How to Plan a Workshop for 35 People in Tirana

A workshop for 30 to 35 people sits in an awkward middle ground. It is too big to run around a meeting table and too small to need an events agency. Most of the work falls on one or two people, and most problems come from small things nobody checked: a missing adapter, a room set up the wrong way, a coffee break that runs twenty minutes over.

This checklist walks you through the main decisions in order, from choosing a layout to following up after everyone has gone home. It works whether you run the session in Tirana or anywhere else.

Choose the room layout first

The layout decides how people will interact, so pick it based on what the session needs to achieve, not on how the room happened to be left.

• Theatre (rows of chairs): fits the most people and suits talks, briefings and demos. There is little interaction, and writing is hard without tables.
• Classroom (rows of tables): good for trainings where people take notes or work on laptops. It uses more space per person.
• Cabaret or islands (small tables of 5–6): the best choice for group exercises. Leave the side of each table that faces the screen open, so nobody sits with their back to it.
• U-shape: works for discussion-heavy sessions, but usually only up to around 20–25 people before the ends get too far apart.

Ask the venue for a floor plan or photos, and confirm the layout in writing a few days ahead. Ask too whether you can change the layout halfway through, for example from theatre to groups after lunch.

Do a tech check the day before, or at least an hour early

Technical issues eat the first fifteen minutes of many workshops. A short check prevents most of them.

• Connect your own laptop to the screen or projector and play any video with sound.
• Bring adapters for your laptop (HDMI, USB-C). Albania uses type C and F plugs at 230 V, so visitors from the UK or the US need a plug adapter.
• Test the microphone if the room needs one. For 35 people in a normal hall a clear voice is often enough, but a microphone helps people at the back and anyone joining online.
• Check the Wi-Fi with the number of devices you expect, and keep the network name and password on a slide.
• If someone presents remotely, run a test call with them from the room, on the actual screen.

Plan timings and coffee breaks with room to breathe

Agendas almost always run long. Build in some slack from the start.

• Open the doors 30 minutes before the start. People arrive early, and you want registration finished before you begin.
• Keep each stretch of content to 60–90 minutes. Attention drops after that, especially after lunch.
• Schedule a coffee break of 15–20 minutes in each half day. With 35 people, a ten-minute break is never ten minutes.
• Put the most interactive part right after lunch, not a long presentation.
• End on time, even if you have to cut a section. People remember the overrun more than the extra content.

Coffee breaks are where much of the networking happens, so make them easy. Set up coffee, tea and water away from the door so people do not crowd the entrance, and ask about dietary needs in the registration form.

Materials, invitations and follow-up

Decide early what is printed and what is shared digitally. Print only what people will write on: worksheets, exercises, a one-page agenda. Share the slides afterwards as a link. Prepare name badges or table cards, spare pens, and sticky notes and flipchart paper if you plan group work.

Send invitations three to four weeks ahead for external guests, and a reminder two days before. The reminder should include the address, the start time, how to find the entrance, transport tips and what to bring. In central Tirana many participants arrive on foot or by taxi, so a clear map pin saves you a lot of phone calls.

The follow-up is what turns a good day into a useful one. Within a day or two, send:

• A thank-you message with the slides and any shared documents.
• A short feedback form of three to five questions. Ask what was most useful and what to change.
• The next steps you agreed on, with a name next to each one.

Write down what you would do differently while you still remember: the layout, the timing, the amount of coffee. That note will save you time on the next workshop.

Running your workshop at n'Zon

n'Zon Coworking Space Tirana is in Myslym Shyri, in central Tirana, and has a conference hall for up to 35 people that you can book for trainings, workshops and events. The space also has high-speed Wi-Fi, printing and scanning for last-minute handouts, coffee, tea and water, a kitchen and an outdoor terrace for breaks. If you need a smaller room for a breakout group or a preparation meeting, the meeting rooms can be booked separately.

If you are planning a session and want to check the hall, the layout or availability, get in touch with us and we will help you set it up.