pre-spacing

Chris Corrigan chris at chriscorrigan.com
Mon Sep 29 16:02:21 PDT 2003


Hi Tim:

I don't much see the point in "pre-spacing."  Agendas are highly mutable
things.  What is current one moment is suddenly off the list the next.
Inviting topics weeks before an event only locks people into thinking
that is weeks old upon arrival.  Not many businesses or organizations
would want to rely on weeks old thinking when current thinking is
available in spades!

I would definitely probe the sponsor a little more and find out what the
underlying issue is, and why they feel like the agenda needs to be
primed.  Perhaps the invitation isn't inviting enough and they are
looking for ways to draw people in?  IN that case, send out another
invitation, a really juicy one.  Start it by saying something like "As
our event approaches we are getting really excited about what might
happen.  Join professionals from X, Y and Z sectors in high spirited
conversation about leading edge issues and opportunities."

Something like that.

Anyway, I'd ask a few more questions.  And if that isn't enough, every
year for the past couple of years we have invited people to post online
topics for OSonOS ahead of the conference, but it hasn't really worked
out.  We get a couple, but without the energy of the opening session,
they lack something that live agenda setting brings to the occasion.
You have to set the agenda anyway, why complicate things?

Good luck, and let us know what happens.

Chris
---
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Bowen Island, BC, Canada
http://www.chriscorrigan.com
chris at chriscorrigan.com
(604) 947-9236

-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Tim
Merry - Engage!
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2003 9:58 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: pre-spacing

Hi there,

I have been invited into the hosting of an open space for 500 folk in
the UK. This is the third time with the same org, so its is catching and
expanding, and this time it is an annual gathering of one of their
networked learning communities. 2 days long.

They have suggested, and my gut rebels, to do some of the workshop
posting before arrival. To have the invite sent out and people offer
workshops on the internet so the agenda can build in advance ...

Has anyone done anything like this before?
Has it worked?
If so .. how?
or why not?

Other than that, 500 is the largest so far for me, are there any things
i should be focusing on with a group this large?

Okay,
Thanks for any help,
Tim

(remember the rapper?)



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