An event on Birth

[Lisa Heft]

Hello, Geneviève --
 
You asked:
<How do I attract doctors, professors and politicians without an agenda
and big names to come to? Has anyone of you had this experience? What
would you suggest?>
 
...and thank you for the question.  Each question someone asks is a
chance for us all to learn.
 
I have been involved in quite a few conferences where the hosts must
device a languaging that speaks to those individuals who might need an
agenda or big names in order to decide to attend.
 
Here's one example of 'who else is coming' plus 'what is on the agenda',
in Open Space languaging:
 
Please join hundreds of others for an interactive summit of visionaries,
program implementers, community activists, policy makers, business
leaders and other friends of children.  Together we will identify what
systems support children safe, healthy and ready for school each day and
name the policies and actions it will take to sustain those systems.
 
In the case above, the conference organizers did not know who yet was
coming, but they knew they would be inviting these sorts of people.
 
(see another example of that event's invitation text, here:
http://www.openingspace.net/openSpaceTechnology_method_resources_invitat
ions3.shtml )
 
 
Here is the same sort of approach, from a peace conference:
 
Peacemakers from Israel, Palestinian territories, India, Colombia, U.S.
urban communities and Haiti will join other youth and adult mediators,
facilitators, business leaders and community coalition builders to share
methods, issues and opportunities for global, regional, organization and
inter-community peacemaking.
 
In this instance, the conference organizers did invite some people with
rich experiences and so they knew that those several people would be
coming.  They named those people on the invitation.  This might be nice
if you have some big names that draw others.  Of course these invited
folks will have to know that it's not speeches, but conversations - to
be fully informed of the Open Space process as you invite them.  
 
And of course, the multiple, diverse and ongoing ways you invite from
the moment planning starts to the day of the event will make a huge
difference.  Different messages in different mediums for each kind of
person you are interested in inviting.  Personal phone calls, flyers,
emails, in-person visits, whatever works.  Plus the compelling way you
describe the task that are all coming together to do will draw people,
as well.
 
And here is a third invitation, geared toward scientists, academicians
and technical experts:
 
The National Forum for Geosciences Information Technology is a focal
point for a national dialog on technology across all of the geosciences
to address CyberInfrastructure issues and challenges through exchange of
ideas, experiences, and requirements. It will foster and support the
leveraging of efforts and the development of guidelines, best practices,
new development and deployment teams, and interoperable software
standards. Participants will include project leads, developers, users
(researchers and educators including graduate students and post-docs),
systems administrators, representatives from funding agencies, and other
interested parties. Attendees will be active participants in the
meeting, bringing their interests into discussion groups through the use
of Open Space Technology. They will have ample opportunity to interact
with one another, sharing practical concerns and solutions to CI related
issues. 
 
 
Lastly, you can indeed put an agenda on the invitation, if you think
it’s needed – or certainly on the registration information:
 
9:00am Welcome – Dr. Julie SpecialPerson
(who knows that her welcome is simply ‘glad you’re here, I’m excited,
and now, here’s the facilitator’)
9:10-10:00 Plenary: Guidelines and Announcement of Session Topics
10:00-12:00 Working Sessions
12:00-1:00 Lunch 
1:00-5:00 Working Sessions
5:00-5:30 Plenary: Announcements
5:30-7:00 Reception
 
next day
 
9:00-9:30am Welcome back: Announcement of Late-Breaking Sessions
9:30-12:30 Working sessions

and so on
 
 
I’m sure my OSLIST colleagues have other great examples. 
Keep those questions coming,
 
Lisa
___________________________
L i s a   H e f t
Consultant, Facilitator, Educator
O p e n i n g  S p a c e
2325 Oregon
Berkeley, California
94705-1106   USA
+01 510 548-8449
lisaheft at openingspace.net
www.openingspace.net 
 

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