A Barcamp is a participant-driven unconference. The program emerges at the start through short session pitches and a shared room-time grid. Hosts frame exchange, workshop or consulting sessions; participants contribute actively and may move between sessions.

1. 1

   Frame

   Prepare participation and infrastructure

   

   Goal

   An open theme and reliable logistics enable spontaneous program creation.

   Inputs for this step

   • Audience and theme
   • Rooms, time slots, accessibility and safety frame

   Actions

   • Publish purpose, participation principle, conduct rules and access requirements.
   • Prepare a blank session grid, rooms, facilitation materials, documentation route and contacts.

   Output

   BarCamp frame

   Theme · rules · rooms · slots · accessibility

   Quality check

   Can a newcomer propose a session and find a room without prior knowledge?

   Pitfall

   The program is effectively curated in advance and leaves almost no open slots. Leave more slots open and make selection rules and roles transparent.

   Timing: Preparation over days or weeks

2. 2

   Pitches

   Open the community and pitch sessions

   

   Goal

   Everyone understands the rules, people and available session ideas.

   Inputs for this step

   • Participants present
   • Blank grid and session cards

   Actions

   • Explain welcome, brief introductions, participation principle and freedom to move between sessions.
   • Hosts state title, format, aim and name in no more than 60 seconds; place the card in the topic pool.

   Output

   Session pool

   Title · host · format · aim

   Quality check

   Is every pitch concrete enough for others to judge participation?

   Pitfall

   Long presentations during planning consume the shared program time. Limit pitches to title, question, format and aim; move details into the session.

   Timing: 30–60 minutes per event day

3. 3

   Schedule

   Build the session grid together

   

   Goal

   Interest, rooms, accessibility and conflicts become a visible day plan.

   Inputs for this step

   • Session pool
   • Blank room-time grid and interest signals

   Actions

   • Make interest visible and place high-demand sessions in suitable rooms.
   • Check topic conflicts, host availability, room capacity and accessibility; publish the plan.

   Output

   Session grid

   Time slot × room · title · host

   Quality check

   Are major interest conflicts and logistical limits visibly resolved?

   Pitfall

   Sessions are placed by host status rather than interest and logistics. Display interest and constraints openly and reorder the grid together.

   Timing: 20–40 minutes per event day

4. 4

   Sessions

   Run sessions through self-organization

   

   Goal

   Hosts frame the exchange while participants contribute actively and move when needed.

   Inputs for this step

   • Published session grid
   • Rooms, time signals and capture route

   Actions

   • The host opens with question, aim and format; participants choose active contribution or movement.
   • Observe time signals and document key learning and open questions in the agreed format.

   Output

   Session results

   Learning · questions · contacts · artifacts

   Quality check

   Does the format enable exchange and respectful movement between sessions?

   Pitfall

   A slot announced as exchange becomes a long talk without participation. Clarify the format and expectation again or label the session transparently as a talk.

   Timing: Typically 30–60 minutes per session

5. 5

   Harvest

   Share results and continue the network

   

   Goal

   Distributed learning becomes findable and the community can follow through.

   Inputs for this step

   • Session documentation
   • Participants and shared closing time

   Actions

   • Share short highlights, open questions and links from sessions in plenary or a repository.
   • Collect feedback on the frame, publish artifacts and capture voluntary follow-ups with contact and date.

   Output

   BarCamp harvest

   Highlights · links · feedback · follow-ups

   Quality check

   Are session results findable without exposing confidential contributions?

   Pitfall

   After parallel sessions, learning remains only with those who attended. Request a lightweight shared format for highlight, link and contact per session.

   Timing: 20–45 minutes plus follow-up