What's an UnConference?

This wrote itself this morning while I was trying to figure out a mailer for an unconference event we're doing next week here in Pune.

I'm separating the lines here to make it more readable.

What's an UnConference?

Imagine your last time at a conference, with a captive audience of everyone having to listen to one expert up on the podium, wishing you could get some more time to talk with the new friend you made at tea break. 

An unconference, also known as an open space event, decentralizes to multiple simultaneous breakout sessions where smaller groups can interact more intimately around a chosen topic. 

It liberates participants to go seek out what they're most interested in, with full freedom to move. 

It empowers participants to host sessions on topics they're interested in even if they're not experts but just curious. 

And, if you just want to talk at length with one or two people or play with kids or catch a nap, we encourage you to bunk sessions and do that! 

With that, we have a mela-like atmosphere with stalls and common spaces for random interactions. 

We also try to make the schedule have maximum room possible for unstructured interactions while still keeping a structure. 

We have an opening circle for settling in, orienting ourselves and planning the day's sessions, and a closing circle at end of event for regrouping and reflecting on our experiences.

Further reading: http://www.transitionnetwork.org/resources/how-run-open-space-event

>> Howzit ?!

For reference, see details about our event here. And below is the timetable we're following for this event:

Timetable:

When	What
9am onwards	Find the place, walk in and registrations
9.30 - 11.00 am	Opening circle
11.30 am - 1 pm	Breakout Session 1
1 - 2.30 pm	Lunch & Mela
2.30 - 3.30 pm	Breakout Session 2
3.30 - 4.30 pm	Breakout Session 3
4.30 - 5 pm	Tea & snacks
5 - 6 pm	Closing circle