World Café, Fishbowl and Open Space: Alternative conference formats

World Café, Fishbowl, and Open Space are three formats that make this possible at conferences. All of these methods prioritize exchange over one-way presentations and break down rigid hierarchical structures. The motto: Good food – good conversation – good ideas. From the agenda to the final wrap-up, everyone plays a part in shaping the event.

Breakout Session

In a breakout session, small groups of up to 10 participants discuss specific aspects of the conference topic.

This often happens following a short keynote or within a moderated workshop. The advantage: The manageable group size encourages active participation and makes it easier for people to speak up spontaneously. This is why breakout sessions are no longer limited to interactive formats. Even traditional conferences now reserve dedicated time slots for parallel sessions.

Barcamp

Barcamps operate on a unique principle, which is what makes them so exciting. Unlike a breakout session, which is often part of a traditional conference program, a Barcamp turns the entire conference concept on its head. It’s not for nothing that it’s often called an unconference.

The idea originated in the IT scene, where people would meet for a weekend, sleep in tents (hence the term "camp"), and discuss current issues in an open atmosphere. The special feature: the agenda doesn't exist beforehand. It is created on-site.
All participants suggest topics at the beginning, and anyone who wants to can moderate a session themselves.
The result: maximum participation, relevant content, and tangible outcomes.

Open Space

Coffee breaks sometimes yield more useful ideas than the scheduled program. That is the principle behind Open Space. This conference format fosters creative solutions because it requires diverse perspectives and there are no simple answers on the table.

Unlike the casual barcamp, Open Space provides a clearer basic structure while still leaving the responsibility in the hands of the participants.

How does the Open Space method work?
At the beginning, everyone sits in a circle. If there are more than 50 participants, they form concentric circles so that everyone can see each other.

After a brief introduction, things get down to business and the marketplace phase begins.
Anyone who wants to introduce a topic goes to the center of the circle, presents it briefly, and posts it on the documentation wall. This acts as a bulletin board and the central planning tool for the event.

From this moment on, everything organizes itself.
Groups form spontaneously around the proposed topics. Anyone who wants to join the discussion signs up, finds a location, sets a time, and gets started. If someone realizes they have nothing (more) to contribute, they simply join another group.

There are breaks, too, but not according to a schedule.
Each group decides for itself when and how it works and when it wants to take a break. At the end of each day, every group summarizes its results, ideas, and decisions. The documentation is then posted back on the wall for everyone to see.

At the end, participants receive a complete record of all groups' results and work together to develop corresponding action steps and shared agreements.

World Café

A good conversation can change a lot. That is why dialogue is at the heart of the World Café. The format is characterized by a coffee-house atmosphere and is open, inspiring, and dynamic.

At this point, we would like to quote Patricia Munro, Executive Board Member of World Cafés Europe: “The core of the World Café dialogue process consists of inspiring questions, listening without prejudice, and intensive conversation. Over the course of successive rounds of conversation, participants change tables several times, so that the composition of the groups is constantly shifting, allowing ideas and perspectives to be carried forward. In this way, the group’s understanding reaches new dimensions, and new perspectives open up for every participant. This movement of people and ideas creates a collective creativity, a kind of shared force field. New possibilities are explored, innovative approaches emerge, and ideas are born. This generates and fosters the intrinsic motivation to put new thoughts into action.”

The format is based on the principle: when people start talking, ideas start moving. This creates a network of perspectives and a shared process of reflection.

The World Café works because it is so simple. All it takes to explore topics together is a clear structure, a relaxed atmosphere, and insightful questions.

You can see a World Café in action here:

Fishbowl

Listening or joining the discussion is possible at any time.
The Fishbowl method uses two circles of chairs: the outer circle is for listeners, while the inner circle is for those participating in the discussion.

Anyone who wants to contribute to the discussion changes seats.
Either the person sits in an empty chair in the inner circle or stands behind the chair of the person currently speaking. The speaker is allowed to finish their thought before giving up their seat to the new person.

This keeps things moving. The method regulates itself without the need for a moderator: frequent speakers naturally step back, and new perspectives are given space. This ensures that it is not the loudest, the "frequent speakers," or the "know-it-alls" who dominate, but those who truly have something to say. This makes the Fishbowl method particularly effective for controversial topics or when the goal is to make a diversity of opinions visible.

Conclusion: Real alternatives to traditional conference formats

Alternatives to traditional conference formats are no longer niche. They are increasingly becoming established at academic conferences, where slides previously dominated and discussions were often cut short by scheduling constraints.

What all these methods have in common is that they move participants out of the passive role of listeners. They foster exchange, open up room for action, and create productive energy and tangible results.

Whether it's a World Café, Barcamp, or Fishbowl: These formats make the group's collective knowledge visible, motivate participants to take action, and often produce more than just a good conversation. They provide momentum that extends far beyond the conference itself.

The advantages of these methods are clear:

• collaborative conversation is encouraged
• all participants act independently and truly contribute
• action plans are developed and agreed upon. At best, this triggers a sense of personal responsibility and a "can-do" attitude that carries over into everyday work life.

We would like to thank

www.worldcafe.eu
For explanations of the World Café and the image used in this post.

www.boscop.org
Here you will find brilliant explanations as well as numerous examples & templates.