State of Facilitation: the Growth Edition
Help us prepare the fifth edition of the State of Facilitation report.
This year, we’ll delve into the paths people take to develop as facilitators, from first steps to mastery, and how the practice is taking root, expanding, and maturing within teams and organizations around the world.
Our goal
To create a comprehensive report on the practice of facilitation and build a resource for facilitators everywhere.
Who is a facilitator, and what do they do? In the first four editions of SessionLab’s State of Facilitation report we learned a lot about the professional paths, practices and challenges of facilitators worldwide.
This year, for the fifth edition, we are exploring the topic of Growth. What most helps budding facilitators grow and learn? How do freelancers and agencies grow their business? Is facilitation growing inside organizations, and how?
Before you go...
Help us spread the word
Please share the news with your fellow facilitators and help us a culture of facilitation, worldwide!
WHO IS BEHIND THE SURVEY and the Report?
The State of Facilitation is an initiative from SessionLab: one platform to design and manage facilitation.
Our main goal with this project is to better understand the facilitation profession, share insights, and promote discussions within and beyond the global facilitation community.
Interested in the next report?
Don’t miss any updates
We’re excited to put together the fifth edition of this comprehensive report on facilitation.
Leave your email address below to stay informed and receive updates.
Contributors
Special thanks to the following people for helping us create this year's edition.
You!
Pollster
Deborah Rim Moiso
Survey Editor, Content Writer @ SessionLab
Steve Bouchard
Head of Training & Client Relations @ xchange
Robert Cserti
CEO @ SessionLab
Alexandre Eisenchteter
Creator of Stormz and I Love Cards
Mehdi En-Naizi
Workshop designer & facilitator, Founder @ Facilitator's Corner
Douglas Ferguson
CEO @ Voltage Control
Dr. Myriam Hadnes
Host of the Unprofessionalism & workshops work Podcasts
Rena Koc
Community Manager @ IAF, Founder @ HeySocial
Kirsty Lewis
Founder @ School of Facilitation & SoF Fest
Kathrina Loeffler, CPF
IAF Executive Director & Certified Professional Facilitator
Said Saddouk
The Facilitainer - Co-founder @ Fit For Facilitation
Nathy Ravez
Podcast Host @ La Workshoppeuse & Co-Founder @ Fit for Facilitation
James Smart
Head of Content @ SessionLab
Carrin Robertson
Marketer, community manager @ SessionLab
Gemma Palacio
Illustrator, Visual Storyteller & Designer @ SessionLab
state of facilitation partners
About our partners
Thank you to our partners for supporting the State of Facilitation project by sharing with their networks, helping us shape the survey and report, and for their constant work to grow the profession.
The International Association of Facilitators (IAF) is a participatory organisation with members in more than 65 countries.
As a professional association, we set internationally accepted industry standards, provide accreditation, support a community of practice, advocate and educate on the power of facilitation and embrace the diversity of facilitators.
AI is changing how work happens—but most teams are still using it alone, not together.
At Voltage Control, we integrate AI into facilitation and collaboration
xchange is a global leadership development training company that specializes in creating transformational learning experiences. It offers certification programs to leaders, coaches and consultants in how to design and facilitate with the xchange Approach, enabling connection, learning and belonging to occur at speed and scale.
The Fit For Facilitation community is a home for facilitators and for people who care about thoughtful design, meaningful interaction, and tools that actually serve people.
A place for shaping conversations, supporting better decisions, and helping shared understanding emerge.
A global community of facilitators and trainers, coming together to think, do and be better.
Our quarterly and monthly gatherings are held both online and in person, allowing real life community members to link up and support each other in the real world.
Organizers of the yearly SoF Fest gathering.
Previous reports
State of Facilitation 2026 - Impact
The 2026 State of Facilitation Report is focused on the topic of Impact.
It examines how impact is currently understood, measured, and communicated in practice. It highlights common patterns, emerging practices, and persistent challenges, alongside reflections from experienced practitioners.
State of Facilitation 2025
The third edition of the State of Facilitation report includes a special section on AI and a focus on in-house facilitation.
Human-led, tech-enhanced is the claim encapsulating reflection on a changing world where digital and analog practices combine as never before.
State of Facilitation 2024
The second edition of the State of Facilitation report aggregates almost 1000 answers, given in both English and Spanish.
Check out the 2024 report to find aggregated results from the survey, including a special focus on early adoption of AI tools by facilitators, and commentary from 12 experts sharing their perspectives.
The path to professional facilitation in 2024 requires becoming literate in the use of digital tools while cultivating the heart of the craft: relationships, trust, and human connection.
State of Facilitation 2023
Last year the global facilitation community was generous enough to provide over 1100 responses to the first-ever survey on the state of facilitation.
Check out the 2023 report to find aggregated results from the survey, divided into 7 sections covering everything from demographics and employment, to challenges and tools.
You’ll also find a collection of key takeaways, information and insightful commentary by workshop design and delivery experts from around the world and see why they think that facilitation is everywhere and yet it hasn’t reached the recognition it needs.
