Small systems large systems

[Joelle Lyons Everett]

Bruce--

Your project sounds wonderful!

Harrison's book, Open Space Technology, a User's Guide, has very good
practical discussions about space needed and many other details for planning
your meeting.  Get a copy right now if you don't have it.  If you've read it
before, haul it out--the details will be meaningful now with a real meeting
in mind.

Every person invited won't come, but my experience is that the rate is higher
than with many other kinds of meetings.  I'd ask for RSVP's so you can
arrange for food service and so you can put together a participant list ahead
of time--you can update it at the meeting.  This is very important; you are
trying to build ongoing relationships.

You will need a big room--having a large group in a circle, or in concentric
circles, creates a powerful energy.  Outside the circle you need enough space
that people can move around, refreshment table, enough room to move chairs
into several small groups and back into the main circle again.  You need a
lot of wall space for session posters, and I'm talking about wall space
more-or-less at eye level and within reach.  Otherwise, both the posters and
the poster-readers get stacked up and the Market Place segment takes a long
time.

You don't need multiple facilitators--one additional person who can tend to
logistical crises and help move chairs is nice, though you can recruit the
participants for just about anything that needs doing.

It will work.  Have fun!

Joelle Everett
Sound Resources
813 E Leeds Drive
Shelton, Washington  98584
360-426-8517
jleshelton at aol.com

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