At an open space conference there is a central issue, but no set speakers or pre-arranged study groups. The participants decide themselves who wants to tackle which topic for how long.

Suitable

• where a large number of participants are to tackle complex issues,
• to launch a process that is meant to start with collecting ideas from as many people as possible,
• where a large, heterogenous group is to tackle a complex issue.

Sequence of events, duration

An open space conference should last two to three days; to begin with, the central issue is introduced. Any participant who wishes to can initiate a study group on a topic that he or she finds particularly interesting. The course that open space conference takes is determined by one rule and four guiding principles:

The “two-feet rule“ lays down that any participant should stay in a given study group only as long as he or she can make a contribution and/or learn something. It is not just permissible but actually desirable for people to switch between study groups.

The four principles:
1. Whoever comes along is just the right person.
2. Whatever happens – it’s the only thing that can 
    happen.
3. Whenever it starts is the right time.
4. If it’s over, it’s over.

Accordingly, locations and times are defined for each topic, but work on these topics is done in small groups that organize themselves and continually change in composition.

In the final phase of the conference the questions regarded as the most important are filtered out, the next steps required are discussed and “topic guardians” are appointed. This ensures that the ideas generated during the conference stay “on the agenda“ afterwards. At the end of the conference all the participants receive full documentation of the findings from the various groups.

At an open space conference the organizers are responsible only for the logistics and for the “open space“ in which creative potential can emerge; they do not interfere in the content of the conference.

Participants

Interested citizens, representatives of interest groups, politicians, administrators

Points to note

• While an open space conference does have a thematic focus and the course of events is structured, the outcome is anything but predetermined. That is something that organizers, sponsors and participants must consciously accept.
• The “open space“ promised in the name of this method should actually be on hand, too.