Ice breakers are essential to the success of any conference where most participants don't know each other. If people don't feel comfortable around each other, they will be less likely to share their ideas and experiences. Consider playing an ice-breaking game in which the participants take turns listing three people they would want to take with them to a deserted island. Be sure to ask the participants to explain why they made their choices. This will give everyone insight into the needs and interests of everyone involved.
After the ice has been successfully broken, try some trust games. One of the most common of these games involves splitting everyone into pairs and asking each pair to take turns falling backward into the arms of the other. Tell the person catching to place his leg in between the legs of the person falling backward. This will offer stability to the catcher if the person falling is heavier than expected. Tell the person falling not to look backward, as this would defeat the purpose of the trust exercise.
Team-building games can raise a person's awareness of the motivations and actions of those around him. If people are more aware of the actions of others, businesses and organizations will run more smoothly. Ask 10 to 15 people to cup their hands together as if they were holding a small ball in their hands. Then ask everyone to huddle together and build a "tower" of cupped hands, with 4 to 6 inches in between each pair of hands. Drop a small ball into the hands of the person at the top. At this point, the person at the top will part his hands and allow the ball to fall down to the next pair of hands. Ask the participants to continue this process until the ball hits the floor. Time each group, then repeat the game. Teamwork will help the groups' times improve.
Role playing requires you to adopt the perspective of another person. Consider pairing workers and managers and asking them to take on the role of the other person. Ask the person playing the worker to bring a problem to the attention of the person playing the manager. Allow the pair to resolve the issue as best they can, then discuss the role play with the whole group, critiquing the ways each party dealt with the problem.