Raising Awareness of OS

[Murli Nagasundaram]

Dear Jay,
It sounds like a great idea. Maybe this can be addressed at the conference
in Stowe.....Grace
----- Original Message -----
From: <JayWV at aol.com>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 2000 4:47 PM
Subject: Raising Awareness of OS


Dear Open Space Community:
I promised the Board of the Open Space Institute of the US that I would post
this appeal, so here we go - a missive to both lists!

Our board is considering the challenge of how we can promote a greater
awareness of Open Space in the larger community, without spending a great
deal of money (which we don't have) and in a way which benefits members of
the Open Space community (and specifically OSI members).  Here's what we've
come up with.

The OSI could prepare a general "press kit" about Open Space for use by Open
Space facilitators in bolstering their case to attract media to specific
events that they're about to facilitate.

If the press kit worked as intended, it would help OS facilitators attract
media to their events which would in turn:
1) Bring greater awareness to the issues addressed by the event
2) Bring greater awareness to the community of the facilitator's services
3) Bring greater awareness to the community of the methodology of Open
Space.

What would be in the press kit?  That's up to us.  It could include:
Impressive articles (ideally about events of a similar nature elsewhere),
contact information about the Open Space Institutes and their web sites,
background information on the technology, references for books and videos
for
further information, and tips on preparing a news release to promote
yourself
and your event.

The facilitators would have to customize it with a news release about the
particular event, and perhaps something about themselves and the sponsors,
but it would supply the platform.

The kit could be available in hard copy for a fee, and/or elements of it
could be downloadable from the openspaceworld website.

The beauty of the idea, as we see it, is that a little effort on our part
could nudge facilitators all over the place to make the extra effort (in a
totally decentralized, personally responsible way) to publicize their work
in
a win/win way for them and OST.  Let a thousand flowers bloom. (or articles
about Open Space.)

And making hard copies available (say at cost) could be a member benefit to
members of OSI.

So that's the idea.  Here's what we like to know:

1) Is this a good idea?

2) If so, what specifically would you like to see in the kit?

3) Should it be web-based (do it yourself) or published as hard copy for
resale, or both?

4) What would you use it for, and how often?

5) And, of course, who out there has expertise in press relations that might
like to help us make this happen, for the greater glory of Open Space and
for
extra credit at Judgment Day?

Thanks for your thoughts, and be well!

Jay

Jay W. Vogt
Peoplesworth
166 Hubbard Street
Concord, MA 01742 USA

(978) 371-3134    Voice
(978) 287-5431    Fax
jaywv at aol.com      Email