I was talking with a client the other day who was helping to plan an internal conference for employees from all over the world, many of whom would not know each other, and we were brainstorming how she might get them to connect and talk with each other more.
I suggested stammtisch tables at the conference but that was not viable but then the idea came to mind of "stammtisch seats" on the coaches that were going to ferry them from their hotels to dinner in the evenings.
The idea was simple, not everyone on a trip would want to sit next to a stranger and have a conversation - they would rather sit with someone they knew - so why not label some of the pairs of seats on the bus as stammtisch seats: "Sit here, if you wish to talk to a someone you don't know."
We both thought it was a great idea but the powers that be did not agree it did not happen, so I am sharing the idea with you here in the hope that one day soon I hear from one of you that you have tried it out and just how well it worked.
