The phrase “white space” takes on a couple of different meanings depending on the context and industry in which it’s being used. In the meetings and events industry, the term “white space” refers to scheduled or unscheduled gaps in the agenda between planned education sessions, networking events and other activities. When designed with intention, these white spaces give attendees some breathing room—not to network or frantically answer emails, but to take care of themselves.
“It’s an intentional pause, a designated time and a planned physical space for attendees to breathe, reset and reflect,” said Lisa Schulteis, founder of ElectraLime Marketing and an event strategist and consultant. “It’s looking at what we’re calling a break. A real break needs to be time for the brain to rest, relax and reset, and the biggest mistake we’re seeing is planners putting other things in place of that and calling it a break when really, it isn’t. It’s just another thing on the agenda.”
Like a 10-minute gap between sessions that gives attendees just enough time to refill their coffee cups in the back of a breakout room before the next speaker takes the stage, for example. While those caffeine fixes are typically greatly appreciated, they don’t provide the space, place and time that’s necessary to cultivate an environment in which attendees can decompress.
“A lot of times, people put networking breaks in between meetings and sessions, too, but networking is not a break,” Schulteis said. “Sometimes planners treat white space as a checkbox item. They don’t always put the attention, the care, the communication that it really deserves to take it beyond that.
“When it comes to white space, the most important thing is to design with intention, and to give people options,” she continued. “Whether it’s a place where they can go and just be quiet, movement options like stretching sessions or an outdoor space where people can go to take a short walk. We need to give people those options during those white space moments and then communicate that so attendees know those options exist.”
White space that’s designed intentionally gives attendees both the free time and flexibility to do what they want and need to do, and the fuel they need to get back out there and tackle the rest of the event.
Here’s how to ensure your white spaces are intentional, and a closer look at the benefits of doing so.
White Space and Intentional Event Design
“White space in event design is literally just giving your brain an opportunity to filter what’s important and let it settle,” said Devon Montgomery Pasha, emcee and chief experience officer at DMP Creative. “It’s also about understanding there’s four levers of learning—knowledge and skills and attitude and people—so you have to know where the white space needs to go based on what the outcome of the design needs to be.”
If the goal is to teach attendees something new, for example, white space needs to be designed in a way that lets attendees absorb new knowledge before moving on to learn something else, giving them time to review their notes or talk to a neighbor.
“In that case, designing white space is about creating opportunities for the layering of knowledge and giving space for it to settle,” Montgomery Pasha said. “When we go back-to-back, what we’re not allowing the brain is a chance to process, and we end up forgetting what we learned.”
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White space can also be intentionally designed to cultivate connections between attendees, or to give them a break when their social batteries are running low. Networking, while vital to the industry, can be incredibly draining, especially for people who are more introverted.
“People can only meet so many other people until they’re like, ‘I need some time to myself right now,’” Montgomery Pasha said. “Some meeting agendas will literally include ‘me time’ for attendees to chill between the conference and the evening social event. Some use it to get ready or catch up with their family. It’s a time to check in with yourself and recharge.”
A leading event services company with its eye on the future, Maritz is always implementing innovative initiatives and solutions into events as well as internally, to maintain a healthy company culture. White space is one of Maritz’ current focuses, and feedback around how it’s being incorporated into Maritz events has been positive.
“When we design our signature events, we intentionally carve out blocks of free time for guests to use as they see fit,” said Debbie Thole, director, brand experience for Maritz. “Most recently we’ve received positive guest feedback regarding extra-long lunch breaks and evening events that start (and end!) early. We share these agenda details early so guests can plan out their days, and guests like knowing that they’ll have time in the day for themselves, whether it’s to exercise, reset in a quiet space or connect with loved ones at home. People know what they need to be their best, and we make sure they have the time they need to do so. It’s something simple that makes a big impact.”
Why Does White Space Matter?
The obvious reason behind the need for white space, according to Adrian Segar, meeting designer and facilitator for Conferences That Work, is basic biology: “All of us need to use the bathroom every once in a while,” Segar wrote in a blog post from 2012.
Over a decade later, Segar said his initial blog post, with a couple of additions since he first wrote it, is “a pretty good summary” of the importance and need for white space in events. If anything, the concept of white space has only grown in importance since Segar first published a post about it 13 years ago.
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“On the logistical side, I remember going to a meeting where the spaces for the meetings were in separate buildings and the organizers hadn’t arranged enough time for people to get from place to place. So, white space is important for simple things like that,” Segar said. “But when we move on to the physiological aspects, there’s so much research out there now about our ability to maintain attention, our health when it comes to sitting versus standing—our brain starts to switch down, blood flow reduces, we become less healthy if we’re sitting for any length of time…Our brains cannot concentrate on facts and information for more than 10 minutes before they start losing their efficiency and the capability to concentrate on new knowledge drops dramatically—but we can reset that.”
How? Through intentional white space, of course! Giving attendees the opportunity to get up and move their bodies not only gets their blood flowing again but also helps them return to a state of mind that’s conducive to absorbing knowledge and staying attentive.
“At Maritz, we design events with white space not as filler, but as fuel. These intentional pauses help attendees reset cognitively, emotionally and socially,” said Rachael Riggs, general manager, environmental strategy for Maritz. “So much of our work time is now spent on emails, meetings and coordination tasks, so creating space for deep engagement is more important than ever.
“This is not just good for people, it’s also good for business,” Riggs continued. “Wellness-focused events report higher attendee engagement and longer retention of content and connections, proving that well-being isn’t just a good value—it has a measurable return.”
“We have to remember that,” Segar said, referring to the meaning behind why the meetings industry exists to begin with. “Conferences are not just about content broadcasting, they are about connection, and to connect with people, you can’t sit in a small circle of chairs all day. You want to be able to move around, and when you provide white space for doing that, people meet new people, they run into old friends. They do what we all came to do in the first place.”
