On the Beach!

[Linda Starodub]

                              - - Answer - -
         December 14, 1998    12:53pm   MAIL IS -
   FROM: Linda Starodub                  Private
     TO: ralphsc
SUBJECT: On the Beach!

Ralph -- what happens if the weather is uncooperative? How about sound --
would you need a megaphone or two? How about shade and breakout areas? ...big
umbrellas, colour-coded gigantic beach blankets, gaily striped tents, cabanas
hobbled together out of palms fronds?

What's the theme by the way?

                               - - Mail - -
         December 14, 1998    10:56am   MAIL IS -
   FROM: ralphsc                         Private
     TO: DC211LS
         OSLIST
SUBJECT: On the Beach!

Friends,

I've done a lot of open space gigs, but never one quite like this, and I
welcome your suggestions:

A corporate client wants its open space meeting of 110 people done on the
beach in Florida.  As in: on the beach.  That, of course, means no walls.
None.  I'm thinking: why not just spread out the posters on the sand and let
people walk around them.  An chor them with cocoanuts or some other damn
thing.  The more I think about this, the less I'm interested in trucking in
bulletin boards, partitions or any other kind of artifical walls.  Just all
these folks in sandals or bare feet walking around their o wn passions
carefully laid out on the earth.  Why not?

Another thought would be to get the facility to put up some volleyball nets
and post stuff on those.  And if we leave a few actual volleyballs around as
well ­ no telling how things might bounce.

So, what would you do if you were asked to open space on a beach?  And what
concerns would you have?  Anybody done one on a beach before?  or in a meadow
or some other outdoor venue?  All advice welcome.  And thank you.

Ralph Copleman