Further education platform micelab:bodensee goes into practice

Following its successful launch in the fall, the micelab:bodensee continuing education platform went into the next round in December: Fifty practitioners from the event and tourism industry took part in the first learning module, micelab:experts, at the Festspielhaus Bregenz. "experts" because "each participant is an expert in his or her field - from event manager to technician to caterer - and contributes to the success of a congress," according to the maxim of the organizers from the Bodensee Meeting and kongress tanzt networks.The task of the first day was to design a dream congress. To this end, the participants worked intensively in small groups to clarify their goals. Event dramaturge and curator Tina Gadow explained why this is so important: "Even if the participants think they understand each other, there are often different images in their heads. Methodical questioning helps to clear up misunderstandings and arrive at a jointly defined goal. For example, participants practiced asking circular questions in a role play: "What does a participant enthusiastically tell a friend after the event?" Or solution-oriented: "What problem should the event help solve?"Head cheerfulOn the second day, the group explored the question of what role fear and trust play in events - and did so in a very practical way. Guest coach Roberto Hirche introduced the participants to the principles of improvisational theater, and it quickly became clear that almost everyone is afraid of failure. This can also happen when you try something new as an organizer. In keeping with the motto "Scheiter heiter," the participants gained the courage and confidence to accept mistakes and use them as a basis for new ideas.Participants in an Open Space are also sometimes confronted with fears. For example: You have a topic and no one comes. Or: The workshop attended is not the right one. An Open Space is organized according to certain principles that give collaboration a new foundation. They help to let go of the familiar and accept what is. "For example, 'the law of two feet' invites you to leave a workshop and go where you are drawn and can contribute and take away more," Tina Gadow explained. "Commonly, that's considered rude. In Open Space, it explicitly isn't, because here everyone gets to do what makes the most sense for themselves at that moment, or where the mutual benefit is greater." This trust in the participants, which is the underlying attitude of Open Space, in turn creates trust among each other.Get to know formatsIn addition to Open Space, the fifty "experts" also tried out the Pecha Kucha presentation technique, the communicative marble rounds, walking conversations, and the Fish Bowl form of discussion. "It was fun to learn about different design options," many participants reported back. The exchange among industry colleagues and networking also went down well at the first micelab:experts in Bregenz.In addition to many new experiences, participants took away a "homework assignment." As part of micelab:experts, they are to apply what they have learned in their own companies, for example in internal workshops with colleagues. "In this way, employees act as multipliers for an innovative congress culture," curator Michael Gleich is convinced.Based on the feedback and evaluations of the prototype, the curators are now further developing the micelab:experts module. The next experts will take place in spring. The date and venue will be published soon on the homepage www.micelab-bodensee.com announced.About micelab:bodenseemicelab:bodensee is the first continuing education platform for event organizers in the German-speaking region (M&K reported). It was developed by the networks Bodensee Meeting and der kongress tanzt and launched in October 2016. The platform comprises three modules with different focuses.