From Thought to Action

After a group has worked together and been exposed to a lot of fresh thinking and ideas how do you turn thinking into action and promote the productive exchange of ideas.
Open space
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Space_Technology
has worked well for me at the end of a 3 day programmes when the object of the exercise is to promote reflection and action back in the day job. Takes time to setup.
Memorably the principles:
Whoever comes are the right people
Whenever it starts is the right time
Whatever happens is the only thing that could
When it's over it’s over

Were taken literally by one group who decamped from the hotel in Leicester Sq London where we were running the programme to the steps of the national gallery (having been shooed away from Trafalgar Sq )about 100m away complete with flip chart (see picture). Probably the most memorable session ever and the quality of the discussion wasn't bad either.

I've found Rich pictures useful http://systems.open.ac.uk/materials/t552/index.htm
Particularly if you employ a gallery format where interpretation of the rich picture is left to the Viewers and the artists keep silent until asked for their view.
Related to the question of volumes of folk (400!) is the Taking Liberties exhibition at the British Library (Free). The other two exhibitions are well worth a look to. Visitors are invited to put on a bar coded Bracelet which is used to identify them (anonymously) and enable them to vote on a variety of thorny Civil Liberties questions doted around the exhibition. This is also available on line at http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/takingliberties/interactive.htmlThe data is all collected plotted and displayed for viewing at the end. There is great use of a board and pads to collect comments at the exhibition’s finish.