Key Personalities

[Tree Fitzpatrick]

Hi Diana.

In November, 2003, a group of open spacers in Seattle convened a "Practice
of Peace".  We seeded the field with what we termed 'invited guests'.  Each
of the invited guests was someone using OST in a conflict resolution
setting.  Since we had invited them, we paid for their travel expenses and
all of them agreed to come without further compensation.  In our invitation,
we listed the invited guests with brief bios for them.

It was clear to the organizers (including me) that seeding the field with
invited guests had a tremendous, very positive and very powerful impact on
the field we created at the event.  Having those invited guests conveyed to
all who read out invitation that our intention, which was 'to embrace chaos,
conflict and confusion', was serious. It is clear to me that the power we
unleashed by seeding the field with experts was very, very important to the
success of the event.  The event itself was stunningly powerful.

I realized, after doing this event, that it is perfectly easy to have
'traditional' conferences using open space.  Imagine an annual convention
for an industry.  It is traditional to seed the field with keynotes, who
have to set their topics a year or more in advance of the event.
Oftentimes, the invited speakers have moved on in their work but they still
have to show up and talk about the topic as printed in the agenda for the
conference.  Instead of creating keynotes and breakouts, with pre-determined
topics, it is so simple to invite a bunch of leading thinkers related to the
theme of your event and simply unleash them into open space with everyone
else.

Now some folks still need to be listed as a speaker, as a workshop leader.
Some folks like the traditional approach and some leaders don't like the
unfamiliar energy of being an equal among peers.  These people will not
agree to be your invited guests, I predict.

But there are some folks who are leaders in their field who yearn to go to
gatherings with colleagues, with like-minds, as peers.  These people will
accept your invitation to be an invited guest.

Some people are famous and they get used to being cushioned from the masses
at a conference.  If someone has written a well-known book, they might like
being treated as special, they might crave the keynote slot.  But I think
that even some of these people will enjoy being a peer among peers.

Keep in mind that all of your invited guests, Diana, will be fully free to
hold sessions, make speeches, lead workshops within the open space.  They
will also be free to be a butterfly and hang out.  Or do whatever they
want.  This can be very attractive to the invited guests.

If you google 'practice of peace', Diana, and look at the website, I think
you can find the invitation we used. I have referenced it on this list in
the past but I mention it again for you since you asked about invited guests
today.

-- 
Love rays,
Tree Fitzpatrick

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