Open Space Cafe

What is it?
How will it work at AASHE 2008?
Who can propose Open Space Cafe topics?
Where is it?

What is the Open Space Cafe?

In recent years, many conferences and events have begun to provide time and space in their program schedules during which event attendees can self-organize conversations, strategizing sessions, targeted networking, and working groups.  This practice has come to be known as "Open Space."  Open space has many benefits:

• It allows peers with similar interests to find each other and work together on a common problem.  (For example, sustainability coordinators could gather in the Open Space Cafe to share ideas and concerns about career advancement and professional development in this young field.)
• Topics that may not be addressed in the conference program can find an audience in the Open Space Cafe. 
• It facilitates the organic formation of working groups.  (For example, if people are fired up about the post-election landscape and want to find others who are interested in working on sustainability policy after the conference ends, that can happen in an Open Space Cafe session.)
• It allows for the enthusiasm built-up in conference sessions and plenaries to turn into spontaneous strategizing and planning sessions.  (For example, if people get fired up by a topic covered by a keynote speaker, they can find each other in the Open Space Cafe to explore the conversation deeper or plan next steps.)
• It creates opportunities for peer-to-peer and mentor-to-mentee interaction.  (For example, energy managers with 25 years experience might be gathering in the Open Space Cafe to talk about the effects of volatile energy prices on energy efficiency investments.  Young energy managers or students interested in becoming energy managers can pull up chairs and listen in or participate.)
• It provides a space where long-time campus sustainability conference veterans can meet to dig deeper into issues and challenges than the presentations format of the concurrent sessions will allow. 

How will the Open Space Cafe work at AASHE 2008?

Room 402, next to the Expo, has been reserved during Concurrent Sessions A, D, E and F for the Open Space Cafe.  It is large enough to host approximately 8 discussions simultaneously.  That means as many as 36 organic discussions can be organized in the Open Space Cafe.  We hope you will put on your thinking caps and make use of it!

A white board will be set up outside room 402 so that attendees who want to host a discussion can post their topic and select a time slot when the conversation will take place.  Conference attendees interested in attending Open Space Cafe discussions should check the white board regularly to see what conversations will be upcoming.

At the beginning of each concurrent session during which the Open Space Cafe is open, discussion topic hosts should arrive early enough to create a sign for their topic and select a table at which to host the discussion.  As attendees arrive, they will be looking for the signs to find the discussion they are interested in joining.

Who can propose Open Cafe discussion topics?

Anyone!  Faculty.  Students.  Staff.  Attendees from Business, Non-profits or Government.  However, because there is limited space in the Open Space Cafe room, we respectfully ask that people reserve space in the Cafe only if they are reasonably confident at least 5 people will attend their discussion topic. If there are too many topics, the overflow may be accommodated in the Expo next door.  The Expo may also be used when Room 402 is occupied for other purposes.

The Open Space Cafe is not to be used for product demonstrations.  We ask that vendors please use the Expo for that purpose.

Where will the Open Space Cafe be?

It will be in the exact same place each time: Room 402.  It is conveniently located next to the Expo, and is open during concurrent sessions A, D, E and F.  (It may be open other times too - check the whiteboard for updates.)