Many meetings begin with the best intentions, yet still fall into familiar patterns. The agenda is set long before anyone arrives. Topics are chosen by a small circle. The order of discussion is fixed. People may be skilled, committed, even passionate, but they are guests in someone else’s conversation.

In this set-up, a few voices dominate while the rest sit quietly, their best thinking still in their pockets. The questions and ideas that matter most often live in the hallways or in the margins, never making it onto the official programme. What could be urgent, creative, cross-cutting conversations get squeezed out by the clock, or never surface at all.

Open Space Technology begins at the point where most meetings falter. It turns the pattern inside out. Instead of arriving to a finished agenda, participants create it together in the moment. Instead of being assigned topics, they choose the conversations that matter most to them. Instead of leaning back and waiting for their part, people lean in, taking responsibility for what they care about and joining others who share that commitment.

Your role as host is not to control the flow but to create the conditions for it to emerge: a clear purpose, a simple structure, and trust in the capacity of the group. When you do, energy and ownership rise together. Conversations happen that no one could have planned, ideas connect across boundaries, and the outcomes belong to everyone in the room.

What is Open Space

Open Space Technology is less a method to apply and more a doorway to step through. It rests on a bold but straightforward premise: when people care about something, they will organise themselves to address it if given the time, space, and permission to do so.

The format is simple. There is no pre-set agenda and no prearranged list of speakers. The day begins with a large, empty agenda wall marked with times and spaces, but no topics. After hearing the shared purpose, participants come forward to name the issues they care most about and claim a place on the wall. Each topic becomes a conversation in the marketplace of ideas. People choose which sessions to join based on interest and passion, moving freely if they are neither learning nor contributing. This is known as the Law of Two Feet, a reminder that everyone has the right and the responsibility to be where they can be most alive and most useful.

The origins of Open Space are as unplanned as its process. In the early 1980s, Harrison Owen, a consultant and facilitator, had just finished organising a major international conference. It went well, yet the most valued moments were the coffee breaks, when people chose their own conversations and connections. Owen wondered what would happen if a whole meeting was designed like a coffee break. Within a year, he tried it: a clear theme, a starting circle, an open agenda wall, and a closing circle. Almost everything else was left to the participants. The results were immediate: energy rose, engagement deepened, and groups left with ideas and commitments they owned.

Since then, Open Space has been used in more than 150 countries, across contexts from corporate strategy to humanitarian aid, community development to climate action. While the topics and settings vary, the essence remains constant: gather the right people, let them set their own agenda, and trust them to take responsibility for what matters most. It works not because it avoids structure, but because it uses just enough to release the self-organising power already present in the room.

Why it works

Open Space works because it unlocks three forces that conventional meetings often suppress: autonomy, passion, and responsibility. These are not motivational slogans. They are the natural conditions under which people commit to real work.

Autonomy means that people have the freedom to choose what matters to them and how they will contribute. In most meetings, the topics, speakers, and time slots are fixed. Participation becomes a performance: sit, listen, and speak when invited. In Open Space, the group writes the agenda together in the first hour and everyone shapes their own path through the day. The host sets the stage, then steps back to let participants make the play.

Passion fuels the conversation. People do not select topics from a list; they step forward to host a session because it matters enough for them to say, “This needs to be talked about, and I am willing to hold the space for it.” This act shifts the dynamic from “What do they want us to talk about?” to “Here is what we must talk about.” The marketplace ensures that every conversation begins with at least one person who genuinely cares about being there.

Responsibility is the natural counterpart to freedom. In OST there is no “they” to blame for a dull session or a missed outcome. Whoever comes are the right people, and whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened. If a conversation matters, those in the room are responsible for keeping it alive and taking it forward. The Law of Two Feet reinforces this by giving people both the permission and the obligation to go where they can be most useful.

These forces are visible in the space. The agenda wall fills with handwritten topics. People gather in circles, some leaning in over diagrams, others mapping problems on flipcharts, others in intense dialogue. The hum of conversation is constant, punctuated by movement as people follow their curiosity into new sessions. Energy builds as the day unfolds, not because someone is pushing it, but because the participants own it.

Open Space also works because it starts from an assumption of competence. Harrison Owen observed that “self-organisation is not an option, it is how life works.” The process treats people as co-creators of the content, not passive recipients. This aligns with the thinking behind Asset-Based Community Development, which holds that communities already have the wisdom they need; the task is to create the conditions for that wisdom to surface.

Finally, it works because it trusts emergence. OST does not begin with answers in mind. It begins with a clear theme or question and trusts that the right conversations will happen. This is uncomfortable for those used to control, yet liberating for those ready to act. People leave not only with ideas, but with new relationships, alliances, and commitments they have chosen for themselves. These are the threads that carry the work forward long after the event ends.

Why It Matters

Open Space matters because it restores something many large gatherings have lost: the belief that the people in the room are both capable of shaping the future and responsible for doing so. Most strategy sessions, community forums, and organisational meetings begin with the unspoken assumption that answers live with a few, while the many are there to receive, react, and comply. OST turns that logic inside out. It begins with the premise that the will to act and the intelligence to decide already exist within the group. What is often missing is a structure that lets that intelligence move freely and become visible.

Ownership emerges in the first moments. When participants start posting topics on the wall, they begin to see the day as theirs. That sense of ownership extends to the conversations they join, the notes they capture, and the commitments they make in the closing circle. The absence of a pre-set agenda is not a gap to be filled by the host but an opening for initiative to appear.

Connection happens across boundaries. In communities, OST brings together people who rarely meet: Neighbours from different streets, officials and activists, parents and young people. In organisations, it puts frontline staff into direct dialogue with executives, without the usual translation layers. In cross-sector gatherings, it levels the playing field between government, business, and civil society. These encounters are not side effects; they are designed into the process. As Peter Block has observed, transformation comes from relationships across boundaries, not from efficiency within silos.

Action begins in the room. Because participants own the process, the energy for change is immediate. Those with passion for an idea are already connected to others who share it, and the next steps are often agreed before the event ends. In the best cases, OST compresses the time between idea, alignment, and execution from months to days.

Perhaps the deeper reason it matters is that Open Space is a rehearsal for the future we want to live in. It creates a temporary culture where initiative is welcomed, differences are explored without mediation, and responsibility is shared rather than delegated. Experiencing that culture, even once, changes what people expect from working together. They begin to see that meaningful change is not the gift of the few but the shared work of the many. And once they have seen it, it is hard to settle for less.

When to use Open Space Technology

Use Open Space when you want more than participation in someone else’s plan. It belongs in rooms where you are ready to hand the agenda to the people who are there, trusting them to work on what matters most to them. The method works best when the purpose is clear, the challenge is complex, and the answers are not known in advance. OST assumes that the capacity and will to act are already present in the group; what it provides is the structure that lets those qualities surface and connect.

  • Choose it when you want ownership before direction. People who have shaped the agenda will act on it with more commitment than if it were handed to them.
  • Use it when the challenge is messy, unpredictable, and benefits from many minds working in parallel.
  • Choose it when relationships across boundaries are part of the solution, OST is designed to mix people who rarely meet on equal terms.
  • Use it when you are willing to live with emergence and to see what comes rather than controlling what must come.
  • Use it when you want action to start in the room, with those present taking the next steps themselves rather than waiting for permission.
  • Choose it when you want the energy and responsibility to belong to the group, not just to you as the organiser.
  • In short, use Open Space when you are ready to trust the room. The conversations that arise will be the ones that matter most to those present, and the outcomes will belong to them. That is where commitment begins.

When not to use Open Space Technology

Do not use Open Space when you are unwilling to let go of control over both agenda and process. If the aim is to persuade people to accept a pre-decided course of action, the format will only frustrate you and them.

  • Avoid it when the issue requires a rapid, technical decision that only a few with specialist knowledge can make.
  • Avoid it when the level of trust in the group is too low for open sharing, OST needs honesty to work.
  • Do not choose it if you already know exactly what should be discussed and by whom; OST is for discovery, not confirmation.
  • Avoid it when time is too short to allow genuine conversation to unfold, as rushing will hollow out the process.
  • It is not the right choice if unpredictability is unacceptable; OST thrives on the unknown and the unplanned.

Open Space is not a tool for managing optics or selling a plan. It is a practice for releasing the intelligence of the group. If you are not willing to be changed by what you hear, or if you cannot make space for others to set the direction, choose another method.

Open Space Technology examples

Communities (civic engagement) OSTs

Community resilience planning: In a coastal town facing rising flood risk, the council hall filled with a mix of residents, emergency service crews, climate scientists, and shopkeepers. The agenda wall started blank but within half an hour was crowded with handwritten sheets: “Redesigning our drainage system,” “Volunteer emergency networks,” “Flood-safe housing design.” Small circles formed in every corner of the room, maps spread out, people leaning in with highlighter pens, others sketching ideas on flipcharts. By the closing circle, the energy was tangible. Working groups had already chosen meeting dates, and one team left carrying a draft grant application for flood defences.

Revitalising a rural economy: In a cluster of farming towns struggling with depopulation, the old community hall became a hive of conversation. Farmers in boots sat beside web developers and high school students. The topics ranged from “Building a local food brand” to “Shared transport for our markets.” Between sessions, people moved quickly from one conversation to another, coffee cups in hand, catching fragments of debate as they passed. The hum in the room never dropped. Within a month, one group had launched a Saturday farmers’ market, complete with local musicians and stalls. The market was a direct result of an idea born on the agenda wall.

NGOs (Charities) OSTs

Cross-country programme alignment: In a bright, airy conference space, staff from 15 countries arrived with no idea what would fill the next two days. The only thing in place was the theme: “Making our disaster response faster and fairer.” The wall quickly filled with paper sheets in different handwriting, some in English, others in local languages. People clustered into groups, pulling up chairs in loose circles to talk about “Volunteer safety in conflict zones” or “Integrating climate adaptation.” One session ended with a map covered in sticky notes marking vulnerable areas. This became the start of a shared operational plan that would shape policy across the organisation.

Improving service delivery in health care: For a national health charity, the Open Space brought together staff, volunteers, and people living with chronic illnesses. The atmosphere was relaxed but purposeful. Laughter rose from one corner where participants were redesigning a clinic’s patient intake process with coloured markers. In another, a quiet, intense discussion explored “Peer-led mental health support.” Someone snapped photos of flipcharts so they could share ideas with those who could not attend. By the end of the day, participants had committed to launching regional peer groups, led by those with lived experience.

Business / Corporate OSTs

Post-merger culture integration: In a converted warehouse space, employees from two merged logistics companies arrived as strangers. The theme, “How do we succeed together?” was written in large letters above a blank wall. Soon, the wall was a patchwork of ideas, from “Integrating client service protocols” to “Celebrating cultural differences.” The circles were animated, with people swapping stories from their old companies and imagining how to combine the best of both. In the closing circle, one person stood up to announce a joint mentorship programme, already sketched out on paper, with volunteers signed up to run it.

Accelerating product innovation: At a software company headquarters, engineers, designers, salespeople, and customer support staff gathered in an open-plan space. Ideas on the wall included “Reducing load time to under one second” and “Creating a customer beta community.” People shifted between conversations, laptops open, some already coding or sketching prototypes. In the final sharing round, two teams announced they had working demos ready for testing. This was less than a day after the idea had first been voiced.

How Open Space Technology compares to other facilitation methods

Open Space Technology, the World Café, Appreciative Inquiry Summit, Future Search, and Peter Block’s Six Conversations are all methods for inviting people into purposeful dialogue and community. They share a commitment to inclusion, participation, and ownership, yet each creates that invitation in a different way. Knowing how they differ makes it easier to choose the right one for the moment you are in.

Open Space Technology begins with the recognition that participants have both the passion and the responsibility to shape the work themselves. Instead of a pre-set agenda, the first act is to create one together. Anyone can post a topic that matters to them, claim a time and space, and invite others to join. People are free to move to another conversation at any time if they are neither learning nor contributing. This freedom, combined with the structure of the four principles and the Law of Two Feet, keeps energy high and ownership with the group. Harrison Owen, who first named the process, described it as “the simplest way to get the most people engaged in the most important issues.” OST works best when the goal is to unleash self-organisation, when the outcome is unknown, and when the issues are complex enough to require diverse and passionate voices.

The World Café offers a more guided form of emergence. The host chooses questions that matter and creates a welcoming, café-like environment. Participants gather in small groups, often at round tables, and move between them in cycles, carrying ideas from one table to the next. The movement cross-pollinates insights and gradually builds a shared picture. While OST invites participants to create the agenda itself, the World Café starts with a few carefully crafted questions and lets the answers evolve through many short and overlapping conversations. It is particularly suited to situations where you want to hear many perspectives on the same question and where the goal is to weave them together into something collectively owned.

An Appreciative Inquiry Summit takes a whole-system approach, bringing together a large group, sometimes hundreds, to explore what gives life to an organisation or community when it is at its best. It follows a structured cycle: Discovery (identifying strengths), Dream (imagining the future), Design (creating structures to support it), and Destiny (committing to action). Unlike OST’s fluid marketplace of sessions, an AI Summit keeps participants in more stable teams and guides them through a sequenced journey. It works best when you want to design from strengths and create a shared plan for the future based on what is already working well.

Future Search is about creating common ground across diverse stakeholders in a short space of time. Over two or three days, participants explore the past, present, and future of their shared reality, identify areas of agreement, and commit to action. The process is highly structured, with specific steps and no deviation from the sequence. While OST thrives on self-direction and spontaneity, Future Search is disciplined and deliberate, keeping everyone in the same room, working through the same questions, at the same time. It is ideal when agreement and alignment are urgent, and the diversity of the group is both a challenge and an asset.

Peter Block’s Six Conversations is not a facilitation method in the same sense as OST, but a way of changing the nature of dialogue itself. The six conversations: invitation, possibility, ownership, dissent, commitment, and gifts, are designed to deepen trust, build accountability, and strengthen community. These conversations can happen in any setting, including within OST sessions, but their focus is always on the quality of how people speak with one another. Where OST provides the container for any topic to be raised, the Six Conversations shape the tone, trust, and texture of the exchange.

Each method has its strengths and limits. Open Space works best when you want participants to take full ownership of the agenda and the energy to follow it through. The World Café is ideal when you want movement, connection, and the gradual weaving of ideas into a shared picture. Appreciative Inquiry Summit is powerful when you want to design the future from a foundation of shared strengths. Future Search is the choice when rapid and inclusive alignment is the priority. Six Conversations is the practice to reach for when the depth and honesty of dialogue matter more than the method itself.

The art is in the matching. Choose the invitation that meets both the needs of the moment and the culture of the group. The right method does not just produce better outcomes. It also strengthens the relationships and sense of agency that make those outcomes possible.

How to set up Open Space Technology

A successful Open Space begins before the first chair is placed in the circle. The conditions you set in advance are what make self-organisation possible. The invitation, the mix of people, the room and the way you welcome them all communicate trust and signal that this will not be a typical meeting. The more care you put into this early work, the more effortlessly the day will run itself once it begins.

1. Clarify the purpose

Every strong Open Space begins with a theme or question that matters enough to spark passion and is open enough to invite multiple perspectives. The purpose should be urgent, relevant and owned by the people in the room. Harrison Owen advises phrasing it as an invitation rather than a directive. Examples include “How might we…?” or “What is possible when…?” Avoid narrow problem statements that suggest a single right answer, and avoid vague aspirations that no one feels responsible for. The clearer and more compelling your purpose, the easier it is to draw the right people and the right energy into the room.

2. Craft a true invitation

An Open Space invitation is not a summons to a meeting. It is a personal call to participate in shaping something that matters. Write in a warm and direct tone, naming the purpose and why the person’s perspective is needed. Be clear that there will be no pre-set agenda and that participants will create it together on the day. Avoid over-promising outcomes and promise instead that their voice will be heard and their concerns can shape the work. Follow key invitations with a personal call or conversation to signal that this is about people, not process.

3. Bring the right diversity into the room

Open Space gains power from having the whole system represented. This means inviting people from all functions and levels in an organisation, or all perspectives in a community including those most affected, those with influence and those with fresh thinking. Diversity here is cognitive and experiential as well as demographic. Aim for a mix that allows no single group to dominate and no one to be spoken for because their perspective is missing.

4. Arrange the space for self-organisation

The physical layout is part of the facilitation. Chairs should be in one large circle with no tables in the middle, symbolising equality and visibility. Around the edges, create breakout areas with movable chairs and writing surfaces. Leave space for the agenda wall which is a large visible grid with times on one axis and spaces on the other, initially empty. Make sure there are clear paths between breakout spaces so movement feels easy and natural.

5. Prepare the agenda wall and breakout areas

Before participants arrive, set up the agenda wall with a visible title, the grid and supplies for posting topics such as paper, markers and tape. Each breakout space should have flipcharts, markers, sticky notes and somewhere to post or store notes. If technology will be used to capture reports, have a laptop in each breakout with clear instructions for how to submit them. Test the sightlines and acoustics so conversations will not clash.

6. Attend to the atmosphere

The tone of the room before the first words are spoken matters. Use natural light where possible. Have refreshments available throughout, not just during breaks. Add small touches such as plants, artwork or music as people arrive to make the space feel welcoming and human. These details communicate hospitality and tell participants they are guests whose presence is valued.

7. Prepare yourself as convener

In Open Space, the convener is the host, not the centre of attention. Your role is to welcome people, state the purpose, explain the simple process and then step back. Once the agenda is created, you become a steward of the space, making sure logistics are handled and participants have what they need. You do not decide what is discussed or how it is discussed. The authority rests with the group.

8. Plan for the opening and closing

The day begins with the opening circle. Everyone hears the purpose, the process, and the four principles and Law of Two Feet. Participants then create the agenda by posting topics on the wall. The day ends with the closing circle where people share key insights, commitments and next steps. This bookending is important. It creates a shared start, a shared end and a sense of completion.

9. If working online, adapt for presence and flow

Virtual Open Space still begins with an opening circle, but breakout rooms become the meeting spaces. Keep group sizes small for intimacy and ensure there is a shared digital space for the agenda wall and for capturing notes. Provide clear instructions for moving between sessions. Encourage participants to prepare a comfortable space, perhaps with refreshments, so they feel like active hosts in their own setting.

10. Hold the space lightly

Once the day begins, resist the urge to manage. Trust that people will move where they need to, and that conversations will go where they need to go. Your preparation has set the conditions. The energy now comes from the group.

Closing reflection: In Open Space, the visible structures such as the circle, the agenda wall and the breakout areas are there to serve the invisible ones: trust, autonomy and shared responsibility. Set these conditions well and the method works almost without you. That is the measure of success.

How to run an Open Space session

A well-run Open Space should feel alive from the moment people arrive. The energy comes not from a packed agenda but from the sense that this is their space to shape. As the host, your role is to set a clear purpose, create a welcoming container, and then trust the people to fill it. Every detail, from how you greet participants to the way you introduce the principles to the tone you hold in the closing circle, is part of making it safe for people to take responsibility for what matters to them.

Here is a suggested flow with typical timings, practical tips, and sample facilitator language. Adjust to fit your group and context.

Arrival and welcome (typical cadence: 15 minutes)

What to do: Be ready before the first person arrives. Stand near the entrance so you can greet people personally. Invite them to help themselves to refreshments, explore the room, and notice the large empty agenda wall. This is their first glimpse of the openness at the heart of the process. Background music, natural light, and an uncluttered circle of chairs help create an atmosphere that is warm and relaxed.

Facilitator script: “Hello, welcome. I am glad you are here. Please make yourself comfortable, get a drink, and take a look around. You will see the agenda wall is completely empty. By the end of this first hour, it will be full of the conversations you want to have.”

Opening circle (typical cadence: 15–20 minutes)

What to do: Gather everyone into one large circle. The convener opens with a welcome, a clear statement of the purpose, and a short explanation of how Open Space works. This is where you introduce the four principles and the Law of Two Feet, not as abstract rules but as invitations to take ownership. Keep the tone human, not formal.

Facilitator script: “Thank you for being here. We have gathered because [state purpose simply and clearly]. There is no pre-set agenda. Instead, we will create it together in the next few minutes. Here is what will guide us: Whoever comes are the right people. Whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened. Whenever it starts is the right time. When it is over, it is over. And the Law of Two Feet means that if you find you are neither learning nor contributing in a conversation, you are free to move to another. This is your day. Make it work for you.”

Creating the marketplace (typical cadence: 30–45 minutes)

What to do: Invite participants to name the conversations they want to have. They step forward, announce their topic, write it clearly on a card, and post it on the agenda wall. Stepping up is an act of commitment: the person who posts the topic is agreeing to host that conversation, welcome others, and ensure notes are taken.

Facilitator script: “If there is something you care about enough to discuss, now is the time to name it. Step into the centre, say it in a sentence or two, write it on a card, and post it on the wall in an open time and space. By doing this, you are not promising to have the answers, only to hold the space for the conversation.”

Moving into sessions (typical cadence: 60–90 minutes per block, flexible)

What to do: Once the marketplace is set, participants choose where to begin. There is no need to attend sessions in order. Remind people to follow the Law of Two Feet. Each breakout group is self-facilitated, with the host welcoming people, restating the topic, and guiding the conversation. The reporter captures key points, agreements, and next steps.

Facilitator script: “The marketplace is open. Take a moment to choose where you want to start. You are free to move whenever you feel your energy shift. Hosts, begin by welcoming your group and restating the topic. Make sure someone records the key points so we can bring them back to the circle later.”

The movement of people and ideas (continuous)

What to do: Encourage the natural flow of movement. Some participants will cross between groups, carrying insights like bumblebees carrying pollen. Others will pause in open spaces, starting unplanned but valuable conversations, like butterflies resting in the sun. Both are part of the work.

Harvesting the work (typical cadence: 20–30 minutes)

What to do: Bring everyone back into the circle. Each session host shares a brief summary of the main points or next steps. Capture these visibly on a wall, in a shared document, or in a “Book of Proceedings” compiled soon after the event. The aim is not to create a single consensus but to show the range of work and ideas the group has generated.

Facilitator script: “Let’s hear from each session. Please share the key insights, questions, or actions you discussed. We will capture these so everyone can see the full picture of what we have created today.”

Closing circle (typical cadence: 10–20 minutes)

What to do: Thank participants for their energy and contributions. Remind them that the outcomes now belong to them. Share any next steps and, if possible, end with a moment of reflection or appreciation.

Facilitator script: “Thank you for the conversations, the courage, and the commitment you have brought today. Everything we have created here belongs to all of us. The next steps are [state follow-up]. I hope you leave with new connections, fresh ideas, and the knowledge that when we take responsibility together, we can move what matters forward.”

The principles and law of Open Space

Open Space is held together by four principles and one law. They are not rules to be enforced, but patterns to be trusted. Harrison Owen observed them emerging naturally whenever people organised themselves around something they cared about. The genius of OST is that it does not try to control these patterns. It simply makes space for them to operate.

These principles work because they honour how human beings really come alive in conversation. They recognise that the most important resources in the room are already the people and the relationships between them.

Whoever comes are the right people

This principle invites us to let go of the obsession with the “perfect” participant list. It reminds us that those who care enough to show up are the ones who can begin the work. It also honours the idea that quality matters more than quantity. In a neighbourhood planning Open Space, the conversation about creating a community garden began with only five people. Within weeks, those five had gathered dozens more, and by the next season the first crops were being harvested. It is not about having everyone. It is about having someone who cares.

Whenever it starts is the right time

Energy and creativity do not operate on a fixed schedule. This principle is a reminder to be present to the moment when the spark arrives, rather than worrying about whether it should have happened earlier or later. In a corporate Open Space on customer service, one group spent most of the morning circling around a vague dissatisfaction. Then one participant told a story about a customer who received a handwritten note from a delivery driver. The room lit up, and within an hour they had sketched a new personalisation program. You cannot force a breakthrough. You can only create the conditions and trust it will come.

Wherever it happens is the right place

Important conversations are not made important by the room they happen in, but by the attention people give each other. This principle frees participants to find the spot that works best for their energy and focus. At a climate action gathering, a few people left their assigned breakout area for a bench outside under a tree. The fresh air and relaxed setting helped them develop one of the most practical and widely adopted ideas of the event. The work happens where the people are ready to do it.

Whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened

This is an invitation to release the weight of “if only” thinking. It is about recognising that what emerged was the product of the people, the time, and the place, and therefore exactly the raw material you have to work with. At a regional healthcare summit, some wished more executives had joined the patient experience session. Yet those who were there created a simple improvement to appointment scheduling that was implemented within a month and made a tangible difference. We start from where we are, not from where we wish we had been.

The Law of Two Feet

If you are neither learning nor contributing, you have the right and the responsibility to move to a place where you can. This is not an act of withdrawal, but of stewardship, it respects your time and the group’s energy. At a festival planning Open Space, a volunteer drifted away from a slow-moving logistics session and joined a group discussing stage design. Her creative sketches inspired the final look of the main stage. The law works because it trusts people to know where they can be most alive and most useful.

The spirit of the principles

The four principles and one law carry a deeper message. They say that people can be trusted to work on what they care about without needing to be managed into doing it. They say that surprise is not a disruption, but a sign that something real is happening. They say that every contribution is part of the whole, and that movement, choice, and freedom are not threats to productivity, but its foundation. Peter Block calls this “the architecture of belonging.” In Open Space, the architecture is simple, but it is strong enough to hold the weight of real work. Once experienced, it is hard to return to meetings where freedom is limited, voices are filtered, and responsibility is kept in the hands of a few.

The role of the host in Open Space Technology

Hosting an Open Space is an act of trust. You are not there to make the meeting work by force of will. You are there to make it safe for the group to take ownership, to invite them into a culture where their passion is enough to set the agenda and their responsibility is enough to carry it forward.

This is not facilitation in the usual sense. You will not be guiding conversations or solving problems for the group. Your role is to welcome, to open the space, to hold the principles in view, and to close with gratitude. Everything in between belongs to them.

Opening the space

When the group first gathers, you are the first signal they receive about what kind of meeting this is going to be. Your welcome should be clear, warm, and human. Speak to them as partners, not as an audience. State the purpose in simple language. Then offer the principles and the Law of Two Feet not as rules but as invitations.

Do not rush this. A short story or example for each principle helps people see what they look like in practice. The more real you make it, the sooner participants will begin to picture themselves acting with the same freedom and responsibility.

Honouring the principles in practice

The principles and the Law of Two Feet are not there to be read once and forgotten. They are the backbone of the day, and the way you hold them as a convener will shape whether people feel free to own the space.

Begin with a clear, human welcome: When you open the circle, speak the principles aloud in plain language, not as a list to memorise but as an invitation. Share a brief story or example for each one so people can picture what it means in action.

Model the Law of Two Feet yourself: If you are in a session and you realise you are not learning or contributing, move to another. This shows participants that the law is alive and that movement is normal and valued.

Protect the marketplace: Once the agenda wall is filled, resist the urge to edit, combine, or “improve” topics. The act of posting is an act of ownership. Trust people to work out overlaps or gaps themselves.

Hold the boundaries lightly: Time slots and room assignments help the flow, but do not panic if a group runs over or moves elsewhere. The principles allow for self-organisation, and some of the best work will happen outside your plan.

Affirm whoever comes: If a session only attracts a few people, notice and value their commitment. Encourage them to go ahead, and later, help share their insights so they are part of the collective harvest.

Keep the focus on contribution: If you sense a session drifting into complaint without movement, gently remind participants of the law and their freedom to move. This keeps the energy constructive without heavy-handed intervention.

Make the harvest visible: Throughout the day, ensure that notes from sessions are collected and posted where everyone can see them. This reinforces the sense that each conversation is part of a larger whole.

When these small practices are woven into the day, the principles stop being abstract and become the living culture of the event. This is when Open Space becomes more than a meeting method. It becomes a temporary community where freedom, responsibility, and connection can thrive.

Closing the space

The closing circle is the moment to bring everyone back into one body. It is not a debrief you lead but a final act of reflection the group owns. Invite people to share commitments, insights, or what they are taking away. Keep your own words few and full of gratitude. The work now belongs to them, and your final task is to hand it over.

Harvesting in Open Space — Making the work visible

In Open Space, harvesting is not an afterthought. It is the visible record of what people cared enough to work on and what they committed to take forward. Without it, the energy of the event can dissipate into memory. With it, the work takes a form that can be shared, built upon, and acted on.

Harrison Owen describes Open Space as belonging to the people who come. The harvest is their mirror. It reflects the topics they chose, the insights they found, and the next steps they named. It does not belong to the facilitator or an external authority. It is a gift the group gives to itself.

The harvest begins in the first session

Harvesting starts the moment the first breakout session begins. The person who called the session usually takes the role of reporter, though they may invite someone else. The reporter’s job is not to produce a transcript. It is to capture the living essence of the conversation, including:

  • The topic or question explored

  • The key insights or themes that emerged

  • Decisions that were made

  • Questions that remain open

  • Any next steps, with names attached where possible

The best reporting happens in the room, in full view of the participants. This might mean writing on large sheets of paper, flipcharts, or tablecloths, or typing into a projected shared document. When people see their own words appear in real time, trust deepens. They know the record is theirs and not an edited version prepared later.

The Book of Proceedings — keeping momentum alive

One of Owen’s most practical contributions is the Book of Proceedings. It is the collected record of all sessions, produced and shared before people disperse. The key is speed. Momentum fades quickly if participants wait days or weeks for documentation.

To make this work:

  • Give every session convener a simple one-page template with prompts for the essentials.

  • Provide laptops in each breakout space or set up a central reporting station where notes can be typed immediately after sessions.

  • Have a small documentation team ready to receive, format, and print or post the reports as they come in.

  • In multi-day events, update and distribute the book each morning so new work can build on what has already been done.

  • In a single-day event, aim to deliver the book before the closing circle or email it to everyone that same day.

Some groups also post reports on a physical wall as soon as they are ready. This lets participants browse the developing record during breaks, creating cross-pollination in real time.

Visual and public harvesting

Written reports are not the only way to capture work. Many practitioners use visual harvesting techniques to make the room itself a living record. Chris Corrigan often encourages groups to turn the walls into documentation space, with session notes, key quotes, and emerging themes displayed as they are created.

A graffiti wall where participants post insights as they occur, a thematic map linking related sessions, or live graphic recording can make the day’s story visible. These methods are not decoration. They are part of how participants track progress, see connections, and keep the energy moving.

The closing circle — from record to ownership

The closing circle is where the harvest becomes public property. Session conveners can name their topic, share one or two key points, and invite others to join them in the next steps. The group can walk the agenda wall together, seeing the breadth of work completed.

This is also the moment to name commitments out loud. As Peter Block would say, accountability comes alive when people make promises in the presence of their peers.

Keeping the work alive beyond the room

A harvest is not a static archive. Decide before the event how commitments will be tracked and followed up. This might be through a shared online space, scheduled check-ins, or a follow-up gathering. The point is not to centralise control, but to keep the network of action alive and connected.

When harvesting is done well, people leave with more than a memory of good conversations. They carry a record they created themselves, a clear picture of the collective work, and an open invitation to keep building on it. This is how Open Space moves from being a single event to becoming the beginning of something that lasts.

Follow-up and integration – carrying the work forward

In Open Space, the event is not the point. The point is what happens after people leave the room. The conversations, the decisions, and the commitments made in that circle are seeds. They are alive when the event ends, but they will not stay that way without attention. The follow-up is the tending of the garden.

Carry the spark out the door

The energy of an Open Space is fragile. If nothing happens in the hours after the event, it begins to fade. Your first task as a convener is to carry some of that spark out the door with the people who created it. This is why Harrison Owen stressed delivering the harvest quickly. In some cases, the Book of Proceedings was printed and handed to participants before they left the building. The smell of the coffee was still in the air and people could already hold the record of what they had made together. That speed says without words, “What you did here mattered enough to finish now.”

Share the harvest promptly and visibly

The Book of Proceedings is more than a set of notes. It is a signal of respect. It shows that every session, whether it attracted two people or twenty, is part of the whole. Share it in a form that is easy to use and easy to pass on. Include photographs of the agenda wall, the notes from sessions, and any visual harvests created during the day. Post it where everyone can find it and send it directly to participants while the conversations are still fresh in their minds.

Integrate the outcomes into real decisions

Open Space loses credibility if the harvest disappears into a filing cabinet. Avoid the “consultation without consequence” trap. Build bridges before the event so that decision-makers are in the room or have already agreed to review the outputs. In a city-wide housing summit, the mayor and council staff committed in the closing circle to bringing the top three initiatives from the Book of Proceedings directly into the city’s budget process. Because that promise was made in public, participants could watch their work move into policy.

Support self-organising action

People leave Open Space with ideas and energy. They do not need permission to act, but a little support can make the difference between intention and movement. This support should be light and enabling, not controlling. A nonprofit hosting a youth leadership Open Space created a simple online hub where project groups could post updates, ask for help, and connect with each other. Another group offered small seed grants that teams could pitch for three weeks after the event. The amounts were modest, but the act of resourcing their ideas kept the momentum alive.

Keep the conversation alive

The day after the event, the room is gone, but the relationships are still there. Keep them active. Schedule a check-in call or gathering within a month to share progress and invite new collaborators. Some groups choose to “reopen the space” every few months, inviting people to bring new challenges, report on progress, and reshape their priorities. These moments remind people that they are part of an ongoing community, not a one-time meeting.

Close the loop in public

Accountability grows when commitments are made and revisited in the presence of peers. Invite people back into the same circle where the event began and let them tell the story of what they have done since. At a regional sustainability Open Space, each action group returned six months later to share what they had achieved. Some had small wins, others had big breakthroughs, and a few had only stories of lessons learned. Speaking these stories in the same space where the commitments were first made gave them weight and honoured the effort, whatever the outcome.

Follow-up is not about managing other people’s projects. It is about stewardship, about creating the conditions where the seeds planted in the event can take root. When you carry the spark out the door, share the work quickly, integrate it into real decisions, support self-organising action, keep the conversation alive, and close the loop in public, Open Space becomes more than a meeting method. It becomes a way for people to keep shaping their future together.

Variations and adaptations – Open Space in many forms

Open Space is not a set of rigid steps. It is a way of inviting people to show up with what matters most to them and to take responsibility for where that passion leads. The essence is always the same: trust the people, give them freedom, and believe that what happens will be enough. The form can shift to fit the place, the people, and the moment without losing its soul.

In person, online, and everything in between

When people cannot gather in the same room, the circle simply moves to another space. A screen becomes the meeting place. The marketplace becomes a shared digital board. In a recent global sustainability conference, faculty from different continents opened their laptops into one large circle. They posted topics on a shared Miro board, moved between virtual breakout rooms, and returned to the plenary to share their work. The energy and sense of connection matched what many had only experienced in person.

The shift to virtual is not about replacing the human touch with technology. It is about making the human invitation even more intentional. A personal welcome call before the event, a few quiet moments together before the opening, or a breakout host who helps people navigate the sessions can carry the same warmth as a handshake at the door. It matters to name the spaces so they feel alive. Call one breakout “the kitchen” or “the porch” to remind people that this is a place for real conversation.

Technology will fail now and then. When it does, treat it as part of the work. In one large online Open Space, a participant froze mid-sentence. Before the host could step in, another participant called them on the phone, relayed the missing thought, and the session carried on. That kind of peer support is not an interruption. It is a sign that people feel the space belongs to them.

From small circles to thousands

Open Space can hold five people or two thousand without changing its nature. What changes is not the heart of the method, but the supporting roles around it. In a youth leadership event in Racine, Wisconsin, thirty-five young people met in Open Space for four hours. Out of that single gathering came a youth art newsletter, a campaign for a new skate park, and what became the largest YMCA Earth Service Corps chapter in the nation.

At the other end of the scale, Boeing engineers in two different locations used Open Space to improve communication across sites. The marketplace spanned both venues, with topics posted in each and sessions shared across video links. What made it work was not the technology, but the willingness of participants to choose where to spend their time and to take responsibility for the sessions they cared about.

When the group is large, extra hands help. Volunteers can guide people between spaces, harvest teams can post documentation live on the walls, and small clusters of voices can help the plenary keep its attention. The energy still comes from the same source: people choosing their work and owning the outcome.

Across cultures and customs

Open Space does not arrive as a replacement for local traditions. It travels lightly and makes room for the customs of the people who gather. In some places, the circle begins with a drum or a song. In others, a few moments of silence ground everyone before the work begins. A prayer, a blessing, a shared meal, or a story can all be part of the opening. The principles remain unchanged: freedom to speak, respect for time, and generosity of space.

The real adaptation is not in changing the process but in allowing it to breathe in the culture that hosts it. That is why Open Space has been used in boardrooms, on beaches, in rural town halls, and in city parks. It fits because it is not trying to be the main event. It is simply a way of letting the people present do the work they came to do.

In every form, whether in person or online, in a small group or a vast hall, across any culture, the integrity of Open Space comes from living the principles. Honour whoever comes. Trust that the conversations will start at the right time and in the right place. Let go of what you think should happen and make room for what does. When these conditions are met, the form takes care of itself, and what remains is the genuine work of a community in action.

Five common Open Space pitfalls and how to avoid them

Even though Open Space is intentionally simple, it is not foolproof. Its principles are so liberating that they can be misunderstood or misapplied. The result can be a gathering that feels chaotic, flat, or disconnected from action. Knowing the most common pitfalls in advance helps you create the conditions where self-organisation can flourish.

Pitfall 1 – Turning the principles into slogans rather than practices

It is easy to post the four principles and the Law of Two Feet on the wall and then carry on as if they are decoration. When that happens, they lose their power. The cure is to speak them aloud at the opening in plain language, with a short example of each so people can picture them in action. Throughout the day, model them yourself. Move if you are not learning or contributing. Honour small groups as much as large ones. Show that the principles are the backbone of the gathering, not wallpaper.

Pitfall 2 – Pre-filling or managing the marketplace

The marketplace is the heart of Open Space. If the convener or a design team “helps” by posting topics in advance, combining sessions without consent, or steering which ideas get wall space, they undermine the invitation to self-organise. Harrison Owen warned that this is a fast way to drain trust. Avoid it by keeping the agenda wall clear until participants post their own topics. Trust them to see overlaps and make connections themselves.

Pitfall 3 – Ignoring the need for a visible harvest

In Open Space, talk without visible results leaves participants wondering if anything happened. If session notes are not captured, shared, and returned to the group, the work can vanish as soon as people leave the room. The antidote is to appoint or encourage a reporter for every session, provide simple templates, and compile the “Book of Proceedings” before the closing circle or within a day. Posting notes on the walls in real time lets people see the work growing as the day unfolds.

Pitfall 4 – Forgetting that the host’s role is to hold the container, not manage the content

Some conveners find it hard to resist stepping in when a session seems off track or a conversation gets tense. Over-intervening turns the host into a manager and signals that the group cannot be trusted. Under-intervening, on the other hand, can allow a single voice to dominate or a group to slide into unproductive complaint. The art is to intervene lightly: remind participants of the Law of Two Feet, invite quieter voices, or point to resources. Then step back and let them own the work.

Pitfall 5 – Neglecting the physical or virtual space

A space that feels temporary, sterile, or uncomfortable works against the sense of belonging that Open Space depends on. In person, that means avoiding cramped rooms, fixed seating, or poor acoustics. Online, it means choosing platforms that allow easy movement between sessions and making sure people know how to use them. Hospitality is not a luxury here. Comfortable seating, natural light, refreshments, clear signage, and well-prepared tech support are all signals that this is a space prepared for the people in it.

Avoiding these pitfalls is not about following a checklist. It is about holding the space with care, trusting the group, and living the principles in every choice you make. When that happens, Open Space can become more than a meeting format. It becomes a temporary community where freedom and responsibility meet, and where the work that matters most has room to emerge.

Frequently Asked Questions and common myths about Open Space

Over the years, a few predictable questions arise whenever Open Space is proposed. They reveal habitual assumptions about control, order, and what a “good meeting” looks like. Answering them helps prepare the ground, because most resistance is not about the process itself, but about letting go of the belief that someone else must always be in charge.

“Will it be chaos?” This fear assumes that without control there is only disorder. In practice, Open Space produces a living order that emerges from purpose and self-selection. At a civic neighbourhood revitalisation meeting, the marketplace looked like friendly chaos: residents moved in and out of conversations, teenagers clustered with shop owners, and elders sketched maps of new walking paths. By day’s end, three new working groups had formed. It looked nothing like a boardroom, but the order was there, a web of connections woven in real time.

“What if nobody suggests a topic?” This rarely happens when the invitation is compelling. At an NGO humanitarian summit, the first five minutes of the marketplace were silent, then a field nurse stepped forward with a question about mobile clinics. That single act unlocked the room. Within twenty minutes, the wall was full. Silence, when it happens, is often telling us that the purpose is unclear or that relationships need tending before people feel safe to speak. In Open Space, even hesitation is useful data.

“Won’t people just leave under the Law of Two Feet?” Yes, and that is the point. In a brewery chain’s “Pub of the Future 2050” gathering, a master brewer left a design session on zero-waste packaging to join one on community brewing models. That shift brought technical expertise to a group that was wrestling with quality control issues. Movement like this is a visible sign of respect for one’s own energy and for the group’s time. People go where they can contribute or learn the most, which strengthens the whole.

“What if dominant voices take over?” In most meetings, there is no natural counterbalance. In Open Space, the Law of Two Feet provides it. At a climate adaptation summit, a breakout on water rights began with two strong personalities vying for airtime. When several participants quietly left for other conversations, the energy shifted. Those who remained found a more collaborative rhythm. Over time, even dominant voices learn that attention is earned by relevance, not by volume.

“What if people just talk and no action happens?” Open Space is not magic. Action happens when the right people are present, the purpose is urgent, and follow-up is clear. At the NGO summit, a conversation on local sourcing for relief supplies ended with a supplier, a logistics coordinator, and a policy advocate agreeing to pilot a joint procurement scheme and setting a follow-up date in the closing circle. The method lowers the barrier for action because the people who care most are already together, often leaving with the next step agreed.

“Can it work online?” Yes. The principles are the same; the tools change. During a pandemic-era civic forum, participants used a shared digital board as the marketplace and breakout rooms for sessions. Movement between rooms was as fluid as walking across a hall, and the closing circle still carried the same energy of shared accomplishment. The challenge online is not technical but relational: making the invitation personal, keeping the circle visible, and ensuring movement is easy.

“How big or small can it be?” Open Space has worked with as few as five people and as many as two thousand. In the brewery chain event, 120 people filled the agenda wall with over forty sessions. In a small community garden planning meeting, just six neighbours posted topics, yet they left with a full seasonal planting schedule and a volunteer rota. Size changes logistics, not the essence.

“How long should it last?” Half a day can be enough for a single pressing issue; a day or two works well for more complex themes. At the climate summit, one day was allowed for deep dives into three core challenges, while the brewery event ran over two days to allow space for prototyping and testing ideas on-site and enable all to attend at appropriate times. Harrison Owen often reminded organisers that if a topic takes more than three days, it might be too large for one gathering. The aim is intensity: enough time to focus, without losing urgency.

Pros and challenges of Open Space

Open Space brings with it a set of strengths that are hard to match in other formats. From the very beginning, participants feel a deep sense of engagement and ownership because they are working on what they care about most. This ownership fuels creativity and allows self-organisation to flourish, as people shape the work in real time rather than following a prewritten script. The process scales easily, whether it is a circle of five people in a community centre or two thousand people in a convention hall, because the structure remains the same and the energy still comes from choice. Perhaps most importantly, Open Space builds capacity for collaboration that lasts beyond the event itself. People learn how to listen differently, how to take initiative without waiting for permission, and how to work across boundaries. These are skills and habits that carry into other settings long after the chairs are put away.

The very qualities that make Open Space powerful also present challenges. It requires a genuine shift in mindset from control to trust, which can be unsettling for those accustomed to fixed agendas and clearly defined roles. For some, the openness can feel like uncertainty rather than possibility. If there is no clear plan for follow-up, the energy generated during the event can fade quickly, leaving only a memory of good conversations. A visible and timely harvest is essential, not just as a record but as a way of keeping the work alive and in motion. Without it, the impact of even the most dynamic Open Space can disappear into the background noise of daily life. Hosting Open Space well means embracing both the power and the vulnerability of letting people take full responsibility for their work together.

Resources to deepen your understanding of Open Space Technology

Open Space Technology: A User’s Guide by Harrison Owen: The definitive text from the method’s originator. Owen not only explains the mechanics of OST, but also the philosophy behind it, why minimal structure can produce maximum engagement. The book includes detailed guidance on preparation, facilitation, and follow-up, along with lessons from hundreds of real-world events.

OpenSpaceWorld.org (Official Network): A global hub for practitioners, with case studies, guides, and stories from around the world. The site connects you to the international Open Space community, making it easy to learn from diverse applications of the method, from local neighbourhood meetings to global change processes.

Open Space Technology: A World of Possibilities by Owen, Corrigan, Herman, and others: A collection of reflections and case examples from some of the most experienced OST facilitators. It expands on the core process with insights on cultural adaptations, large-scale events, and integration with other participatory methods.

In summary

Open Space Technology is not simply a meeting format. It is a commitment to trust that people who care about an issue can and will organise themselves to make progress. By returning control of the agenda to the participants, it transforms gatherings from events where people wait to be told what to do into communities that take action on what matters most to them.

The simple circle, the marketplace wall, the freedom to move, and the visible harvest are not gimmicks. They are signals that every voice is welcome, every contribution matters, and leadership belongs to whoever is willing to step forward. In this environment, urgency fuels creativity, diversity strengthens ideas, and ownership becomes personal.

The result is rarely neat and never predictable, but it is real. What emerges is not an abstract plan handed down from somewhere else, but work that participants choose, commit to, and carry forward themselves. Open Space offers no guarantees, only the invitation to discover what we can create together when we start from trust and let people lead.