example, if the objective is to brainstorm new project ideas, clearly communicating this goal at the beginning of the session will help set the tone for creative thinking and collaboration.

2. Work in fun and engaging activities

Brown baggers are supposed to be engaging and fun (that’s their whole appeal) so be sure to include interactive activities, like group discussions, brainstorming sessions, or hands-on exercises. 

Here’s an example. Imagine that you’re holding a meeting on effective communication skills; an easy win here would be a role-playing activity where participants practice communication scenarios and receive feedback from their teammates.

Additionally, you could incorporate interactive elements such as flip books, live polls or quizzes to encourage participation and gather feedback in real time.

3. Make it easy to chime in 

One of the most memorable things about a brown bag session is the welcoming and inclusive environment. It’s important to create these in your meetings because it encourages participants to share their thoughts, ask questions, and contribute to the discussion. 

Helpful techniques for facilitating this kind of environment include: 

• Open-ended questions
• Active listening
• Positive reinforcement

For instance, you could start the session with a round of introductions where each participant shares their thoughts on the topic or their expectations for the session.

4. Provide opportunities for feedback

The best brown bag sessions collect feedback to make future meetings even better. You can foster a culture of feedback by inviting participants to share their thoughts, suggestions, and concerns throughout the session.

There are tons of options to do this, including:

• Live polls 
• Anonymous surveys
• Open discussions

For example, after a presentation on a new project initiative, encourage attendees to provide feedback on the proposed plan, highlighting areas for improvement or clarification.

5. Manage time effectively 

Another strategy for keeping the session on track is managing time effectively and sticking to the agenda. A great way to do this is to allocate time for each item and be prepared to adjust the schedule as needed. 

So in a situation where the discussion is taking longer than anticipated, you may need to prioritize key points and table further discussion for follow-up sessions.

6. Use your company’s digital signage

Digital signage can really take your brown bag sessions to a whole new level, thanks to its visualization and interactivity features. Your screens can provide visual reinforcement of key points, display relevant content, and encourage greater audience participation.

Before the meeting even starts, you can use digital signage screens for employee communications. Display information on upcoming brown bag sessions, share the session plans, and highlight key messages or takeaways from past sessions. 

During the meetings, you can use digital signage for employee engagement by displaying supplemental materials, such as slideshows, videos, or infographics, to enhance the learning experience and reinforce key concepts discussed during the session.

You can also use your digital signage to engage remote employees by having them join the brown baggers. Use conferencing software like Zoom or Google Meet displayed on your screens to let your non-local employees join the conversation.

Additionally, you could incorporate interactive elements such as live polls or quizzes to encourage participation and gather feedback in real time.

7. Summarize key takeaways 

Be sure to wrap up your sessions by summarizing the key takeaways, insights, and action items discussed during the meeting. The reason is simple: reinforce learning, ensure alignment, and provide clarity on the next steps. 

You could even create a visual summary of the main points discussed and distribute it to everyone via email or a shared document.

Improve your next brown bag session with ScreenCloud

ScreenCloud’s office digital signage software can make your brown bag session easier to organize and coordinate, and more engaging for participants. Whether it’s keeping remote workers in the conversation, helping everyone visualize the subjects, or facilitating engagements through interactive displays.

ScreenCloud’s software can also help your business in a host of other ways, whether it’s training employees, saving time, or connecting your various business locations.

Sign up for a 14-day free trial to get started.