Pre-Event
• One or two people per table are visited with weeks before the event to ensure they bring something to show and tell – trying to be sure that one or two of them always sit at DIFFERENT tables.
• Each table has a deck of Discussion Cards scattered face up over its surface.
• In the center is a three-minute wooden sand hour glass available from Amazon.
• At the door each guest is given a playing card with a number on it. The cards are distributed in rotation 1-? with each number corresponding to a different table (example: ace through four would indicate you will be having your event attendees sitting at four tables). They are told to hang onto their cards until later.
• Of course if you have a raffle, raffle tickets also are distributed as people come in.
During The Event
• After welcoming the people, each person is asked to select a card from the table that has a topic they would be comfortable discussing.
• They then stand up and form circles of ten people. It can be around a table if you’re using round tables. You want there to be an even number per circle whenever possible.
• Each circle now numbers off with the odd-numbered people taking a step into the circle and turning around – facing a partner. If there happens to be an odd number of people, a partnership is formed for this activity.
• The partners facing each other now introduce themselves to each other and begin discussing the INSIDE circle person’s card until the event facilitator calls “move” at which time only the outside circle moves one person to the left (clockwise) and a new discussion begins with the new inside person’s card.
• After a full rotation has occurred, the concentric circles switch places for another round where the new inside person’s card is discussed and the new outside circle people move one space to the left each time they are prompted by the event facilitator.
• Upon completion of this second round, each person returns to their original table where people who brought a magic trick to show gets three minutes to show what they brought (hence the three minute hour glass timer on the table).
• At the discretion of the facilitator (timed by the energy or waning energy in the room), the people are asked to stand up and move against one of the four walls in the room. The goal is to have a relatively equal number against each wall.
• Then each person can sit at any table they want as long as there is at least one person from each wall represented at their table. This usually mixes the table groups fairly well.
• Again those who brought something to show get their three minutes to do so.
• After this round, breaking it up with a raffle drawing and/or refreshments isn’t a bad idea.
• If time remains, each person looks at the card they were given when they first came into the room and sits at the table where others with the same card are sitting. The facilitator can indicate which is the “Ace Table,” the “Two Table” etc. to minimize the chaos.
Categories: Meeting Themes, Uncategorized
