Talks on Tap - Charleston, South Carolina

How Do We Do ATalk?

Good Question. First, the host starts off by briefly introducing the issue and some of the major questions surrounding it. We call them “primer” questions, because they’re used throughout the night to help prime the discussion. Ideally, participants can join us even for topics that are completely unfamiliar to them, ponder the primer questions, and come out with a holistic grasp of the greater issue by the end the evening. The group discussion lasts about forty-five minutes and is facilitated by the host. The host is not a lecturer, but merely the “opinionless man” who helps clarify statements, connect ideas, and recalibrate questions.

After the group discussion, everyone is encouraged to do something awesome: Get up out of their seats, meet someone they don’t know, and get to his or her thoughts about…well…whatever. This is a great opportunity to hear personal experiences and stories—not to mention just a time to meet other interesting, thoughtful people. This is “official” end of the talk. Some folks stay around for ten minutes, others keep talking until the restaurant closes down.

Occasionally, we doing something a little different and throw a “Great Debate”, where Talks on Tap invites qualified panelists from the community to debate a particular issue. The debate portion typically lasts forty-five minutes while we reserve another forty-five minutes for the audience to grill the panelists. If we have one of these, look for it being held in a different venue downtown—one with enough seats!