Large OS-meeting 600 persons

Gerard Muller gm at openspace.dk
Mon Mar 21 07:07:45 PST 2005


Hello Thomas,

How nice !!  And good to have such a large space.

Clarity of instructions about the set-up really becomes important when
the group size gets beyond a certain point.

But unless you really have a powerful guardian angel, chances are
there'll be quite a bit of work left - when the group size
gets beyond 200 or so I always set things up the day before. And
usually there are surprises - I'm sure you've all found yourselves
in spaces where all the tables were still standing  - but with larger
events there may be, say, cranes driving through your carefully set up
space to set up the lighting, a band playing preventing you to check
the sound system, a camera crew  (or several) going round
and so on. A briefing some time ahead seems to help a bit.

The fact 1200 participants some of whom it seems you would welcome to
the OS are around makes me wonder how easy it would be
if I was a participant in one of the other sessions to use my two feet
and come to the OS (or the other way around). Could some sort of
connection be created ?

Given that it's so big, I would rather have fewer concentric circles
and a larger space in the middle.

I am glad I don't have to distribute (or count) your sticky dots. I am
not sure how much more convergence it will be possible to get apart
from the closing circle.
Is there an opportunity later on in the program to collect ideas ? Is
this the first or second day of the two-day conference ?
Greetings from the west of Svenmark,




Gerard Muller




On Mar 21, 2005, at 3:30 PM, Thomas Herrmann wrote:

> Dear friends in Open Space
> In a few weeks time I will facilitate the large OST meeting I mentioned
> earlier - 600 persons (municipal schoolmanagers from all over Sweden).
> Thanks for the input I gained last time! I am working on the logistics
> right
> now.
>
> This is a very short OS, just a half day, so the logistics are very
> important. The room is huge 52*42 meters so I plan to have 6-7
> concentric
> circles in the centre and 30 circles with 20 chairs around. There will
> still
> be space for some 10+ extra circles more, if needed. I use PowerPoint
> to
> write where I want the large circles, the small circles and extra
> chairs. My
> experience is that one cannot be enough clear and this way has worked
> fine
> for me.
>
> Some more details: We will use a wall as agenda wall but also the
> issues
> will be "beamed" onto a large screen. A person will write them on a
> computer
> as soon as they get up on the wall. We will use large helium balloons
> to
> mark each of the groups.
>
> The timeschedule looks like this:
> 1 hour opening, angenda setting
> 2 spaces for sessions á 1 hour
> 1/2 hour for closing
> Any ideas for the closing? I usually invite for a reflection using the
> medicine wheel but this time it is hard to get it in. Would you
> recommend
> sending the talking stick and see what happens? (600 persons - 30
> minutes,
> which might be less once we are seated is not more than 3 sec per
> person
> which might be fine actually?
>
> In order to get some more info for the follow up, we will invite the
> participants for a prioritization during lunch, using sticky dots. We
> are
> thinking about putting the dots out on each chair in the morning,
> somehow,
> so they get them straight away.
>
> This half day is part of a 2 day conference with 1800 participants.
> Unfortunately the politicians will be busy in their respective party
> this
> half day.
>
> If you get any ideas of important details with large groups and little
> time,
> I´d appreciate it!
> Kindest regards & have a great day!
> Thomas Herrmann         Phone +46 (0)709-98 97 81
> Open Space Consulting   Fax   +46 (0)300-713 89
> Pensévägen 4
> 434 46 Kungsbacka, Sweden
> Email: thomas at openspaceconsulting.com
> www.openspaceconsulting.com
>
> *
> *
> ==========================================================
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> ------------------------------
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
> view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>
> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
>

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html

To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist



More information about the OSList mailing list