What could be less democratic than etiquette, which must be internalized for years before showing up at an event? A rule requires no advance preparation. Thus someone who has just arrived in a country and is unfamiliar with its culture, but is able to read an email, can fully, without embarrassment, partake in a rules-based gathering—but would

Specificity sharpens the gathering because people can see themselves in it.

A last call is not a closing; it’s the beginning of an outbound ushering. A

This window of time between the discovery and the formal beginning is an opportunity to prime your guests.

In democracies, the freedom to assemble is one of the foundational rights granted to every individual.

When things would get heated, I would slow them down and try to help them go “below the iceberg.” Rather than looking at the specific incidents and events above the water line, I would ask them how those moments revealed their underlying beliefs, values, and needs. I would try to make what they were saying more hearable to everyone else. So that

RISK MANAGEMENT

Gatherings need perimeters. A space for a gathering works best when it is contained.

FRESH EYES