FacilitationIntermediate

Knowledge Café

A structured conversation format created by David Gurteen that brings people together to have a meaningful conversation about a topic that matters. Unlike World Café, Knowledge Café has no table hosts — everyone moves freely, conversations are less structured, and the emphasis is on informal peer dialogue rather than capturing outputs. It builds social capital and shared understanding rather than producing decisions.

Duration

1h–2h

Group size

10–60 people

Materials

round tables, flip chart paper per table, markers

Origin

Community

How to run it

1
Arrange the room with round tables for 4–6 people.
2
Present one central question or topic — ideally one with no obvious right answer.
3
Round 1 (20–30 min): groups discuss at their tables. No formal structure, no notes required.
4
Participants move freely between tables or stay as they choose.
5
Round 2 (20–30 min): conversations continue with mixed groups.
6
Whole group harvest (20 min): bring everyone together. What themes emerged? What questions remain alive?
7
No formal action planning required — the shared understanding IS the output.

Tips

Resist the urge to capture outputs formally — it changes the nature of the conversation.
Knowledge Café is about building shared understanding and relationships, not producing deliverables.
Trust that something valuable happens even without a documented output.

Variations

Run a 'Virtual Knowledge Café' using video breakout rooms with no shared documents. Combine with a closing Harvest for groups that need tangible outputs.

Where it fits

Communities of practicePeer learning networksOrganisational knowledge sharingConference conversations

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Method descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices.