Handling large numbers

Betty Didcoct betty at ic.org
Tue Apr 11 09:33:42 PDT 2000


As I prepare to open space in Belgium in two weeks, and seeing all the
wonderful suggestions here, I thought I would ask for some help to think
through the logistics.

We have 248 people registered. A few more may show up at the door. OS will
happen inside a longer 6 day conference with other things being scheduled
in between times for OS sessions. (in other words, we do not have a block
of time for only OS) We have six time slots spread out over 4 days, (with
some time available in between the cracks) and the morning of the 5th day
will be an open mike session for closure of both OS and the conference
experience.

1. I have led an OS for 200 before, but there were only 2 available times
for sessions and we had a very large room in which to work, so there was no
glitches for doing a traditional sign-up and marketplace time.  With this
group of 250 in somewhat restricted space, I am wondering if there are some
alternatives to having people sign up for their initial preferences, then
open up the market place for making adjustments to the schedule. Remember
this is all happening in a group with 6-8 different languages. (they will
have on head sets for the OS intro)

2. My second inquiry is about logistics of space. We will have the whole
group sessions taking place in a smaller -- just fits 250 tightly sitting
in chairs-- room (Room A) and we have to use a larger room to do the intro
and set up for OS (Room B)

We will meet in the larger room (which I have been told has good wall
space. Room A has limited wall space) for the introduction, but after
that,the morning OS checkin will have to be in Room A after the hour
opening for each day.

This means we will have to move (ugh) the schedule from the intial place we
created it, to the smaller room A. There is just not enough time to move
250 people each morning into room B for check in and still get a good block
of time for OS session afterwards. Has anyone had experience with moving
the schedule around?

A NOTE:  I will be using 2 or 3  10 meter x 1.5 meter sheets of sky blue
ripstop nylon on the walls, which I will spray with 3M Spray mount
(available at office supply stores for about $9 a can. Also available in
Europe -- at least I bought some in Amsterdam) to make the nylon like one
huge post-it not surface. That makes it easy to put up sheets of paper and
very easy to move them around many times.

Thanks for your suggestions. I am finding the advice here very helpful.

Also thanks to all those who have been suggesting sites for an OS
conference in North America and Europe. I guess I am grateful for all the
suggestions. I am trying to get my taxes done, and there have been so many
good looking prospects that my time is being very pressed to check them out
and finish taxes before I leave!  :-/

(Chris, Brigitt and any other Canadians...is there a way to apply for an
extension on taxes like there is in the States?)  :-)

-Betty


_________________________________________________________________
 Betty Didcoct              TIES Consulting
   betty at ic.org               Building TIES between people to
   phone:   208-682-3550      facilitate better meetings &
   fax:     603-687-4698      healthier organizations
__________________________________________________________________



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