How Many Discussion Areas?

Picture the time after the Opening Circle, when participants will pull their chairs into discussion areas around the main room. Imagine people pulling their chairs together in smaller circles of 6 to 10 people. In large events when participants are new to the idea of the Law of Two Feet, you may see the discussion groups begin with many more participants -- for example 20 people -- and over time (for example on the second day) the groups can reduce in size as people relax into the idea that they can meet their needs by coming and going according to their passions.

So in a group of 30 you might set up 5 or 6 discussion areas in the large room. In a larger group you might take the number of participants (say 60) and divide that by 3 -- imagining that about 1/3 of the participants will post sessions -- divide that by the how many session times you will have and the result is the number of discussion areas you will need. And it is always a good idea to add an extra few discussion areas (either in the main room or nearby) for good measure (and flexibility).

What Is Possible Regarding The Walls and Wall Space?

In the main room imagine using one long unobstructed blank wall for the creation of the agenda wall, to which topics (each on a piece of paper) can be posted as the group co-creates the agenda.

Also imagine that you may wish to place food and beverage tables along the wall in one corner or side of the room and additional tables against the wall on another side of the room for the news room.

You can see a diagram of a room setup on this website at: __________

A key point of communication with the site is whether you can use tape, thumbtacks, Blu-Tack or other items to affix posters and paper to the walls all around the room. Clarity in communication on this topic is essential, as some hotel representatives, sponsors or meeting planners will say yes it is possible and then you will arrive at the site and find that you cannot touch the walls above or below a certain point, or that you have to call an engineering crew and pay extra for every item you wish to post. Be very clear: do they mean masking tape? or blue tape? or painters tape? or Blu Tack? They may accept one but not the other. Do they mean the entire wall, from floor to ceiling? Or do they only mean you are allowed to affix to the lower 1/3 of the wall, or not on the wallpaper? or only along a thin strip of corkboard along the wall?

(In this case you will want to create fake walls, such as free-standing exhibit walls or rectangular tables turned on end with their faces creating a wall-like surface all around the room).