Introduction: why this action matters for adoption
A project fair is a facilitated live engagement used to move people closer to adoption. It is not a roadshow, a town hall with posters, or a “communications event” with nicer catering. Done well, it gives impacted people a structured way to understand the change, ask questions, practise new ways of working, surface local risks and leave with clear next actions.
This matters because organizational change depends on individual adoption. Prosci’s ADKAR model frames successful change as people moving through Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement [Prosci, n.d.]. (prosci.com) PMI’s research also links change effectiveness with communication, leadership, stakeholder involvement, committed senior management and metrics [PMI, 2014]. (pmi.org) A project fair brings these elements together in one purposeful intervention.
What this action is and when to use it
A project fair is a live, structured session where impacted groups rotate through stations, demonstrations or facilitated conversations about the change. It sits in the category of facilitated live engagement and learning. It can be used to inform, consult, involve or align participants, but the level of participation must be clear. IAP2’s participation spectrum distinguishes informing, consulting, involving, collaborating and empowering people; that distinction is useful because a fair loses trust when participants are invited to “shape the change” but the decision has already been made [IAP2, 2018]. (iap2.org)
Use a project fair when the change is complex enough that people need conversation, demonstration or practice. It works well before go-live, during readiness building, after major design decisions, or during hypercare when issues need triage. Avoid using it as a substitute for unresolved strategy, formal consultation, manager enablement or detailed training.
Preparation: inputs, stakeholders, materials, timing, and decisions needed
Start with the adoption outcome. Decide whether the fair is meant to build awareness, increase confidence, test readiness, gather objections, practise a new process or align managers on local actions. That choice determines the format.
You need a current impact assessment, stakeholder map, change story, sponsor message, known decisions, open decisions, process maps, demos, practice scenarios, FAQs, issue log, action tracker and escalation route. The EPA’s public meeting guidance recommends being clear on the meeting goal, how it will work, expected outcomes, ground rules, facilitation and what will happen with participant input [EPA]. (epa.gov)
Invite people by impact, not hierarchy alone. Include sponsors for credibility, people managers for translation into local work, subject-matter experts for accuracy, change leads for facilitation, and impacted employees for reality testing. CIPD emphasizes that effective employee voice depends on channels supported by leaders and managers, and on managers listening and acting on feedback [CIPD, 2026]. (cipd.org)
Step-by-step facilitation guide
Open with purpose and participation rules. The facilitator explains why the fair is being held, what is decided, what is still open, how questions will be captured and when answers will come back. This protects trust and manages expectations [IAP2, 2018; EPA].
Have the sponsor give a short change narrative. The sponsor should explain the business reason, urgency, expected benefits, what will be hard and what support is available. PMI highlights leadership and sponsorship as important contributors to change effectiveness [PMI, 2014]. (pmi.org)
Move quickly into interaction. Keep central presentation short. Use stations such as “what is changing,” “role impacts,” “process demo,” “practice scenario,” “support model,” and “risks and questions.” Psychological safety matters because people are more likely to speak up when candor is expected and fear of retribution is reduced [Edmondson, 1999; HBS, 2023]. (dash.harvard.edu)
Build in practice. If the change requires new behavior, let people try the new workflow, tool, conversation or decision rule. CDC guidance states that effective training should support learning transfer: applying learning back in the workplace [CDC, 2024]. (cdc.gov)
Capture issues visibly. Record questions, objections, decisions needed, risks, policy conflicts and support requests. Sort them into answer now, answer later, escalate, or local action.
Close with commitments. Summarize what was heard, confirm action owners and dates, and explain the next participation opportunity. EPA guidance recommends summarizing input and telling participants what will happen next [EPA]. (epa.gov)
Follow through fast. Send outputs within 24–48 hours: FAQs, decisions, unresolved items, owners, due dates, materials and next sessions.
Example: how this could be applied in a real change initiative
A company is replacing its expense system. Sales employees, approvers and finance analysts are anxious because the new process changes receipt capture, approval thresholds and reimbursement timing.
The change manager runs a two-hour project fair three weeks before go-live. The sponsor opens with the reason for the change: faster reimbursement, better compliance and fewer manual corrections. Participants rotate through a mobile receipt demo, a manager approval simulation, a “what happens to my current claims?” station, and a finance support station. Questions are logged publicly. Two policy ambiguities are escalated to the steering group. Managers leave with a team huddle script, and employees leave having submitted a test claim. The follow-up pack includes a recording, FAQ updates and a cutover checklist.
Roles and responsibilities
Role | Responsibility |
Sponsor | Sets context, acknowledges disruption, makes or escalates decisions. |
Change manager | Designs the fair, facilitates, manages outputs and adoption measures. |
Project lead / SMEs | Explain solution details, demonstrate processes and validate answers. |
People managers | Translate impacts locally, coach teams and reinforce next actions. |
Impacted employees | Test, question, practise and identify practical barriers. |
Adoption or learning lead | Designs practice activities and measures confidence, skill and transfer. |
Common mistakes to avoid
The first mistake is making the fair a presentation rather than an adoption intervention. If participants only listen, you have run a briefing, not a fair. The second is inviting feedback when there is no intention or authority to use it. The third is allowing senior voices, confident speakers or resistant groups to dominate. EPA warns that poorly facilitated meetings can be taken over by powerful or vocal participants [EPA]. (epa.gov) The fourth is failing to close the loop. Employee voice loses credibility when feedback is gathered but not acted on [CIPD, 2026]. (cipd.org)
Measures of success or adoption indicators
Measure before, during and after the fair. Before the session, check coverage of impacted groups, manager readiness and clarity of outcomes. During the fair, measure participation, question themes, confidence shifts, practice completion, unresolved issues and sentiment. After the fair, track action closure, FAQ reduction, manager follow-up, training transfer, system usage, process compliance, support tickets, error rates, rework and time to proficiency. CDC recommends delayed follow-up when assessing whether learners applied what they learned back at work [CDC, 2024]. (cdc.gov) Attendance is useful, but it is not proof of adoption.
Checklist for the change manager
Define the adoption outcome for the fair.
Confirm what is decided, open, negotiable and non-negotiable.
Select the participation level: inform, consult, involve, collaborate or empower.
Secure sponsor, manager, SME and facilitator roles.
Prepare demos, scenarios, FAQs, issue log and action tracker.
Design for interaction, not presentation.
Create psychological safety through ground rules and balanced participation.
Capture questions and issues visibly.
Assign owners and due dates before closing.
Send follow-up materials within 24–48 hours.
Measure confidence, practice, issue closure and adoption behavior.
Optional reusable agenda template
Time | Segment | Purpose |
0–10 min | Welcome, purpose and ground rules | Explain why the fair is happening and how input will be used. |
10–20 min | Sponsor change story | Connect the change to business need and employee impact. |
20–70 min | Rotating stations | Explore impacts, demos, practice scenarios and support. |
70–90 min | Group sense-making | Identify common questions, risks and local barriers. |
90–105 min | Decisions and actions | Confirm what is answered, escalated or assigned. |
105–120 min | Close and next steps | Explain follow-up, support channels and adoption measures. |
Facilitator opening script:
“Today is designed to help you understand the change, test what it means in your work, and surface issues we need to resolve before adoption. Some decisions are already made; we will be clear about those. Where input can influence the rollout, we will capture it, assign an owner and report back by [date].”
References
Prosci. “The Prosci ADKAR® Model.” Not dated.
https://www.prosci.com/methodology/adkar
Project Management Institute. “Enabling Organizational Change Through Strategic Initiatives.” March 2014.
https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/learning/thought-leadership/pulse/organizational-change-management.pdf
CIPD. “Employee Voice.” 6 April 2026.
https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/factsheets/voice-factsheet/
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Public Participation Guide: Public Meetings.” Not dated.
https://www.epa.gov/international-cooperation/public-participation-guide-public-meetings
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Evaluate Training: Measuring Effectiveness.” 28 October 2024.
https://www.cdc.gov/training-development/php/about/evaluate-training-measuring-effectiveness.html
Edmondson, Amy C. “Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams.” Administrative Science Quarterly, June 1999. Harvard DASH record.
https://dash.harvard.edu/entities/publication/13a7b031-0fdd-45ec-a7e0-2b80e2bc679f
Harvard Business School Working Knowledge. “Four Steps to Building the Psychological Safety That High-Performing Teams Need.” 14 June 2023.
https://www.library.hbs.edu/working-knowledge/four-steps-to-build-the-psychological-safety-that-high-performing-teams-need-today
International Association for Public Participation. “IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation.” ©2018.
https://www.iap2.org/resource/resmgr/pillars/Spectrum_8.5x11_Print.pdf