Facilitation is ‘the art and science of making things easier for groups to accomplish tasks’. The Meeting Place team facilitates its events by striving to create an environment that is collegial, comfortable, inclusive and creative. During residential events, we aim to provide the highest standard of service to enable participants to engage fully with ideas and with each other.

 

As the Meeting Place often hosts interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral events, we work toward achieving a shared understanding of language and definitions, as well as an awareness of different perspectives, interests and positions in the room. Where possible, we ask participants to speak from their personal perspective, while offering insights to their organisational interests.

 

The Meeting Place operates under Chatham House Rules. Other than speakers defined in the agenda, all discussion is non-attributed and reported as such.

 

To encourage authentic conversations, we tend to favour events that provide a high level of interaction between participants as opposed to solely presentations and plenary Q&A. Methods are matched closely to the overall aims and objectives of each individual event. We draw upon appreciative inquiry, world cafe; open space, deliberative dialogue, carousels, drum cafe and graphic facilitation. Plenty of time is available for informal networking and discussions through refreshment breaks, lunches, dinners and receptions. Social activities and programme activities seek to provide for multiple intelligences and different learning styles.