Open Space Technology: how to run an Open Space session

In short

Open Space Technology is a format where participants create the agenda themselves. Around a central theme anyone who wants to proposes a topic, picks a time and place, and participants move freely between conversations. It works best for complex questions where energy and ownership matter more than a pre-planned programme.

Open Space sounds daunting to many organisers: no speakers, no fixed programme, just a theme and an empty wall. Yet it is one of the most proven formats for large groups. It works because people talk about what really matters to them. This article explains how it works and how to prepare a session without organising the freedom out of it.

What is Open Space Technology?

Harrison Owen created Open Space in the 1980s after noticing that conference coffee breaks were often more valuable than the programme. An Open Space starts in a circle. The facilitator introduces the theme and the ground rules. Then anyone can write a topic on a sheet, announce it out loud and post it on the marketplace: a wall with time slots and spaces. Participants then choose which conversations to join. There is no predetermined outcome, but every conversation produces a short report.

The four principles and the law of two feet

Open Space runs on a few simple agreements the facilitator explains at the start. They sound light, but they remove the pressure that often paralyses conversations.

Whoever comes are the right people.
Whatever happens is the only thing that could have.
Whenever it starts is the right time.
When it is over, it is over.
The law of two feet: if you are neither learning nor contributing, walk to another conversation.

Step-by-step plan for an Open Space session

Phrase an inviting theme as a question, for example 'How do we make our city climate-resilient together?'.
Arrange a large room for the circle plus separate spots for conversations.
Build a marketplace with 45 to 60 minute slots and numbered spaces.
Open in a circle, explain the principles and invite people to propose topics.
Ask every convener to make sure their conversation gets a short report.
Close in the circle: what are you taking away, and which topics deserve follow-up?

Practical tips

A few things make the difference between a lively Open Space and a messy afternoon.

Time and size

Half a day is the minimum to run two or three conversation slots. Open Space works from about twenty participants and scales well to hundreds, as long as there are enough spaces.

The facilitator's role

The facilitator holds the space and intervenes as little as possible. Mainly guard the time and make sure reports are not forgotten. Steering content undermines the principle.

When Open Space does and does not work

Owen named a few conditions under which Open Space works best: a real and urgent issue, a complex situation where nobody has the answer alone, diversity in the group and a certain tension or even conflict. If the answer is already fixed, or the sponsor is not willing to act on the outcomes, Open Space backfires. Participants quickly sense their energy is going nowhere. Discuss this honestly with the sponsor in advance. A second pitfall is an organisation that secretly still wants a programme: pre-scheduled sessions or speakers who fill the agenda. That removes exactly the space Open Space depends on. Keep the programme empty and trust the group.

Roles during conversations

Besides the convener, Open Space has two well-known roles that arise from the law of two feet. Bumblebees fly from conversation to conversation and carry ideas along, like bees carry pollen. Butterflies move outside the conversations, at the coffee table or on the terrace, and that is sometimes where the most valuable encounters happen. Both roles are welcome. Explain this at the start so nobody feels guilty about leaving a conversation. The convener is responsible for starting the conversation and for the report, not for steering the content. A simple report form with title, convener, participants, key points and follow-up actions helps keep all reports comparable.

Example of an Open Space day

A day from 09:00 to 16:30 leaves room for three conversation slots. You open at 09:00 in the circle with the theme and ground rules. Around 09:45 the marketplace is filled and the first conversations start, running until 10:45. After a break a second slot follows until 12:15, then lunch. After lunch there is a third slot from 13:15 to 14:15. Then you can add a convergence block: all reports hang on the wall, participants read them and put dots on topics they think deserve follow-up. At 15:45 you close in the circle with short reflections from participants.

The report: Open Space's weak spot

Because conversations run in parallel, nobody knows afterwards exactly what was said everywhere. Handwritten reports vary widely in quality and are often too thin to build on. That is exactly where EchoSphere can help: place a phone in each conversation space and every conversation is transcribed and summarised without the convener having to take notes. The organiser already sees during the session which themes keep coming up and has an overview of all conversations afterwards.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Open Space and World Café?

In World Café the organiser sets the questions and people switch at fixed moments. In Open Space participants create the agenda themselves and move freely.

What if nobody proposes a topic?

That rarely happens when the theme genuinely matters. Let the silence last a little; the first topics usually appear within a minute or two.

Is Open Space suitable for decision-making?

It is strongest at exploring and mobilising. For decisions you can add a convergence round where the group sets priorities.