Open Space is a way of organising a meeting or a conference so that there is maximum participation, energy and focus.

Open Space can be used for large or small meetings. Whatever the number of participants, an Open Space meeting allows each individual to work on the issues that matter to them.

An Open Space meeting must have a clear theme and focus and this is usually expressed as question.

The room for the meeting is laid out with chairs in a circle. In the centre of the circle is a pile of A4 paper and some marker pens. Down one wall of the meeting room is a huge sheet of blank paper divided into three timed sessions and headed AGENDA. Down another wall is another piece of paper with the word RECOMMENDATIONS.

Although distinguished experts may be present, any opening speeches are very short and serve as an introduction to the topic for the meeting. Usually the sponsor introduces the theme of the meeting in a couple of minutes and the facilitator then goes on to explain how the process works.

Participants are invited to think of any topic that matters to them related to the theme. The facilitator explains that when s/he has finished describing how the meeting process works participants will be invited to come to the centre of the circle and write down a topic on a piece of paper and post it, together with an assigned breakout space, on the AGENDA wall. These topics, spread over sessions (how many depends on how much time you have), create the programme of workshop groups for the meeting. Whilst people are thinking about possible topics to post on the Agenda wall, the facilitator explains the principles that lie behind a meeting of this kind. S/he also describes the “Law of 2 feet” that encourages people to move groups if they find they are in one to which they cannot contribute.

When all the different topics have been posted on the Agenda wall participants choose which groups to join according to their interests. Groups are led by the people who identified the topic and notes are taken by a volunteer reporter. After each session the reporter types up the notes and these are collated to produce a report of the proceedings of the meeting immediately after the event.

At the end of each timed session recommendations from each group are posted on the ‘Recommendation’ wall. At the end of all the sessions participants are given a small number of sticky dots and invited to walk around the room reading recommendations and placing their dots against the recommendations they wish to prioritise. If the meeting is one where an action plan is needed, recommendations are organised into themes and people invited to go into new groups to work out what has to be done to move things forward.

Finally participants return to the circle to comment on their experience of the meeting and make any concluding remarks. It is common for people to say they had felt uncertain and apprehensive before the event but had enjoyed the freedom, meeting new people, sharing and developing ideas. Often people wonder why they don’t run all their meetings in this way!

Open Space (Open Space Technology) was discovered by Harrison Owen.

• To read an overview in many languages: Worldwide Open Space site (Note: this is the main site for the Open Space community of practitioners)

• To read about how Open Space Technology can be used on an ongoing basis within an organization visit www.genuinecontact.net

• To learn how OpenSpace-Online® enables Open Space Technology meetings on-line visit www.OpenSpace-Online.com