connections, culture, and an unforgettable workshop
There’s something truly magical about being together in a room—learning, talking, and building skills in person. I was reminded of this recently while delivering a two-day workshop in Trinidad—a unique opportunity to visit a country I hadn’t been to before, which stood out personally, for the wonderful experience, and professionally, for how smoothly everything came together.
This workshop had attendees from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and more than ten separate entities of invited government stakeholders. As I flew back to London, I reflected on the numerous unique and considerate touches the organizers put in place that contributed to its success and helped make this workshop an occasion that will live long in the memory.
Pre-workshop engagement and set up
Any successful gathering of people requires a lot of motivation and preparation ahead of time—effort that often goes unrecognized. I had high hopes for this workshop, because the communication leading up to the day was outstanding. I had regular email exchanges and a Zoom meeting with the IDB team to align on goals, expectations, and logistics—not just around the content, but the practicalities of traveling to another country with hotel recommendations, local areas to explore, tips on currency, food and transport all provided. The attendee list was shared and discussed ahead of time. That early investment paid off. I felt at ease, well-informed, and excited to deliver.
No matter how well prepared one might be, there’s nothing to reduce those pre-workshop butterflies like walking into a venue and seeing everything laid out and ready to go. Every seat was set with a handout, pens, sticky notes, and a copy of storytelling with you.
That sense of calm before the session starts makes a huge difference—and the positive atmosphere continued as attendees arrived and began socializing over a catered breakfast.
During the workshop
The workshop began with an IDB-led introduction, emphasizing the shared objectives for participants and included an amusing roll call of representatives present in the room. It reinforced the shared purpose and created an inclusive tone from the outset. As a result, interaction was high—not just during the dedicated Q&A sections, but throughout. I love it when workshops take on that conversational tone. It helps everyone relax, encourages deeper learning, and often surfaces insights and discussion topics that enhance the overall session.
One activity that best demonstrated the enhanced interaction of the workshop was the storyboarding exercise. Participants typically work independently, brainstorming ideas on a project of their choosing. But with this group, several tables opted to work collaboratively on a sole tablemate’s chosen topic. It sparked lively discussion and turned the exercise into one of the most effective I’ve seen.
On day one, we spent time looking at the power of leveraging aspects of story, a critical aspect to delivering a compelling communication. During this lesson, we give one lucky participant a chance to take away our latest book, Daphne Draws Data. To ensure fairness, rather than simply handing the book to the highest hand raiser, the IDB team chose to begin day two with a quiz. This quiz, composed by the IDB team, focused on lessons from day one and served as a great introduction and recap to day two, as well as a casual, fun way to begin the day.
And, my personal highlight of the workshop. Following a conversation about local cuisine on the second day, the team surprised me during a break with a traditional Trinidadian dish—Doubles, a common street food treat consisting of curried chickpeas served on two fried flatbreads. Cue laughter, a few photos, and a memory I’ll treasure.
The workshop concluded with a presentation of certificates by Julian Belgrave, IDB Country Representative in Trinidad and Tobago—turning the close into a moment of celebration. And, despite the 85°F heat (that’s hot for an Englishman!), we all ventured outdoors for a group photo, giving a graduation-style feel to proceedings.
While great content and quality delivery form the foundation of a stellar workshop, the magic often comes from the people, especially the care and attention given by those behind the scenes. This session was a standout example of that, and I want to say a huge thank you to Isaiah, Paula, Daniela and the rest of the team for helping to deliver and contributing to an unforgettable experience for all.
Here’s to more fantastic workshops—together, in person, and full of connection.
