Open Space Technology
Open Space Technology is a meeting and collaboration format in which participants set the agenda themselves. There is no pre-determined content: only a central question and a structure that makes space for what is alive in the group.
The method was developed by the American organisational consultant Harrison Owen in the 1980s. He discovered that the best conversations at conferences always happened in the coffee break, informal, driven by genuine interest, without an agenda. Open Space is an organised coffee break.
Owen described the method himself in Open Space Technology: A User's Guide. It is still the foundational text: how to prepare an Open Space, and how to open it and close it again. The third, revised edition was published in 2008 by Berrett-Koehler.
Since then, the method has been applied worldwide for groups of 12 to over 1,000 participants, in companies, governments, non-profits and communities. I learned the method myself during an Open Space Leadership Workshop. More about that.
More background on the method: openspaceworld.org, the international community of Open Space practitioners.
The five principles
- Whoever comes are the right people. Trust that the people needed for the conversations that need to happen are present.
- Whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened. Let go of expectations about outcomes and focus on what is happening now.
- Whenever it starts is the right time. Creativity cannot be forced by the clock.
- When it's over, it's over. When the energy or the topic is exhausted, it is time to move on.
- Wherever it happens is the right place. Meaningful conversations can happen anywhere.
The Law of Mobility
The heart of Open Space is the Law of Mobility: if you are somewhere where you are neither learning nor contributing, move somewhere else. It is the engine of the process: it keeps energy high and ensures no one wastes time in a conversation that is not relevant to them.
The marketplace
The marketplace is the heart of an Open Space day. At the start, participants propose topics they want to discuss. These are placed on the marketplace: a large wall or board with time slots and spaces. Participants choose which sessions they attend.
The slots on the board set a rhythm; how long a conversation actually lasts is up to the participants. See how a day works.
The role of the facilitator
An Open Space facilitator has a paradoxical role: I create the structure that makes self-organisation possible, but do not steer the content. I open the day, hold the marketplace, and maintain the space, both physically and psychologically.
The approach is light and serving. I trust the wisdom of the group and the working of the principles. Intervening in the content is the exception.
Open Space online
Open Space works online too. The hard requirement is that participants can move between sessions themselves. Without that, the Law of Mobility disappears and the facilitator starts moving people around.
Standard Zoom manages this with self-selection for breakout rooms, alongside a Google Doc or a Miro or Mural board for the marketplace. More on what that requires in practice, and what happens to the harvest once somebody types it: what an online Open Space needs.
Open Space vs. other formats
Open Space is not the best choice for every purpose. Is the outcome already decided, is the group too small, does knowledge need to be transferred, or does a decision have to be made at the end? Then another format often works better. See when Open Space is not the answer.
Multi-day Open Space
An Open Space is not limited to a single day. Harrison Owen wrote that the method works equally well as a one-day workshop, a multi-day conference, or a recurring meeting. The duration adapts to the question, not the other way around. He himself cited one-day sessions, three-day conferences, and weekly staff meetings as examples.
A multi-day design creates room for what a single day cannot: depth and reflection, and time to translate conversations into action. A pattern I have seen work:
- Day 1: Opening the conversation. Participants explore the theme through World Café or a similar dialogue format. The question sharpens, relationships form, and the group discovers what is really alive.
- Day 2: Open Space. With the preparatory conversations of day 1 behind them, participants build the agenda themselves. The topics that now appear on the marketplace are richer, because people already know each other and dare to name the complex questions.
- Day 3: Action and commitment. The harvest from day 2 is translated into concrete next steps. Formats like Liberating Structures (for example What, So What, Now What? (W³), 25/10 Crowd Sourcing and 15% Solutions) help the group move from insights to action, with clear owners and commitments.
This pattern combines the strengths of three formats: World Café opens the conversation, in Open Space the group chooses the depth itself, and the harvest only becomes usable thanks to Liberating Structures. The Law of Mobility remains intact on day 2; on days 1 and 3, other forms supplement what Open Space alone does not do.
Frequently asked questions
What is Open Space Technology?
Open Space Technology is a meeting and collaboration format in which participants set the agenda themselves. There is no pre-determined content: only a central question and a structure that creates space for what is alive in the group. The method was developed by Harrison Owen in the 1980s and has been applied worldwide for groups of 12 to over 1,000 participants.
What is the Law of Mobility (or Law of Two Feet) in Open Space?
The Law of Mobility is the heart of Open Space: if you are somewhere where you are neither learning nor contributing, move to somewhere else. It is the engine of the process: it keeps energy high and ensures no one wastes time in a conversation that is not relevant to them. Harrison Owen originally called it the Law of Two Feet. I speak of the Law of Mobility, because not everyone moves through the room on two feet.
What is the marketplace in Open Space?
The marketplace is the heart of an Open Space day. At the start, participants propose topics they want to discuss. These are placed on the marketplace: a large wall or board with time slots and spaces. Participants choose which sessions they attend. The agenda is completely flexible and can be updated throughout the day.
What group size is Open Space suitable for?
Open Space Technology works best for groups of at least 15–20 people, since parallel sessions require sufficient participants. The method has been applied worldwide for groups of over 1,000 participants. For small groups below 15 people, formats like World Café or dialogue sessions are often more suitable.
When is Open Space the right approach?
Open Space works best when the challenge is complex and has no ready-made solution, when diverse perspectives are needed, when buy-in for outcomes is essential, and when the group is large enough for parallel sessions (at least 15–20 people). It is particularly well-suited for conferences, strategy days, mergers, reorganisations and community events.
What is the difference between Open Space and World Café?
Open Space Technology and World Café are both participatory methods, but with different purposes. Open Space lets participants set the agenda entirely themselves and is ideal for broad exploration of complex challenges in larger groups. World Café is better suited for in-depth dialogue in small groups around pre-determined themes. They are also regularly combined: Open Space for broad exploration, World Café for deeper work on selected themes.
What is Open Space an answer to?
To a question nobody can answer alone. Open Space works best when four things come together: the issue is complex, many different people and interests are involved, there is tension around it, and it really needed solving yesterday. Then another presentation or a fixed programme helps little. The knowledge and the energy sit with the people in the room. Open Space gives them the space to put on the agenda what really matters, and to take responsibility for it. If you want to engage more, and better, with your audience or your network, this is a format that makes that possible.
We are a bit apprehensive. Will this work for us?
I often hear that from organisations that have never done it. VERA called it afterwards “a big step outside our comfort zone, but a bull’s-eye.” You take away that apprehension in the preparation: together we sharpen the question, settle what has already been decided, and look honestly at whether Open Space is the right format. If another format fits better, I will say so.
Can you handle a group of our size?
I have facilitated Open Spaces from twenty to two hundred participants, in person and online, in Dutch and English. For each gathering, the numbers and my role are listed in cases at a glance, an overview you are welcome to forward. The principle does not change with scale. The preparation and the venue do.
How do we procure this?
You ask for a proposal for your gathering or programme. If your organisation works with framework contracts, a central purchasing body or a main contractor, just tell me: we will find the route that fits.