CCs at conferences and other big events? Of course!
by Katharine Wismer
Think big. Any event that includes speakers or presentations can use a Conversation Café. I’ve used CCs to enhance participants’ experience of several events, and helped people to connect with one another in the process. For example:
Last summer, a small nonprofit invited Arun Gandhi, grandson of the legendary “Mahatma” Gandhi, to participate in an event they were organizing for teens. At the podium in a well-filled auditorium, Gandhi spoke inspiringly for 15 minutes about his passion for non-violent communication. The students were then directed to various locations in the school, where they gathered for Conversation Cafés on non-violence. Each group was hosted by a teenager and a parent, who had both attended a 30-minute training prior to the event. Moved by Gandhi’s speech, and empowered by the Conversation Café format, the youth engaged in lively, thoughtful conversations. The Conversation Cafés seeded thoughts and started friendships.
Another experience: At a yearly conference for fund raising professionals, a Conversation Café was used as the final activity. 300 people in a large hotel ballroom sat around tables of 8 talking about their learnings during the conference. As the talking object rounded the tables, the excitement and energy of the conference was shared with others. New connections were made, ideas sparked, and ways to move forward were synthesized more clearly.
Here’s a “cheat sheet” you can use to quickly orient volunteers to host at an event. Take about 30 minutes before the Conversation Cafés begin to cover the following:
Review CC Agreements.
• Read and briefly explain why each agreement is important.
• Let people know they can refer to the agreements as needed during the CC.
Review the roles of a host.
• Convener. Usually hosts find a place and set a date and time for “their” CC, publicize it, and invite folks to come. At an event, this has already been taken care of!
• Welcomer. Hosts create the space and hold the structure. Think of being a host in your home: welcoming, helping people feel comfortable, explaining what will be happening. A host is a participant, not a facilitator … no need to be neutral.
• Time Keeper.Stop the conversation in time to have a final round and to conclude by the agreed-upon time.
Explain the talking object.
• Tell people what a talking object is and how it is used during the first 2 rounds and the final round.
• Explain how the talking object can be used if the host needs to step in to bring people back to the agreements.
Review the CC Process.
Tell people what the topic / topic question(s) will be.
• It will likely be easiest if everyone starts with the same question or topic.
• Keep it simple: extensive notes and lists of questions or topics are not needed.
Answer questions that have come up for your hosts-in-training.
That’s it!
