25 conference icebreakers that don't make people cringe
By the Mission Memories team · Updated
The short answer
The best conference icebreakers are quick, optional and get attendees talking to people they don't know, without putting anyone on the spot. For big events, an all-day photo challenge works well: attendees join with a code and complete missions like "photo with someone from a different company", which keeps networking going between sessions. For individual sessions, quick table questions work best.
Quick icebreakers for the start of a session (2–5 minutes)
- Two truths and a lie, at each table.
- "What brought you here today?" One sentence each.
- The best thing you learned this year at work.
- Find someone at your table who travelled further than you.
- One word to describe your week so far.
- Hands up: stand-up polls ("who's been in the industry more than 10 years?") to get the room moving.
- Share the worst advice you've ever been given.
- What would you do with an extra hour a day?
Networking icebreakers for breaks
- Networking bingo. A card of attendee traits ("works in a team of more than 50", "flew here today").
- Find your match. Hand out half a famous pair (salt / pepper) and attendees find their other half.
- Question badges. Everyone writes a question on their badge for others to ask.
- Speed networking: three minutes with each person, then switch.
All-day photo challenges
A photo scavenger hunt runs through the whole conference. Attendees join on their phones with a 6-digit code or QR code on the opening slide, and a live leaderboard keeps it going between sessions. With Mission Memories, up to 300 people can play for £49.99.
- Photo with a speaker
- Selfie with someone from a different company
- Photo with someone from a different country
- Snap the best slide of the day
- Film a 10-second takeaway from today
- Photo with the event organiser
- Snap the busiest stand
- Group photo with five people you met today
- Photograph the snack everyone's talking about
- Selfie at the conference sign
- Photo of your favourite idea from the day, written on a napkin
- Find someone with the same job title as you
- Recreate the conference logo with your hands
Making icebreakers inclusive
- Make them optional. Plenty of people prefer to watch.
- Avoid anything physical, personal or that relies on confidence speaking to the room.
- Keep them short. Two to five minutes at the start of a session is enough.
- For photo challenges, tell attendees photos are shared with other attendees and remove any photo on request.
Put a QR code on the opening slide and let the game run all day. See how it works for corporate events.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good icebreaker for a large conference?
An all-day photo challenge or networking bingo. Both work at scale, run between sessions and get attendees talking to people they don't know.
How long should a conference icebreaker take?
Two to five minutes at the start of a session. All-day games like a photo challenge run in the background instead.
How do you make icebreakers less awkward?
Make them optional, keep them short, and avoid anything that puts one person in front of the room.
Run it with Mission Memories
Free for 5 guests. Guests join with your code from their phone's browser, no app needed.