The Art and Practice of Facilitating Online
A global learning exchange across three days — sessions proposed and run by the people who turn up. No keynotes, no vendor pitches.
Three blocks, three days
A High-Level Preview
OFU runs in blocks — about 2–4 total, four to six hours each, timed so that somewhere in the world it’s a civilized hour. Within a block you pick and choose: come for the opening and one session, drop in for a couple of hours, or stay the whole way. Nothing depends on being there for all of it.
Thu Nov 5
Americas + Europe/Africa
16:00–21:00UTC
Americas daytime, Europe and Africa evening
- 8am Los Angeles
- 11am New York
- 5pm Berlin
- 9:30pm Delhi
Fri Nov 6
Europe/Africa + Asia-Pacific
08:00–13:00UTC
Europe and Africa morning, Asia-Pacific evening
- 9am Berlin
- 1:30pm Delhi
- 5pm Tokyo
- 7pm Sydney
Not yet confirmed — runs if enough participants from these regions register.
Sat Nov 7
Asia-Pacific + Americas
00:00–05:00UTC
Asia-Pacific morning, US West Coast evening
- 9am Tokyo
- 11am Sydney
- 4pm Fri Los Angeles
- 5:30am Delhi
This is a high-level preview. Exact start and end times, and the final number of blocks, will be confirmed by a few weeks ahead of the event — subscribe and we’ll send them to you.
We’d rather run two full blocks than three thin ones — if you want the Europe + Asia-Pacific block to happen, the most useful thing you can do is tell people in your region.
Tickets open in early September. Subscribers hear first — early-bird pricing is capped, and it goes to the list before it goes anywhere else.
Get notifiedWhat Actually Happens
Everyone in one room
A block opens together. People pitch sessions in about thirty seconds each and the schedule fills up live — no program committee, no submission deadline, no slides required.
Bring a question, not a keynote
A problem you’re stuck on, a tool you want to put through its paces, or a story worth telling. That’s a session.
Sessions run in parallel
With real breaks between them and a lounge that stays open throughout. If a session isn’t for you, leave and join another — that’s the rule, not a faux pas.
Practitioners, not Panels
- Facilitators
- Community managers
- Educators
- Leaders
- Newcomers
People who do this work daily, or who want to. Newcomers are genuinely welcome: everyone arrives with expertise, experience and a perspective the rest of the room can use.
Trying out new platforms and techniques together, in a room full of people who will tell you honestly how it went, has always been half the draw.
Last year at OFU 2025
- participants
- 130
- countries
- 29
- continents
- 6
- participant-led sessions
- 30+
Accessible by Design
Facilitation is global; salaries are not. Take 25%, 50% or 75% off depending on where you live — honor system, no questions asked, no partner code needed. Community partner codes take another 30% off on top.
| Standard | −25% | −50% | −75% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| List | $149 | $112 | $75 | $37 |
| With partner code | $104 | $78 | $52 | $26 |
Whether you’re joining from Germany, Guatemala or Ghana, price shouldn’t be the reason you miss it.
We can do this because OFU runs on a cost-recovery basis. The Center for Applied Community Engagement LLC has hosted it that way since 2017: the organizing team needs to cover costs, nothing more.
Partners and Sponsors: Bring Your Community!
Share OFU with your network and your members get 30% off — stacking with the geo discount, so a ticket can come to as little as $26. You get your logo on this page, free tickets, and a say in where the program goes.
Common Questions
Do I have to be there the whole time?
No. Come to one block, or one session inside one block — the schedule is built for dropping in.
What if I don’t want to run a session?
Most people don’t, and that’s fine. Sessions need participants far more than they need hosts, and you can always decide on the day.
What platform is this on?
Sessions run on whatever tool the host prefers — Zoom, Meet, Miro, something you’ve never tried. Links live in one place, so you never hunt for them.
Is it recorded?
Only when the host chooses to, and you’ll see that on the schedule before you commit. You’ll get written notes from every session either way.
Tickets open in early September. Subscribers hear first — early-bird pricing is capped, and it goes to the list before it goes anywhere else.
Get notifiedLow volume. We don’t share your address.