Question re: size

Diana Larsen dlarsen at futureworksconsulting.com
Mon Jul 18 17:17:43 PDT 2005


I am forwarding the following message to the list as Ellen seems to be 
experiencing a challenge with getting subscribed. I've copied Ellen on 
this message, if you have a response, please include her as well as the 
rest of the list.

Thanks,
Diana

Diana Larsen
http://futureworksconsulting.com 503-288-3550

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Ellen Gottesdiener" <ellen at ebgconsulting.com>
> Date: July 18, 2005 5:05:38 PM PDT
> To: "Diana Larsen" <dlarsen at futureworksconsulting.com>
> Subject: FW: question re: size
>  
> Hello all:
> Maybe you can help me with..well, an issue of size!
>  
> I am facilitating an Open Space Marketplace in about a week which is 
> going to be integrated into a traditional conference schedule (meaning 
> there are scheduled classes and short tutorials). FYI, it is Agile 
> 2005 (www.agile2005.com and our info on Open Space is on this page: 
> http://www.agile2005.com/track/openspace/cfp ).
>  
> This will be the third year we are integrating OST into a traditional 
> conference in this manner. As in prior years, we will have conveners 
> schedule their sessions as they wish over 3 (of the 4) days of the 
> conference. Some time slots will be concurrent with existing classes 
> or short tutorials, and some will be in time slots that don’t compete 
> with other sessions.  
>  
> While this is not the usual way to do Open Space, it worked pretty 
> well, especially the first year when we had most people attend the 
> Market Place and used chairs in concentric circles. (Last year’s 
> facilitator used a different physical setup that wasn’t so inviting 
> and was more forceful in his facilitation style – he drove the 
> sessions, rather then let the group freely determine topics).
>  
> I plan to facilitate the Marketplace like the first year, but now my 
> problem is now is: SIZE.
>  
> The conference has grown from 200 the first year to over 300 or so 
> last year; I just learned they expect to have 600 to 650 attendees! I 
> have a ballroom for the Marketplace, which we had originally planned 
> to set up in concentric circles with 350 chairs (with aisles).
>  
> The question is: how to do the physical set up of the room?
>  
> The ballroom *might* (we are checking) accommodate 500 chairs in 
> concentric circles which I imagine would be rather deep (e.g. 4, 5 or 
> 6 circles deep). Would this be un-inviting? (We’d have aisles, but 
> would be feel reluctant to come forward with so deep of layout?). Is 
> it important to provide as many chairs as possible and also retain the 
> circle/mandala shape?
>  
> Alternatively, we could set up the 350 chairs and ask additional 
> attendees to stand. (We will probably get more than 350 for the 
> Marketplace..there is no other scheduled activities during this time 
> slot and it follows the Opening Session and Keynote). However, the 
> experience with having people stand for over 30 minutes is that people 
> complain – such was the experience of my friend and colleague, Diana 
> Larsen (who contributes to this list).
>  
> Suggestions or recommendations??
>  
> Many thanks,
> ~~ ellen  
>  
>  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Ellen Gottesdiener, CPF (Certified Professional Facilitator)
> Principal Consultant, EBG Consulting, Inc.
> 1424 Ironwood Drive West, Carmel, IN. 46033.8722
> V: 317.844.3747   F: 317.844.7374  C: 317.507.7374
> ~ Positive and productive collaboration toward shared goals ~
>  
> ~~ Author:
> - Requirements by Collaboration:Workshops for Defining Needs
> - Scenarios, Stories, Use Cases Through the Systems Development 
> Life-Cycle (contributing author)
> - Software Requirements Memory Jogger (forthcoming, fall, 2005) ~~
> ~~ For latest news, publications, useful links and course info, please 
> visit: http://www.ebgconsulting.com ~~
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>  

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