Hi Everyone, I seek your wisdom and experience. I am a volunteer in an international volunteer organization that is beginning to experiment with open space. In my local area, we are planning a conference that will being together our volunteers, professionals, other volunteers, and the people we serve. We generally have a pretty traditional conference, i.e., presentations, lectures, continuing education credits, registration for time slots in advance. I had hoped and asked for completely open space for this conference and it appears that we are not ready for that yet. However, the interest to learn more is there. Now some of us have the idea that we could offer open space at the same time as the rest of the conference. The conference organizers are fine with this idea. It would be in the same building. We would like to give people the option to attend the whole regular conference as is, move in and out of the conference, or spend all the time in open space. We would have a convening question, marketplace, space to post the sessions and space to hold sessions, etc.
My questions: Have any of you been part of this sort of thing? If so, any advice on how to explain to people on the reg form? How would we open space? To the whole conference? Just to those who showed up in the OS room for opening? How does it work if some people do not attend opening and then attend the posted OS sessions? I know I have more questions inside but just am too inexperienced to know how to ask. Also, if I am part of this organization, I guess you call it a stakeholder, is it wise for *me* to be the facilitator? I am fine with not participating in any sessions that might ensue, if that is what is needed. Many thanks for your assistance, Sue Scott in Oregon USA * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected]: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
