Overall Schedule

• Feb 11: ToP Trainer Meetup
• Feb 11 (Evening): Opening Gathering Reception
• Feb 12–13: ToP Gathering
• Feb 14 (Morning): Final ToP Gathering Sessions
• Feb 14 (Afternoon) & Feb 15 (Morning): Post-Gathering Courses

What is ToP and Facilitation?

Facilitation is something many of us are called on to do in our day-to-day work as we lead meetings, manage projects, or organize people to get work done. At the core, a facilitator takes responsibility to plan and manage the process that will help a group to achieve their goals.

Technology of Participation (ToP) is a powerful collection of structured facilitation methods that transform the way groups think, talk and work together. They enable highly energized, inclusive and meaningful group collaboration that lead to successful outcomes.  ToP Methods support genuine participation, which leads to long term commitment and quality outcomes, as well as more effective teamwork. ToP Methods recognize and honor contributions from all group members, identify commonalities and pool contributions into useful patterns - all while welcoming diversity and minimizing conflict.  The paradox of these methods is that they provide a structured approach to participation while enabling greater freedom of expression and voice.

ToP Trainer Meetup

If you're a ToP Trainer, this annual meetup is not to be missed. It's a dedicated time for apprentice, qualified, and mentor trainers to come together to focus on the planning and stewardship of the ToP training program. Every trainer’s voice is vital to the growth and sustainability of the program.

ToP Gathering

Join us for a rich, immersive three-day experience designed to strengthen facilitation practice, expand professional networks, and deepen community within the ToP Network. Open to practitioners and facilitators of all experience levels, the Gathering features a dynamic mix of hands-on workshops, live demonstrations, affinity groups, and interactive plenaries that reflect the spirit of the Technology of Participation (ToP) facilitation methods. Participants will engage with complementary tools like Open Space and World Café, deepen their skills, explore new applications, and build lasting connections through shared dialogue and meaningful community-building. Come ready to learn, laugh, share, and experience a renewed sense of belonging in the ToP community. 

Where can you find the agenda and program?
We’re using the ToP Gathering Whova app, where you can view the full program schedule and sign up for sessions. You'll also be able to see who’s attending, send messages, join community forums, and schedule meet-ups. Access to Whova for registrants will be available starting about February 1.

See the Emerging Schedule-at-a-Glance

Highlights of the 2024 ToP Gathering in Myrtle Beach

Post-Gathering Courses

Extend your learning by attending a ToP Course immediately following the Gathering.

Facilitation Graphics (1 day; 8 hours) - Trainer Kim Howe, Heidi Kolbe

Sat Feb 14 1-5 PM to Sun Feb 15 8 am - noon; Plaza Hotel; $500

Register for FG when you register for the Gathering

This highly interactive course will take you from stick figures to colorful, dynamic graphics one step at a time... no artistic skill needed!  We guide you step-by-step to build your skills so you feel confident using text, color, and graphics to enrich your leadership, communications, facilitation, training and coaching toolkit!  Regardless of your perceived artistic skills, you will strengthen your competency in combining words and visuals to communicate more clearly, deeply and dramatically.

You will learn about:

• Relevant theories around visuals and how they enhance learning
• Tips for crafting beautiful flipcharts with clarity, color, and flair
• Drawing basics: how to create shapes, icons, and people
• Organizing information graphically
• Using the power of metaphor to spark creativity and energy in your team
• You’ll receive: step-by-step manual and resource guide, 1 hour of free expert coaching, + a free marker set!

 You’ll leave with designs for real meetings and group sessions and templates, flipcharts and visual aids that can be reused in your work!

Approaches to Environmental Scanning (1 day) - Trainers Stephanie Ahles, Jeremy Kautza

Sun Feb 15; Sunset Station Hotel and Casino, Henderson NV (code provided for room reservations); $500

 AES Registration Link

This one-day, hands-on course equips you with tools to uncover the key internal and external dynamics shaping any planning effort. You’ll explore a rich toolkit of 10 dynamic, creative methods to help teams, organizations, and communities:

Surface stakeholder perceptions
Identify current challenges
Interpret relevant data
Spot emerging trends

ToP Secrets of Implementation (2 days) -  Trainers Stephanie Ahles, Jeremy Kautza

Mon Feb 16 & Tues Feb 17; Sunset Station Hotel and Casino, Henderson NV (code provided for room reservations); $750

 TSI Rgistration Link

How do you keep your team committed and engaged, bring new people to the table mid-stream (without starting over), course-correct when the situation changes, and close it all out triumphantly... all while staying participatory and collaborative?  This course is packed with dozens of tools and tips to help you:

• Understand and anticipate the ups and downs of implementing strategies
• Initiate dynamic plans and bring them to concrete conclusions
• Sustain momentum to bring the plans to implementation
• Review and reposition projects that are in process
• Bring closure to plans and celebrate the team’s work

Are you...

• trying to bring a strategic plan to life?
• completing a project with your team?
• sustaining a collective impact effort?
• rallying support for a community campaign or initiative?

Bring your real-life challenges for personalized peer coaching in this unique learning community structure!

Registration Fees

• Early Bird (Oct 1 – Feb 1): $625 ToP Network Member; $775 Nonmember
• Regular (Feb 1 – Feb 2): $775 Member; $925 Nonmember
• One day (includes offered meals):
• Thursday Feb 12: $325 Member; $400 Nonmember
• Friday Feb 13: $325 Member; $400 Nonmember
• Saturday Feb 14 (1/2 day): $175 Member; $250 Nonmember

You can join the ToP Network when you register for the Gathering paying the following dues:

• Facilitator Member $125: (ToP Practitioner)
• ToP Trainer Member $125: (Qualified Trainer, Mentor Trainer, Apprentice)
• Student Member $50: (High School or University Student)
• Emeritus Member $25: (Retired Practitioner or Trainer)

Why Join the ToP Network

Scholarships Available

The ToP Network is offering 8 scholarships to support participation in the 2026 ToP Gathering. Each scholarship includes:

1. Full Gathering registration (valued at $625)
2. One-year ToP Network membership (valued at $125)

The Gathering Scholarship Fund was created to reduce registration costs for individuals who are deeply engaged in the field of facilitation and eager to expand their knowledge of ToP methods.

We especially welcome applicants who bring diverse experiences and perspectives—including those from the global majority, individuals with or without disabilities, Black, Brown, Indigenous, Person of Color (BBIPOC) facilitators; underrepresented groups; a variety of age ranges; and professionals across different sectors. These voices enrich our shared practice and strengthen the field of facilitation.

Important details:

• Scholarships are limited to a one-time award per person
• Applications are due by November 10, 2025
• Recipients will be notified by November 17, 2025

Submit an Application by Nov 10 

 Hotel Information

We are holding our Gathering at the Plaza Hotel & Casino

Located at the entrance to the Fremont Street Experience, the Hotel blends classic Vegas charm with modern updates. Once the world’s largest hotel/casino opening in 1971, the Plaza has reinvented itself with refreshed guest rooms, remodeled meeting rooms, rooftop pickleball courts and pool, vibrant gaming, and a variety of dining options. With unique amenities, downtown’s only bingo hall, and a prime location in historic Las Vegas, the Plaza offers a one-of-a-kind stay in the heart of downtown.

We have arranged for a ToP Network room block for 2-Queen guest room rates: 

Mon Feb 9 - $76; Tues - $67; Wed - $67; Thurs - $67; Fri - $149; Sat - $165; Sun - $89 + 13% taxes

Make your hotel reservations online or by phone by January 26, 2026:

1. ToP Network Booking Website:
   https://book.passkey.com/go/STPNT26

2. Phone reservations 1-800-634-6575 (open Mon-Fri 8am-10pm Sat-Sun 5am-10pm PT); Group Code for Call in: STPNT26
   
3. Should you wish to extend your stay pre or post the room block by 2 days, you can do that through the same online website or by phone reservation. The hotel is offering reduced rates.
4. Questions/Challenges: Contact Ryan White, Plaza Hotel Group Reservations Manager, 1-702-386-2570 

Would you like to find a roommate?  Use this Search for a Roommate form to connect with other attendees and coordinate your hotel stay.

Commuting to and from Harry Reid International Airport
The Plaza Hotel does not offer an airport shuttle.  Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft or taxis are recommended, with the hotel located about 10-15 minutes/10 miles from the airport. You can arrange ridesharing on our ToP Gathering Whova App. There are other shuttle services which make multiple stops along the way. Suggestions: Bel Trans AirportShuttleLasVegas.com; Primetimeshuttle.com

Extracurricular Activities - Explore More While You're in Las Vegas

There’s so much more to enjoy in Las Vegas beyond the Gathering sessions! The planning team is organizing a variety of activities so you can take in the excitement of the Strip and the natural beauty of the Mojave Desert.

You can participate in two ways:

1. Join a scheduled group activity by signing up and paying in advance
2. Create your own experience by organizing a meetup through Whova during the Gathering 

3 Group Activities (Feb 12 late afternoon/evening)

Sign up and pay by Feb 9

ToP Gathering Activity: Red Rock Canyon Scenic Loop Drive
Thursday, February 12 | 2:45–5:30 pm
Cost: $40; Limit 12 participants
This small-group outing offers ToP Gathering participants a chance to step outside the conference space and experience the spaciousness, beauty, and quiet power of the Mojave Desert together.
We will depart promptly at 2:45 pm by van from the Plaza Hotel in downtown Las Vegas. Please plan to arrive a few minutes early, as we will be working within limited daylight.

As feasible, we’ll begin with a brief stop at the Red Rock Canyon Visitor Center to orient ourselves to the land, its geology, and its long human history. From there, we’ll continue along the 13-mile scenic loop drive, making several short stops at iconic locations, including:
• Calico I & II, known for their vivid red and orange sandstone formations
• Sandstone Quarry, offering expansive views and a glimpse into the area’s geological story
These stops are designed to allow time for gentle walking, photographs, and quiet observation—no hiking required.

The late-afternoon timing allows us to experience the canyon as the light softens and shadows stretch across the landscape, with sunset around 5:15 pm. We’ll complete the loop and return to Las Vegas by approximately 5:30 pm, before the park closes.

This activity is intended as a shared pause within the Gathering—an opportunity for informal conversation, reflection, and connection with one another and the land, in a setting that invites perspective and spacious thinking.
https://www.redrockcanyonlv.org/

ToP Gathering Activity: The Wizard of Oz at Sphere
Thursday, February 12 | 3:30–approx. 7:30 pm
5:00 pm Show
Cost $150 | Limit 20 participants with a minimum of 9 to book a group
Join fellow ToP Gathering participants for a truly one-of-a-kind Las Vegas experience: The Wizard of Oz presented at Sphere, the world’s most advanced immersive entertainment venue.

We will depart by van from the hotel at 3:30 pm to allow ample time for arrival, entry, and seating before the 5:00 pm show. Transportation will return us to the hotel following the performance.

This re-imagined presentation of The Wizard of Oz brings the beloved classic to life using Sphere’s groundbreaking technology. The venue’s fully immersive interior—featuring a massive, wraparound LED display, spatial audio, and environmental effects—places the audience inside the story. Familiar scenes from Dorothy’s journey unfold in vivid scale and detail, surrounding viewers with color, movement, sound, and atmosphere in ways not possible in a traditional theater.

Rather than simply watching the film, audiences experience it as a shared, sensory journey—from the quiet of Kansas to the wonder and intensity of Oz—designed to evoke imagination, emotion, and awe.
This outing offers a playful and expansive counterpoint to the Gathering’s daytime work: a collective experience of story, technology, and artistry that invites curiosity, delight, and conversation. Experience together how narrative, design, and environment can shape perception and engagement.

Sphere information

ToP Gathering Activity: Las Vegas Strip Drive, Bellagio & Caesars Palace Dinner
Thursday, February 12 | 4:00–8:00 pm
Cost: $80 (includes dinner) | Limit: 15 participants
Join fellow ToP Gathering participants for a relaxed evening exploring iconic sights along the Las Vegas Strip, followed by a shared group dinner.
We will depart promptly at 4:00 pm by van from the Plaza Hotel for a scenic drive down the Strip. Traveling together allows us to experience the scale, energy, and spectacle of Las Vegas from the comfort of the van while providing context and orientation to this world-famous boulevard.

Our first stop will be the Bellagio, where participants can explore the elegant lobby and the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, known for their large-scale seasonal installations. As time allows, we may also step outside briefly to view the Bellagio Fountains.

From there, we’ll continue to Caesars Palace, an enduring symbol of classic Las Vegas grandeur. Participants will have time to explore the Forum Shops and surrounding public spaces before transitioning to dinner.

The evening concludes with a group dinner at Carmine’s Italian Restaurant, located inside Caesars Palace. Carmine’s serves generous, family-style Italian dishes designed for sharing, making it an ideal setting for relaxed conversation and connection.  Following dinner, we will return by van to the Plaza Hotel, arriving by approximately 8:00 pm.

This activity offers a balanced mix of sightseeing, shared experience, and informal connection—an easygoing way to experience the Strip together without long walks or a rushed pace.

Ideas for Self-Organized Metups: (Feb 11, 12, 13 evenings)

• Explore Fremont Street
• Visit the Arts District
• Tour the Neon Museum or Mob Museum
• A show on the Strip – Cirque du Soleil, a magic act, or a Vegas variety show
• LipSmacking Foodie Tours
• Venture to the Strip to see the lights and hotels
• Play pickleball or swim at the Plaza
• Play bingo or try your luck at the Plaza’s casino

Sponsor the Gathering

We invite you to donate to the Gathering. Your sponsorship will help us celebrate the legacy of the ToP Network while ensuring that the next generation of facilitators can access high-quality learning, mentorship, and connection opportunities.

Click here to make a donation