Since 1985, Open Space gatherings have been used in more than sixty countries worldwide by a wide range of companies and non-profit organisations including Accor, Guinness, Home Office, ICI, Ikea, McCain Foods, National Health Service, Presbyterian Church, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Robert Bosch, Shell, US West and World Bank.

Martin Leith
Brighton, United Kingdom
http://www.martinleith.com/openspace

When and Why Open Space Is Used

This is a way to format a group meeting, retreat or conference that generates communication, collaboration, innovation, and other solutions to challenges and transitions. When your organization or community has a complex problem, you are completely out of ideas regarding a solution, you have a diversity of people that you can bring to the process, and the time for resolving this situation was yesterday --- This is a great time for Open Space.

Lisa Heft, Opening Space
Berkeley, California, USA
http://www.openingspace.net

Open Space Technology is a group process using the power of self-organising systems. I have used it successfully in many settings. It works best when there is a critical question facing the organisations that the leadership team admits they don't know the answer to and are willing to give free reign to their people within defined constraints

Andrew Donovan, Andrew Donovan Enterprises
Melbourne, Australia
www.andrewdonovan.com.au

Open Space gatherings are typically held to create a new vision, figure out how to implement a strategy, plan a significant change, solve a complex or intractable problem, invent a new product or prepare for community action. They are also increasingly used by organisations as an alternative or adjunct to their annual conference.

Open Space gatherings are particularly effective when complex or conflict-ridden issues must be resolved very quickly, and when people need to work together as equals to decide how they will bring something new into being or bring about a mutually-desired change.

Martin Leith
Brighton, United Kingdom
http://www.martinleith.com/openspace

Open Space Technology is appropriate where a diverse group of people must deal with complex and potentially conflicting situations.

• Nobody knows the answer.
• Ongoing participation is required for success.
• Senior management wants to engage the whole system in finding the answer.
• Response time is "yesterday."

Laurel Doersam
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
laurick@telus.net