Mental Health & Resilience
Leadership Development
Physical Wellbeing
Workplace CultureLift the energy in the room and get people connecting fast
The first ten minutes of a workshop, conference or team day set the tone for everything that follows. A well-run ice breaker turns a quiet, hesitant room into an engaged one and gives people permission to take part.
Icebreakers and energisers are short, facilitated group activities that raise energy, ease social tension and help people connect at the start of a session or event. Holistic Services Group runs icebreakers for workshops, seminars, conferences, and team days across Australia, tailored for small or large groups.
Tell us what your team needs
Complete the form and we’ll recommend the most suitable service, format or next step for your organisation.
No obligation. We respond to all enquiries within 12 hours.
Why a strong start matters
A flat start is more than an awkward moment; it shapes how much people engage for the rest of the day. Engagement is already hard to come by: only 21% of employees globally are engaged at work (Gallup State of the Global Workplace). When a session opens cold, people stay guarded, the loudest few dominate, and quieter voices, often with the most to contribute, never warm up. A short, well-designed ice breaker is one of the simplest ways to set a tone of participation and get a genuine return on the time everyone has set aside.
Who this is for
Icebreakers suit conference and event audiences, workshop and seminar groups, teams at the start of a planning or training day, newly formed or cross-functional teams getting to know each other, and large groups that need their energy lifted quickly.
What the activity involves
Sessions are facilitated, interactive and short, designed to open a larger event or run as a standalone energiser between sessions. HSG’s facilitators choose activities to suit the group and know what works with a handful of people versus a room of hundreds. By the end of the activity, participants will be more relaxed, more willing to contribute, and better connected to the people around them. Icebreakers are delivered onsite across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and regional areas, and can be adapted for online and hybrid sessions. Content is tailored to your event, audience and goals.
Outcomes you can expect
On the day, HSG can report on participation, facilitator observations and attendee feedback.
A strong opener can support engagement, connection, confidence to contribute, and the overall success of the workshop or event it leads into.
What clients say
A great way to open up an innovation workshop day with a positive vibe, and getting out of the comfort zone to allow for different thinking to happen.
Blaise Crettex
VMLY&R Commerce
Experience and credentials
HSG has delivered workplace wellbeing, culture and event experiences for organisations across Australia since 2003, and is trusted by more than 1,600 organisations, including Microsoft, KPMG and Australia Post. Ice breakers are led by experienced facilitators skilled at reading a room and tailoring activities to any group size, onsite across every Australian capital and online nationwide.
Where ice breakers fit
Ice breakers are a natural opener for a team building and culture workshop, a conference featuring keynote and conference speakers, or an energiser alongside a laughter yoga session. They sit within HSG’s workplace culture, connection and team engagement pillar. To plan an opener for your event, get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
Engagement is a function of activity design and facilitator quality. HSG’s facilitators run interactive, genuinely enjoyable activities with a clear purpose, not forced fun, which is why even reserved groups tend to warm up quickly.
Both. An ice breaker can open a larger workshop, training day or conference, or run as a standalone energiser to re-lift energy between sessions.
Yes. Our facilitators scale activities from small teams to rooms of hundreds, delivered onsite across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and regional areas, and adapted for online and hybrid sessions.
It lifts energy, eases social tension and gets more people contributing, which sets up the workshop, training or conference that follows to land far better. HSG can report on participation and the energy in the room, and gather attendee feedback.
How a session opens shapes how much people engage for the rest of it. With only 21% of employees globally engaged at work (Gallup, State of the Global Workplace 2025), a cold start leaves people guarded and lets a few voices dominate. A short, well-run opener sets a tone of participation and gets better value from everyone’s time.
They suit conference and event audiences, workshop and seminar groups, teams starting a planning or training day, newly formed or cross-functional teams, and large groups that need energy lifted quickly. We tailor the activity to your group and goals.
Trusted by 1,600+ organisations across Australia and Asia-Pacific
Supporting corporate, government, healthcare, education and not-for-profit sectors
HSG has supported more than 1,600 organisations across corporate, government, healthcare, education and not-for-profit sectors, including Microsoft, Telstra, Commonwealth Bank, BHP, the Department of Defence, St Vincent’s, the University of Sydney, Deakin University, The Smith Family and headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation.
Start the conversation
More than 1,600 organisations have trusted HSG to deliver practical workplace wellbeing programs across Australia. Tell us what your team needs, and we’ll help you identify the right next step.
We respond to all enquiries within 12 hours.