Purpose
The method helps clarify group contributions, selection, and decisions concretely. It makes individual contributions visible in a final selection. The result is captured as a session board, session notes, and community learnings.
Facilitation
Barcamp
Turns group contributions, selection, and decisions into a tangible result by explaining slots and schedule, collecting session proposals, and sharing learnings.
Which topics are alive enough in this group today to deserve a session, and what does each participant take away at the end?
MediumWorkshopHalber Tag bis 2 Tage
How it works
The team follows the steps: explain schedule and slots, collect session proposals, build a session plan, run sessions, and share learnings. Each step is captured visibly. At the end, a session board, session notes, and community learnings are available so decisions, tests, or actions can follow directly.
Visual orientation
Method sketch for a quick mental model.
Flow
- 1Explain schedule and slots
- 2Collect session proposals
- 3Build a session plan
- 4Run sessions
- 5Share learnings
The runsheet guides execution with 5 phases, timeboxes, 5 pitfalls, and clear stop criteria.
Open runsheetIdeal for
- Community events
- Internal conferences
- Knowledge sharing
Not good for
- Highly regulated training
- Situations with fixed curriculum
Deep dive
In detail
BarCamp follows a clear working logic: explain schedule and slots, collect session proposals, build a session plan, run sessions, and share learnings. This turns the method into a visible thinking process instead of only a discussion. Participants move step by step from raw material, observations, or options toward a shared structure. As a result, a session board, session notes, and community learnings are available for decisions, learning, and planning.
Facilitation
Prepare a clear guiding question, the right information, and a visible workspace. Plan for half a day to two days with 15-200 people and use the format in a facilitated workshop. The facilitation needs structure and preparation; short timeboxes, visible intermediate results, and a parking lot for open questions help.
Output artifacts
Session BoardSession NotesCommunity Learnings
Artifact templates
Barcamp Working TemplateCompact working template for Barcamp with session marketplace, slots, outcomes, and next step.canvas
Barcamp Working TemplateCompact working template for Barcamp with session marketplace, slots, outcomes, and next step.
canvasbarcamp-working-template.md
Compact working template for Barcamp with session marketplace, slots, outcomes, and next step.
Barcamp Working Template
Goal
Organize an open session marketplace with participant-driven topics and outcomes.
Context
When and for what do we use this method?
Input
Which data, observations, decisions, or materials are available?
Working area
- Topic proposals:
- Session slots:
- Hosts and supporters:
- Session notes:
- Outcome signals:
Output artifacts
- Session marketplace:
- Schedule:
- Outcome notes:
Open questions
- ...
Next step
Owner, date, and success signal.
When to choose differently
Short decision aid for existing alternatives.
Lean Coffee
Statt Barcamp, wenn ihr die Agenda offen aus der Gruppe heraus entstehen lassen wollt und kurze Themenwechsel bevorzugt.
Similar methods
All methodsFacilitation
Open Space Technology
Turns group input, selection, and decision into a tangible result by explaining the theme and frame, collecting session proposals, and bundling results and next steps.
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Fishbowl Discussion
Turns group input, selection, and decision into a tangible result by clarifying the topic and rules, forming the inner and outer circles, and reviewing insights and tensions.
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Troika Consulting
Turns group input, selection, and decision into a tangible result by forming trios, sharing the challenge briefly, and rotating roles to capture insights.
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World Café
Turns group input, selection, and decision into a tangible result by defining the guiding questions, preparing tables and host roles, and bundling patterns in plenary.
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Lean Coffee
Turns group contributions, selection, and decisions into a tangible result by collecting topics, clustering and voting on them, and documenting actions.
Statt Barcamp, wenn ihr die Agenda offen aus der Gruppe heraus entstehen lassen wollt und kurze Themenwechsel bevorzugt.
Facilitation
Alignment Mapping
Turns group input, selection, and decision into a tangible result by defining the alignment question, collecting stakeholder perspectives, and planning clarification steps.