What is the difference between a Knowledge Café and a Community of Practice (CoP)?
Etienne Wenger defines a Community of Practice as a group of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.
A Knowledge Café, on the other hand, is a highly flexible, face-to-face conversational process that can be used in many different situations to bring a group together for an open conversation with a particular purpose.
A Café can be run as a one-off event, for example, to explore the impact of a new technology or as a regular series of events, for instance, a series of talks/cafes on a specific theme or a variety of different issues.
A Café or a series of Cafés does not constitute a CoP. And although a series of Cafés for people with a common interest may appear very CoP-like, in reality, a CoP will adopt many different ways of interacting rather than just the Café format. e.g., less-structured conversations, open-space technology sessions, and online discussion forums.
In summary, the Knowledge Café is a powerful conversational tool that a CoP can use, but it is not the same as a CoP.
In-person, 7–11 September 2026, Warbrook House, Hampshire, UK
We are living and working in conditions of uncertainty, complexity, and rapid change. Many leadership approaches still rely on control, expertise, and tools that no longer fit the realities people face.
This week-long immersive workshop brings people together to practise Conversational Leadership as a shared, lived experience. It is not a training course but a space to slow down, think together, and explore how leadership emerges through dialogue, responsibility, and real engagement.