Dear Sandy, <br><br>I faced a similar situation two or three years ago in Boston. No circle of chairs, no big open space in the middle and for a while, I thought no wall space for the marketplace wall. People were sitting around tables with a stage in the front -- long
rectangle type room with ornate chandeliers, precious wallpaper, and a
balcony up above. A national conference; 325-350 people. It was a last minute request for facilitation. I nearly jumped ship and had many sleepless nights.<br><br>The Theme: The Future of Arts, Media and Culture- Shifting, Evolving and Emerging.<br>
<br>The Open Space was integrated into a 3-day conference. Speakers kicked off the meeting from 9 to 10:30 and then I opened the Space from 11:00 til 12:00 (with the first session blending into lunch until 2). The rest of the conference featured traditional concurrent speakers and workshops. People had the opportunity to substitute and attend Open Space sessions instead.<br>
<br>In the end, it worked and the feedback was quite positive because the participants made it work. As I opened the space, I invited people to create an "imaginary circle" in their mind as if we were sitting around a giant camp fire. I invited them to look around the room and let their eyes gaze on all the people who were there who shared a passion for the theme. We had created little post cards with the theme and placed them on the tables so they would be prominent. I invited people to choose among the assigned times but also consider others times and other places to gather. <br>
<br>Well it ended up that people found each other and found spaces to meet from the get-go whether over breakfast, late afternoon and even at night around the bar. They wrote the place and time where they would be on individual post-it notes on the topics. Sometimes they even put signs in the corridor of the hotel with arrows indicating they'd be at a nearby restaurant.<br>
<br>Sandy I know the circumstances are not the same but I share it with you remembering what was going through my mind then. I was totally scared. I also feared I was betraying the integrity of Open Space and that people would leave having a very bad impression of the Open Space process. Somehow it worked because of the invitation for people themselves to figure it out. From what I know, the organization is continuing to open virtual space as a result of that event.<br>
<br>I know an auditorium with theater seats is not at all the same; I still offer it in case it sparks possibilities for you in your situation.<br><br>Suzanne<br><br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, May 25, 2012 at 12:08 PM, Peggy Holman <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:peggy@peggyholman.com" target="_blank">peggy@peggyholman.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div style="word-wrap:break-word">Hi Sandy,<div><br></div><div>What a challenge! I have heard stories of spaces opened successfully in auditoriums. I believe Lisa Heft has a story about it somewhere in the archives. If you take that approach, those I know who have done it say the work is to set a metaphorical circle. In other words, invite people to imagine themselves sitting in a circle, what that means, how that feels. That creates the openness in which people will come forward.</div>
<div><br></div><div>I've had two experiences as a participant in non-circle settings. In one, no attention was paid to the quality of the space before inviting people to post sessions. No one did. So the organizers named sessions iaead. In other words, the space wasn't very open. </div>
<div><br></div><div>In the other case, the session began with a meditation that invited people to get clear on what mattered to them. When the invitation to post a session happened, they were primed. It worked beautifully.</div>
<div><br></div><div>So it can be done.</div><div><br></div><div>If you go the route of having people sign up, I encourage you to do it loosely. If someone changes their mind and shows up for the Open Space instead, welcome them. People will figure out how to make room.</div>
<div><br></div><div>To Bhav's comment about running an OS in parallel with pre-set sessions, it has been done many times. Check the list archive for stories. I've seen it done where the pre-set sessions were announced and posted side by side the spontaneous sessions. I've run an OS in a room off the main conference space in parallel to a traditional conference. Both can work, though the containers are a bit "leaky". </div>
<div><br></div><div>I think the main question is what do you want to accomplish? Given your purpose, what form best serves the need?</div><div><br></div><div>appreciatively,</div><div>Peggy</div><div><br></div><div><br>
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<div>_________________________________</div><div>Peggy Holman</div><div><a href="mailto:peggy@peggyholman.com" target="_blank">peggy@peggyholman.com</a></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:12px;font-family:Helvetica"><div style="word-wrap:break-word">
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<br><div><div>On May 25, 2012, at 6:47 AM, Barbara B. Bunker wrote:</div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div>Sandy... I understand the logistics dilemma but however you decide, I missed what<br>the compelling theme for this OST will be that will attract people to it. B3<br>
<br><br>Barbara B. Bunker Ph.D.<br>Professor of Psychology Emerita<br>The University at Buffalo<br>117 Highland Avenue<br>Buffalo, NY 14222<br><a href="tel:716-881-2166" value="+17168812166" target="_blank">716-881-2166</a><br>
<br>On Fri 05/25/12 9:29 AM , "Harrison Owen" <a href="mailto:hhowen@verizon.net" target="_blank">hhowen@verizon.net</a> sent:<br><blockquote type="cite">Gee Sandy - You do have yourself in a tight spot. I'd go for the<br>
</blockquote><blockquote type="cite">garden, if there is one. Then - Does the Auditorium have a stage? If<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">so, half the group might be on the stage, and the remainder in the 1st<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">rows facing… It is not that the folks will have to be there very<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">long. I did something like this once, and it was rather amusing. Lots<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">
of hopping up and down sort of thing. But as usual it worked out. <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Harrison<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Harrison Owen <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">7808 River Falls Dr.<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Potomac, MD 20854<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">
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<blockquote type="cite">To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">OSLIST Go<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">to:<a href="http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org" target="_blank">http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org</a><br>
</blockquote><blockquote type="cite">[1]<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">FROM: <a href="mailto:oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org" target="_blank">oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org</a><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">
[mailto:<a href="mailto:oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org" target="_blank">oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org</a>] ON BEHALF OF Sandy Gee<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">SENT: Friday, May 25, 2012 4:49 AM<br>
</blockquote><blockquote type="cite">TO: <a href="mailto:oslist@lists.openspacetech.org" target="_blank">oslist@lists.openspacetech.org</a><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">SUBJECT: [OSList] Half the conference participants doing open space? <br>
</blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Dear colleagues,<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">ME & REQUEST FOR HELP:<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">
I've informally been around OST for over a decade and facilitated a<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">number of events. But this latest I've been asked to do is a challenge<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">
I'd appreciate your thoughts/comments on....<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">THE CHALLENGE: <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Its a one day psychotherapy conference with expected attendance of<br>
</blockquote><blockquote type="cite">100+ participants. But unfortunately the venue has already been booked<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">and paid for and the only large enough space for all is an auditorium<br>
</blockquote><blockquote type="cite">with fixed rows. The next largest room is a space that could hold a<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">circle of a little over 50 (and no room for 2nd concentric circle).<br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">They already want most of the morning to be conventional presentations<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">so the OST slot was to be for the afternoon (maybe with the<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">
marketplace the last slot before lunch). <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">I'm thinking that a fixed row auditorium just won't work for OST.<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">
MY IDEA:<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">So I'm wondering about having just _half the conference_ do OST! (and<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">the other half sign up in advance to pre-offered workshops) - I've no<br>
</blockquote><blockquote type="cite">idea if this could work or if it would be too divisive. This group<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">have always had a very conventional set up before, they're a fairly<br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">straight/conventional crowd and the organisers are anyway worried<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">about introducing OST and how it'll go down. <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">
<br>
</blockquote><blockquote type="cite">But maybe the more stuffy conventional ones could do the<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">pre-scheduled (and big name) workshops (and sign up in advance). And<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">
we've got a 50 max space for OST participants.<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">COMMENTS?<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Has anyone ever tried something like this? <br>
</blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">What are your thoughts? <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Do you think it could work?<br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">I'd SO appreciate any input!<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Thanks<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">
Sandy<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Links:<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">------<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">[1]<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">
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