[OSList] preparing an Osonos

[Lisa Heft]

Hello, wonderful Eleder -

I have an OSonOS every year in San Francisco. This year I changed it's  
name to the Fabulous Facilitation Conference (!)

I have found that my and other OSonOSs are different than doing a  
WOSonOS.

I do it myself, or maybe with one other person.
In order to be able to do it easily so I can do it annually, I do it  
very simply.

Something like this:

Invitation goes out. Pre-registration, so I know my resources and  
budget in advance.
I send a list of local accommodations to anyone traveling in for the  
conference.

Wednesday evening: 2-hour casual wine, cheese, juice, snacks. Like a  
very casual social / reception. We just sit and chat in small groups  
or whole group, depending on the size of the conference that year.

Thursday: Open Space all day. People bring their laptops and we set up  
that kind of Newsroom. Whoever would like to build their skills in  
that job sometimes comes to do just that for the two days.
Breakfast and box lunches and snacks on both days.
As for my workshops, everyone pays the most they can and this covers  
rental, catering and materials.

On Thursday evening, one hour after the Open Space day ends, whoever  
can returns with food and drink for a casual 'pot luck' dinner  
together - in the same meeting room.

Friday: Open Space all day, breakfast and box lunches and snacks  
included.
Closing Circle, end.

(in my region, most people seem to be more able to come to a weekday  
workshop or conference rather than a weekend one).

I always set up a Global Village Marketplace table in the same big  
room as we are meeting.
Participants bring lovely and interesting items to buy and sell to  
each other to raise money and awareness for the Access Queen project -  
so I can carry this WOSonOS tradition through into the OSonOSs I host.

It is always a theme such as "What Do We Want to Know, Learn, Explore  
and Discover with Each Other to Deepen and Support Our Work with  
Groups? " - or some variation of that.

It is very easy. Which is also why I am able to do it every year.
You are all invited to join me in 2014 for the Fabulous Facilitation  
Conference (an all-OS conference) in March 2014.

___

If it is an Open Space on Open Space, yes, it really helps to have  
most of the people who come have Open Space reading / understanding /  
workshop / experience / self-learning / however-they-do-it before  
coming to the conference. Because everyone else is using a vocabulary  
and concepts specific to Open Space, and is ready to do 'deep dives'  
about the concepts and useage and ask others for their experiences in  
and with Open Space. So yes, if it's an OSonOS or WOSonOS, many past  
hosts have found that having a pre-conference workshop or mini- 
training, orientation or pre-reading recommendation is very useful, as  
it deepens the conference co-learning that follows.

You will have a lovely conference, Eleder - and you know I will be  
there in spirit!
And smiling...

Lisa

Lisa Heft
Opening Space




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