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<FONT SIZE="2" POINTSIZE="10" DEFAULT="SIZE">Dear Esther,<BR>
my feeling is that every facilitator has her own style and preferences etc. concerning food at an open space. There also can be some important cultural/religious elements around food, kosher food, pork not being welcome by a number of religions, vegetarian dishes if you have lets say Indians (not the Northamerican, I presume) there, etc.<BR>
I dug through my files for an english version and found the text I sent to the organizers of the training event we had in Moscow in 2000. When we got there, the kitchen had not been involved yet but we were actually able to have contact with them and had a grand time trying to explain. It all worked out save for the fruit. It was available all over, so Jo Toepfer and I would get huge amounts of fresh fruit both on our way to the training site and again during the lunch break, participants devoured it.<BR>
Here is what we sent them, you adapt:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
"Ideally, there are buffet style lunches. This allows people to go get their food not a precise time but in a span of 2 hours during the noon-time (lets say 12:30 through 14:30, for instance) to accomodate their own pace. This should be light, healthy food that can be kept warm over a period of time, self-service.<BR>
Dinner is different, there it can be a nice sit down affair.<BR>
Most essential, however, is the permanent buffet consisting of tea, coffee, fresh milk, some fruit juice, water, fruit and vegetable sticks (carrots, turnip, cucumbers, whatever in season) with simple dips. It needs to be catered frequently (fresh glaces, cups, filling up stuff as it is used up). This eleminates the traditional breaks which are not provided for.<BR>
My experience here in Berlin and Germany is that training sites are not usually accustomed to provide food in this manner but that they are quite capable and even enjoy trying out a new way. We might talk with them about our ideas when we get there. I enjoy talking to the cook and the person in charge of catering and the manager of the center even if at the end it turns out that there is no way other than the way that they have always done things for whatever reasons."<BR>
<BR>
And here is a recent instruction that I sent to the training in Denmark, it is in German:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
"Catering<BR>
<BR>
open space-Training<BR>
50 TeilnehmerInnen<BR>
19. bis 22. Juni 2002 in Skanderborg <BR>
<BR>
Finanssektorens Uddannelsescenter<BR>
Fassung vom 7. Juni 2002<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
1. Während der ganzen Dauer der Veranstaltung von<BR>
<BR>
9:30 bis 18:30 Uhr am 19. Juni, <BR>
8:30 bis 17:30 Uhr am 20. und 21. Juni <BR>
8:30 bis 12:00 Uhr am 22. Juni<BR>
<BR>
gibt es ein Pausenbüffet bestehend aus Mineralwasser in Literflaschen zum selber einschenken, Kaffee, Tee, frischer Milch (zusätzlich zu Kaffeesahne) einer Sorte Obstsaft (jeden Tag mal was anderes) in Literflaschen, kleingeschnittenem Gemüse (Karotten, Gurken, Staudensellerie, Rettich, Kohlrabi, Tomaten, Chicoree, Zucchini, etc.), einfachen Yoghurtdips und heimischem Obst der Saison (z.B. kleine Äpfel, Birnen). <BR>
Dieses Büffet kann nachmittags mit Blechkuchen (in kleinen Stücken) ergänzt werden. Das Büffet muss laufend betreut und aufgefrischt werden, dafür braucht es Personal.<BR>
<BR>
2. Zwischen<BR>
<BR>
12:00 und 14:00 Uhr am 19. , 20. und 21. Juni <BR>
<BR>
wird ein Mittagsbüffet angeboten: Einfache, leichte Kost, vegetarisch und nicht-vegetarisch, wie z.B. ein Gemüseeintopf mit oder ohne Fleisch, Salat, Quiche oder Gemüsetorte.<BR>
<BR>
3. Am<BR>
<BR>
Freitag, 21. Juni gibts um 19:00 Uhr <BR>
<BR>
ein óAbschlussbüffet mit óDänischen Leckereien. <BR>
Zu diesem Büffet werden Gäste im Rahmen eines open-evening eingeladen, sodass mit ca. 75 TeilnehmerInnen gerechnet werden kann.<BR>
<BR>
4. Gegen<BR>
<BR>
12:30 am Samstag, 22. Juni<BR>
<BR>
gibt es ein Mittagsbüffet zum Abschluss des Trainings. Die Zahl der daran teilnehmenden Personen wird voraussichtlich kleiner sein als 50.<BR>
<BR>
Ansprechperson seitens des Caterers<BR>
Karen Dahl"<BR>
<BR>
The main points are:<BR>
A continuous buffet, beginning 30 minutes before the official start all the way to the end consisting of coffee, tea, mineral water, one kind of fruit juice (in large bottles or pitchers for selfservice), fruit of the season (nothing fancy, local stuff like apples), fingerfood cut vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, zuccini, tomatoes, raddishes, green asparagus (when young it can be eaten uncooked), turnips, red beet...the kitchen has a blast with this...and a couple of very simple dips (joghurt) (of course, you can go fancy with whipped avocado dips and the like, its not necessary)<BR>
No cookies, no sweets.<BR>
The idea is you just whip by (or linger) and grab something in the spirit of selforganisation.<BR>
Over a period of a couple of hours this continuous buffet is expanded with a soup or a pizza or something else light and easy to grab on the run (there is no scheduled lunch break, if the food is there from 12 noon til 2pm group session might start at 11.30 and 1 pm nonetheless)<BR>
In the afternoon, lets say around 3:30pm I ask for some simple cake cut into convenient fingerfood size pieces.<BR>
If people stay overnight, there can be a fancy sit down dinner in the evening.<BR>
This kind of catering does require staff to continuously keep the buffet stocked, fresh cups and glasses, etc.<BR>
One other thing to think of is to where the buffet and food should be located. I prefer it right underneath the news wall, so people can study proceedings while having a cup of coffee or nibbling at the vegetables. This is usually in a hallway or lobby just outside of the main meeting room. If the os is spread out horizontally or vertically, I still like to have the buffet near the newswall, sort of attracts people.<BR>
Have a grand summer<BR>
michael<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
--Original Message Text---<BR>
<B>From:</B> EwingChange@aol.com<BR>
<B>Date:</B> Sat, 6 Jul 2002 06:18:52 EDT<BR>
<BR>
<FONT COLOR=000080><FONT SIZE="4" POINTSIZE="14">In a message dated 06/07/2002 02:56:36 Eastern Daylight Time, mmpanne@snafu.de writes:<BR>
<BR>
<FONT COLOR=000000 DEFAULT="COLOR"><FONT SIZE="2" POINTSIZE="10" DEFAULT="SIZE"><BR>
Often, the kitchen/caterer have never done an "open space-buffet" and are intrigued by it and come up with marvellous ideas. One organisation I work with regularly has documented "open space-buffet" for their staff so that when an open space is done there they know exactly what is expected. They now offer this way of catering at other events so a little bit of open spaces invades. <BR>
<FONT SIZE="3" POINTSIZE="12"><BR>
<BR>
<FONT COLOR=000080><FONT SIZE="4" POINTSIZE="14"><BR>
Michael:<BR>
Can you get the instructions or the documentation so that we can give it to hotels that we deal with?<BR>
<BR>
Regards<BR>
Esther<BR>
<BR>
Esther Ewing<BR>
Authorized Distributor, Panoramic Feedback<BR>
www.panometrics.com<BR>
The Change Alliance<BR>
New York Line: 212-661-6024<BR>
330 East 38th St. Apt. 53K<BR>
New York, New York, 10016<BR>
Toronto Line: 416-209-0481<BR>
<BR>
Assisting Individuals and Organizations to Build Capability<FONT COLOR=000000 DEFAULT="COLOR"><FONT SIZE="2" POINTSIZE="10" DEFAULT="SIZE"> <BR>
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<br>
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<br>
Michael M Pannwitz<br>
boscop<br>
Draisweg 1<br>
12209 Berlin, Germany<br>
FON +49 - 30-772 8000 FAX +49 - 30-773 92 464<br>
www.michaelmpannwitz.de<br>
<br>
An der E-Gruppe "openspacedeutsch" für deutschsprechende open space-PraktikerInnen interessiert? Enfach eine mail an mich.</HTML>