# Open Space Facilitation Europe

> Professional Open Space Technology facilitation for organisations in Belgium, the Netherlands and Europe. Trained by Steve Holyer. Open Space Technology was created by Harrison Owen.

Open Space Technology is a facilitation method for complex, multi-stakeholder challenges where a pre-determined programme would always fall short. Participants set the agenda themselves. The facilitator creates the structure for self-organisation without steering the content.

## Services

- [Conference & Unconference facilitation](https://openspace-facilitation.eu/conferentie/) -- Open Space for community events and professional conferences (30-150 participants)
- [Public sector](https://openspace-facilitation.eu/overheid/) -- Open Space for public bodies and government organisations reaching agreements together
- [Strategic sessions & Away days](https://openspace-facilitation.eu/strategie/) -- Open Space for strategy days and leadership sessions
- [Complex organisational change](https://openspace-facilitation.eu/verandering/) -- Open Space for mergers, reorganisations and change programmes

## Key pages

- [What is Open Space Technology?](https://openspace-facilitation.eu/open-space/) -- Method explained: principles, Law of Two Feet, marketplace, facilitator role
- [How a day works](https://openspace-facilitation.eu/aanpak/) -- Anatomy of an Open Space day: preparation, opening, marketplace, sessions, harvesting
- [When Open Space is not the answer](https://openspace-facilitation.eu/wanneer-niet/) -- Four situations where it's the wrong choice, and Johannes Schartau's critique of overusing the form
- [Open Space, World Café or something else?](https://openspace-facilitation.eu/keuzehulp/) -- Comparison table: group size, who sets the agenda, when each form works
- [The invitation is the design](https://openspace-facilitation.eu/uitnodiging/) -- Why the invitation decides whether an Open Space works, and four invitations that do not
- [What an Open Space actually produces](https://openspace-facilitation.eu/wat-een-open-space-oplevert/) -- What Open Space realistically delivers, why exchange is not a lesser outcome, and what repetition changes
- [What an online Open Space needs](https://openspace-facilitation.eu/online-open-space/) -- Technical requirements for running Open Space online, and what changes when someone types the harvest instead of writing it
- [Cases](https://openspace-facilitation.eu/cases/) -- Scrum Event, VERA Community Day, LeSS conference Amsterdam (~100), Liberating Structures Global Gathering (~60), XP Days Benelux (~100), LeanCamp (~50)
- [About the facilitator](https://openspace-facilitation.eu/over/) -- Background, training lineage, approach
- [Contact](https://openspace-facilitation.eu/contact/) -- Request an exploratory conversation (30 minutes, no obligation)

## English version

All pages available in English at [openspace-facilitation.eu/en/](https://openspace-facilitation.eu/en/)

## Facts

- Group size: 20 to 200+ participants
- Languages: Dutch and English
- Geography: Belgium, Netherlands, Europe (international)
- Training lineage: Trained by Steve Holyer
- Sectors: tech communities, government, consulting
- Formats: pure Open Space, hybrid (keynote + Open Space), Liberating Structures