Open Space is a conference format developed by Harrison Owen that allows the participants to determine the specific content of the conference on the day of the event. As such, Open Space is a method for giving a community control of a conference by creating space and time for the participants to deal with the issues about which they feel passionate.      The impulse for Open Space came from the observation that some of the most valuable parts of many conferences are the coffee and meal breaks. It is during these breaks that one makes new contacts, meets old friends, discusses important issues, or makes plans for the coming year.  Open Space is designed around the idea of a day long, structured coffee break.

 
Open Space provides a structured format to foster discussion or in some cases presentation or dialogue on topics in which people feel most passionate.  The structure insures that the theme of the conference is maintained and that each participant knows where and when the topics that interest him or her are being engaged.
 The logistics for an Open Space conference are straightforward.  Prior to the conference a planning group establishes a general theme for the day and arranges the space, meals, refreshments and writing materials. Pre- conference publicity encourages those with a stake in the outcome of conference to attend and to consider bringing up an issue for presentation or discussion during the conference. All other arrangements are done on the day of the conference. 

    The day begins in a room that called "The Marketplace." A facilitator gives a brief introduction of the concept of Open Space and a preview of the day's activities. Following the introduction, participants are asked to come forward to suggest topics related to the theme of the conference. Each topic becomes one of the sessions that are offered throughout the day. The person who suggests a topic becomes that session's coordinator. The coordinator is responsible for convening the session and for specifying its format. She or he may present a lecture, lead a discussion, or simply open the floor to contributions from the people in attendance. 

    After presenting their idea at the initial "Marketplace" meeting, the coordinators post their topics to a time/room grid, thus scheduling it for presentation later in the day. Participants continue to come forward until the grid is filled, or there are no more suggestions from the floor. It is common to allow one to two hours for each session, though successful conferences can be held with as sessions as short as a half hour. 
Imagine an Open Space conference on community safety.  The wall in the "Market Place" might look like this. One at a time participants, who feel passionate about a topic write it on a paper and then describe it to the larger group.  Each topic is then given a place on a grid of venue by time.  Once the grid is filled or no further topics are suggested, the larger group is given time to examine the grid and decide which session to attend.  The person who suggested the topic becomes the session coordinator.
    It is important that participants understand the philosophy of Open Space.  Thus, in addition to assisting in scheduling the sessions, the facilitator also gives a brief introduction to the philosophy of Open Space, which follows from four basic premises: 
        * Whenever it starts is the right time. 
        * Whoever comes are the right people. 
        * Whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened. 
        * When it is over it is over. 
These principles empower the participants to take responsibility for the outcome of the conference, and often add a bit of levity to the proceedings. There is no "right way" to engage in Open Space. The only way to fail is if participants decide that they have failed. There is no external standard that has to be met. 

    The main duties of the session coordinators are to convene the session and to ensure that a record is kept of the discussion. Taking notes is especially important because it provides a way to share the outcomes with participants in other sessions. The coordinator prepares the notes in a legible form and posts them on the wall of The Marketplace. Other people can then read the notes and add their own comments. Near the end of the day the facilitator copies these annotated notes and provides everyone with a set before they leave the conference. In this way, everyone receives something from every session, whether they attended it or not. 
    The Marketplace plays a special role in Open Space. This is the "coffee break" room. Drinks and snacks are always available here. Although there may be scheduled coffee breaks, the continuous availability of food and drinks allows participants to visit The Marketplace whenever they wish. This is particularly important because of the Law of Two Feet. The Law of Two Feet is the only Law of Open Space. It states, "If you find yourself in a session for which you have little or no passion, then it is acceptable to leave." Open Space works best if the participants are actively involved in their sessions. If a session does not "speak to you," if you feel that it is being dominated by one person, or if you are beginning to nod off, you can leave. When you leave you can join a concurrent session, or return to The Marketplace. By doing this you remain an active participant in Open Space. Instead of passively enduring a session you have little interest in, you have the opportunity to become active in a different context. You may have something to contribute to a concurrent session based on your experience in the session you left, or you may have a conversation over coffee in The Marketplace. In any case, you now become a kind of "coordinator of one" and may have something unique to contribute to the closing session, where everyone will gather at the end of the day to exchange experiences. 
 The philosophy of Open Space helps the community of participants to self-organize around the topic at hand - rather than force an organization mandated by rules. 
The rule of two feet means that it is each participant's responsibility to take part only in sessions for which they have genuine enthusiasm.
    At the end of the day everyone meets for a final session in The Marketplace to exchange ideas. This is NOT a time for the coordinators to report on their sessions. This is done by way of the notes that are distributed to all participants.  Rather it is a time when anyone can bring up an issue or a question, a time when the group begins to chart a path forward. 

    If you would like more information about Open Space or would like information on hosting your own Open Space event, please contact Bruce Kirchoff
Notes on conducting an Open Space conference

1. Items needed for the conference 
  a. Rooms: For a small conference of approximately 20 people you should plan for a minimum of three rooms. One for the marketplace and two for breakout rooms. Larger conferences require proportionally more rooms. 
  b. Materials: 
    i. push pins or masking tape for posting notes in The Marketplace 
    ii. one easel size pad for each room for taking notes 
    iii. easels to hold the pads securely 
    iv. colored markers, one set for each room and one for The Marketplace 
    v. note pad and pen for each room (for more detailed notes) 
  c. Copy machine for copying the notes before distribution 
2. It is helpful to have one assistant facilitator for every two rooms (not counting the Marketplace). The assistants help set up the rooms, make copies, help people find additional places to meet if they want to extend a session, etc. 
3. Meals and snacks should be arranged before the conference. 
4. As an option, you can make computers and printers available to allow coordinators to type up their notes on a computer.
Resources 
Links: 

Worldwide Open Space

Open Communication
 

Suggested readings:

Owen, Harrison (1997) Expanding Our Now : The Story of Open Space Technology. 

Owen, Harrison (1997) Open Space Technology : A User's Guide Berrett-Koehler.

Bunker, Barbara B and Alban, Billie, T.(1996) Large Group Interventions : Engaging the Whole System for Rapid Change.Jossey-Bass.

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