Large OS-meeting 600 persons

[Lisa Heft]

Hi, Thomas -

You wrote:
<In a few weeks time I will facilitate the large OST meeting I mentioned
earlier - 600 persons (municipal school managers from all over Sweden).>

They are lucky to have you, dear Thomas.

I agree with Kerry - either set up 2 stools with a microphone on each or
have a few 'runners' with microphones who can bring them into the
audience.

I have found that in large venues it is sometimes difficult to pinpoint
where the sound is coming from - in one I did with about 850 people I
made big cut-paper globes (2-dimensional world signs) so a volunteer
holding the microphone someone was talking at could hold it up when a
person there is talking: see the first and second photos at:

http://www.openingspace.net/gallery/agora.cgi?cart_id=7072011.15741*3G3F
L7&xm=on&product=Signs_Used_in_Open_Space_Events

(or same thing: go to my website http://www.openingspace.net, click on
the upper-right-hand corner where it says "Gallery" and click on "Signs
Used in Open Space Events" )

I also wonder about convergence.  I always ask (especially at
conferences) who really needs convergence - often it is the conference
organizers but the participants themselves are often served by the Open
Space networking and resource sharing and do not have a big stake in
convergence.  I would imagine a lot of folks would just drift away into
the rest of the conference and not place dots at lunchtime, no?

I also might post session notes on the wall (find more space?) for
participants to read, as this can really energize talk during the whole
rest of the conference.  Even if you are projecting them for a short
while, as well.

The other thing I found to be useful is to make 30 boxes (the number of
breakout areas you're having) or even just box tops to put in each
discussion area - with pens, notes-taker forms, perhaps a clipboard with
a participant list to send around during the discussion (notes and
participant lists are collected by convenors/notes-takers and both
handed in together) and whatever other supplies are given to each
discussion area.

And I've also found it's helpful to have volunteers to help people in
general ways (where is this, where is that, what do I do with these
notes) and to help straighten up the discussion areas between sessions.
Just an idea.

Wish I could be there to help you in person,

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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