There should be time to familiarise yourself with the ventilators and test lungs in the morning
In particular work out how to do inspiratory/expiratory hold manoeuvres
Get to know the test lungs and their resistance and compliance settings that produce gas trapping etc
Please note, the test lungs work best below 400ml TV. Above that pressure they become poorly compliant, don't tend to gas trap (stiff and snap shut) and trip the alarms
Do not spend much time on the initial discussion
Skip cricothyroidotomy, there is never enough time
The "meat" is in the ventilator settings with high resistance. Use basic volume control with constant flow as this mode illustrates the concept of flow-time-resistance much better than pressure based modes. When choosing VCV ensure that the flow waveform is square (many ventilators, e.g. Hamilton, default to a decelerating insp flow shape despite calling the mode VC - that turns it into a pressure control mode with targeted volume, akin to PRVC or PCVVG). However, let them also try PC-based modes at the end.
The test lung settings are just a guide - spend some time prior to the workshops to fine-tune
Be familiar with concept of driving pressures and transpulmonary pressures
Talk about recruitment manoeuvres in practical detail including their potential problems (2017 bad press in JAMA, probably unfairly; gentle RM may be ok?)
Talk about proning, let the candidates describe how to do this in detail, e.g. indication, how does it work, contraindications, how many members of staff needed, steps, pasty, etc)
Skip the tracheostomy bit, there is never enough time