Open Space Facilitation: Making it work! New ways to design and manage conferences and meetings productively 28-30 September 2010, Utrecht Register Now
"Are you tired of conferences which are remembered only for what happened during coffee breaks? Are you looking for new ways of designing conference programmes, actively involving participants and increasing the added value of participation to conferences and meetings?"
About the workshop: The International Open Space Facilitator workshop will explore the use of Open Space Technology and it's applications in the design and (un)management of meetings and gatherings with particular reference to conference settings. It will equip you with the essential skills to design and execute an open space event or incorporate open space within your existing conference formats.
An introduction to Open Space by Co-inventor, Harrison Owen
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About the trainers: The workshop is conducted by Frank Little and Gerardo de Luzenberger from the School of Facilitation. Living in and working from The Netherlands, Frank is an experienced facilitator and trainer in project and programme management, international negotiation and intercultural teamwork. He has been training facilitators and moderators for more than 25 years. His work on participation in international projects and programmes includes development, training and workshop facilitation for various directorates general of the European Commission (DG XIII, Enterprise; DG Research; DG Region; DG Development). Living and working from Italy, Gerardo is a facilitator and trainer, expert in participatory planning, meetings management and organisational development. He has acquired a significant expertise in the use of Open Space Technology in the design of conference and meetings and run himself more then 100 Open Space gatherings in many different contexts and cultures. He is an IAF (International Association of Facilitators) Certified Professional Facilitator.
Who should attend: This workshop is for meeting organisers and facilitators who will offer their participants the opportunity to tackle complex issues in a highly interactive, productive and self-structured "unconference" environment. The workshop is designed with meeting organisers and facilitators in mind who work for government agencies, educational institutions, European programmes and projects, professional conference companies and industry associations.
Case studies of Open Space applied in different meeting environments (facilitated by our trainers): Turin Euro-Latin American Forum Conference, Spain The forum's second conference took place on 1-3 April 2009 in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. Roughly 260 participants, from 40 regions of 14 Latin American and European countries, exchanged experiences and worked together over the three days event. During the meeting, a two half day Open Space session was used to identify and launch the parallel groups working sessions. The outcomes of the sessions were presented in a poster session at the end of the conference.
IGPDecaux Annual Convention, Italy A one day Open Space organised in the framework of the selling force annual convention of the Italian branch of Decaux Communication aiming at identifying new business opportunities for the company. At the session attended 180 participants that discussed and launched several innovative ideas that were then proposed to the CEO of the company. http://www.igpdecaux.com
UNESCO International Conference, Germany More than 55 managers, scientists and other experts from 35 countries met in a six day conference on Transboundary Biosphere Reserves in Germany hosted by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Federal State of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany and supported by UNESCO. Open Space was used in a sandwich format i.e. two-days conference and poster presentations, two days Open Space and two days workshops.
Dutch Ministry of Economic Development, The Netherlands Forty-five facilitators and conference and meeting managers working for government ministries and agencies in The Netherlands gathered in a one-day Open Space to discuss new approaches to conferences and workshops. The conference was hosted by the agency of the Ministry of Economic Development in The Netherlands.
Watch Open Space at work! (Source: Jutta Weimar, Boscop)
Take advantage of this unique opportunity to equip yourself with skills to design and execute successful open space events. This two and half days course includes refreshments and lunches. Accommodation and travel expenses are not included in the registration fee. Our confirmed participants thus far include facilitators and conference executives from UK, The Netherlands, Italy and Macedonia. As space is limited, we encourage you to register early!
Registration Fees: Standard Registration Fee - €795.00 Group Discount for 3 persons & above - €695.00 *Limited number of bursaries (worth up to €500.00) are available for students & individuals from low-income countries. To request for a bursary, please contact the organiser.
Venue: The open space workshop will be held at Evangelie Gemeente Utrecht, an old church building constructed in 1899. It is located in the city centre of Utrecht. The address is: Boothstraat 7, 3512 BT Utrecht, The Netherlands. There is a direct train connection from Amsterdam Schiphol airport to Utrecht Central Station, which takes approximately 30 minutes. From there, it takes about 10 minutes walk to the course venue. There are also ample paid parking spaces located nearby the location if you are arriving by car.
Open Space Technology Course
