Re: "Breaking Cliques at Events"

[Molly de Blanc <deblanc@riseup.net>]

I've seen places encourage people to, for example, sit at a table with
people they don't know during mealtime.

Themed dinners / tables can also be an effective tool to encourage
inclusion. At LibrePlanet, we have a diversity dinner prior to the start
of the conference. It usually includes a lot of people who are new and
looking to make connections.

Cheers,
M.

On 12/10/2017 11:23 AM, Chris Lamb wrote:
> Hi -discuss,
> 
> I came across this recently…
> 
>   http://ericholscher.com/blog/2017/dec/2/breaking-cliques-at-events/
> 
> In particular...
> 
>   Most events develop an “insiders” group who's been going for a long
>   time. These groups tend to feel like exclusionary cliques for first-
>   time attendees, and actively hurt the community's goal of inclusion.
> 
>   I'd like to propose a simple rule that we have at the events I run,
>   which I think makes inclusion easier for everyone.
> 
> Leading to:
> 
>   The rule is: For every year you have attended the event, you should
>   try to meet that many new people each day.
> 
> :)
> 
> (See also: http://ericholscher.com/blog/2017/aug/2/pacman-rule-conferences/)
> 
> 
> Best wishes,
>