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The Art of Hosting & Harvesting Conversations for Public Impact

Join us for The Art of Hosting & Harvesting Conversations for Public Impact!

Today’s public servants are working in a rapidly changing landscape: challenges are more complex, communities are more polarized, and expectations for increased fairness, equity, and results continue to rise. Meeting this moment calls for participatory leadership — the ability to convene diverse communities inclusively, navigate complexity together, and sustain collaboration to co-create solutions that truly serve the common good.

Yet too often, public leaders are stuck with the wrong tools — meetings where people talk past each other, processes that exclude instead of invite, and structures that divide the people most committed to creating change.

We invite you into a better way.

At the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, we use the Art of Hosting (AoH) to build the leadership skills democracy requires. Join us for The Art of Hosting & Harvesting Conversations for Public Impact — our 3-full-day, in-person interactive workshop on June 25-27, 2026, in Seattle, WA, to learn how these methods and tools can support your own work.

Register

If you sign up and we have reached capacity, you will automatically be placed on a waitlist. After you submit your registration form, we will follow up to either confirm your seat and request payment, or let you know that you are on the waitlist. Please contact us with any questions or difficulties with our registration process.

FAQs

Who should attend

We invite a variety of perspectives to create a vibrant learning space. Practitioners and leaders over the age of 18 working at the intersection of policy, community, and public service are invited to join us. There is something to gain from this experience whether you are just getting started or have been working to build better communities for decades.

Whether you’re navigating a tense meeting, building coalitions across deep differences, or simply trying to keep people at the table long enough to address hard problems together, these powerful tools will change how you work. Consider attending as a team to make the application of what you learn much easier to integrate!

What to expect

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn and practice participatory leadership: proven methods for convening diverse perspectives, hosting meaningful conversations, and turning collective wisdom into action. Come prepared to participate as we experience and explore these methods and tools across all three workshop days.

You’ll leave with a network of fellow practitioners and a renewed sense that a society where people disagree without contempt, build durable trust, and work toward the common good is not only possible — it’s something you have the skills to host.

The workshop includes meals (breakfast, lunch, and snacks), a workbook to support your learning, and a welcoming community of practitioners at the University of Washington for ongoing networking and collaboration.

Cost to attend

  • $700 per person for individuals
  • $600 per person for groups of 3 or more

Payment is not required at time of registration. If your seat is confirmed in the workshop, full payment is requested by May 31.

Location

Our workshop will be held in Seattle, WA. Exact location will be shared with registered participants.

Travel

If you are traveling from outside the Seattle area and need support finding lodging, please contact us. We have limited rooms held through a partnership with the Graduate Hotel near the University of Washington Seattle campus.

Contact

Questions? Contact us at evansepic@uw.edu