For bigger events, you can get swallowed by logistics and minutiae. And then fail to invest in the most important part — designing a shared experience that people will remember.

When you’re overwhelmed by detail, it can be difficult to prioritise and excel at things like participant consultation, format design, and an event arc.

So how can you keep your eye on the elements of an event that will make it special?

For more intimate events, you know you want to connect. You know there is a lot to talk about. You know each other. That means you working within the very dynamics you want to shift. And you are coming together with a pile of trees, when you really you need to engage with the forest.

But how? When you’re so busy, and also stuck in your dynamics as a team. Don’t waste your time together in an offsite by rushing it, or running it alone.

Meh → Magic

Do you have an upcoming event and want it to be amazing? Worried you’re not quite sure how to design the space so that it delivers on the vibe and outcomes you want? Don’t have the budget, or don’t want to go overboard bringing on an external facilitation? Or want to lead the space yourself?

I can help you build a magical experience, from start to finish.

Complexity → Community

Are you a leader swimming in questions about your strategy and your culture? Have an amazing team that you want to spend meaningful time with? Know that when ‘bosses’ hold space it feels way different than when ‘bosses’ are peers?

I can help you maximise engagement, build alignment, and get things done, together.

In my 30 years of work, I've never seen a more skilled and intuitive facilitator than Alix. Her planning focuses on deeply understanding the needs of the individuals and creating the right amount of structure to work with what emerges when they come together as a group. Onsite, she holds the group dynamic with what seems like few words and little effort, but with remarkable effectiveness. She is attuned to what's said and unsaid, and to the interplay between the rational and the emotional, and the result is practical, real-world value. An event is a huge investment of time, money, and attention. Hiring Alix was the single best decision we made in support of a great return on that investment. I hope I get the chance to work with her many more times.

Jen Pahlka, Founder at Code for America and former Deputy CTO of the US Government

I’ve worked with Alix on several projects, and every time she has been a phenomenal thought partner. She always takes the necessary time to prepare and orient to the problem at hand, and then finds ways to work through the problem, approaching it from a new angle, and drawing on her own expertise to make the problem tractable. Alix has helped us solve problems involving complex team dynamics and the challenges of mission-driven teams. Whether providing expert perspectives on technology and justice or tackling complex organizational challenges, Alix is an exciting and inspiring partner to work with.

Madeleine Clare Elish, Senior Research Scientist, Google

Alix is an absolute gem. When we worked with her to facilitate our event, she listened deeply to what we were trying to accomplish, and used her deep knowledge of communities and conversations to build a flow for the event that not only hit all the right notes on the topic, but also really took into consideration the breadth of feelings and experiences that people were bringing with them. I already can't wait to work with Alix again!

Mark Lerner, Partnership for Public Service

Working with Alix has transformed the way I feel about initiating complex meetings. She has time and again demonstrated her capacity to curate thoughtful agendas, build trust among participants and manage complex interests, and funnel them into actionable, united outcomes. Alix is flexible and creative while facilitating, always ensures participants feel safe, respected and heard, and is an expert at surfacing tensions that need to be addressed. She is patient yet outcome-driven. Alix has eliminated the stress I used to feel organising meetings with complicated elements.

Hannah Draper, OSF

Meaningful change stems from open and honest conversation about difficult topics, and there is no one more skilled at facilitating those exchanges than Alix. I have personally experienced Alix facilitate conversations between parties who entered the room as skeptical adversaries and left with a sense of understanding and willingness to engage. Andrew Strait, formerly Policy and Partnerships team at DeepMind.

Alix is a facilitation machine – a unique combination of intuition, intellect and supreme organisational skills. I would trust any conversation in her care, from the high level strategy ones, to the weedy interpersonal ones. She helps groups deepen their trust, hone their analysis and grow their confidence in having difficult but vital conversations to be able to increase their impact in the world.

Tanya O'Carroll, formerly Director of Amnesty Tech

Bringing divergent perspectives together on important and often controversial topics is a critical aspect of our work at the Partnership on AI. Alix has been a significant partner in providing expert facilitation for priority projects and training for our entire program staff. Working with Alix has enabled us to develop a cohesive approach to facilitation, and ensure our convenings are highly productive and valuable.

Julia Davis, Director of Partnerships, Partnership on AI