Most corporate events feel good on the day and disappear by Friday. The lanyard goes in a drawer. The slide deck sits unread in someone’s inbox. Teams return to their desks, revert to their habits, and the money spent on “team development” produces a single LinkedIn post and nothing else.
How it works
Each team makes their case, speaker by speaker. During every speech, the opposing side can offer a Point of Information – a direct question or challenge the speaker can accept or reject. These interruptions are the engine of the format. They create real-time pressure, spontaneous moments, and the kind of exchange you cannot script.
Before the debate opens, the audience votes on the motion. At the end, they vote again. Watching opinion shift in the room, or hold firm, is one of the most instructive moments of the day.
Who is on the teams
The mix is deliberate. Debate Mate combines industry professionals and subject-matter experts with world-class debaters and, where appropriate, young people from Debate Mate partner schools. The result is a panel that cuts through groupthink, because no two speakers are coming from the same place.
What is replaces
-> Passive listening during a panel discussion becomes active engagement for the full hour.
-> Predictable agreement between panellists becomes dynamic disagreement between everyone.
-> Generic discussion points become bold points of view that stretch thinking.
-> One-sided perspectives become diverse voices from opposing sides.
-> A forgettable panel becomes a memorable debate that people are talking about long after it finishes.
Where it fits
Conferences, AGMs, away days, client engagement events. Anywhere you want people to leave having actually thought about something. The format runs for 45 to 90 minutes and can be delivered in person, virtually, or in a hybrid format.
PwC ran a Showcase Debate for over 100 senior global leaders in Dubai, focused on digital transformation. Monzo hosted one at their London HQ on the future of challenger banking. Zurich Insurance used the format to open up a conversation about AI and the future of work.
The format works because it gives people permission to disagree constructively, in public, on topics that actually matter to the business.
What comes next
The debate does not have to be where the conversation ends. Debate Mate offers three follow-on formats that extend the event into something more:
Facilitated Forum: Structured breakout discussions that give every voice in the room – not just the confident ones – a chance to contribute. Particularly valuable in large-audience settings where delegates would not otherwise speak up.
Breakout Masterclass: A bite-sized session on the principles behind what the audience just watched: structure, persuasion, constructive challenge. Participants leave with techniques they can use the following week.
Action Planning: The event’s content gets converted into concrete next steps. Debate Mate facilitators lead smaller groups to define targets, decisions, and follow-up commitments.
