The standard Knowledge Café process is designed for between 12 and 24 people. For smaller or larger numbers it does not work so well for a number of reasons.
For less than 12 people, certainly less than 9 there is not the diversity of thought and energy in the room for the Café to work well. And over 30, it loses many of its benefits as it is less intimate, takes longer, microphones are needed, and you cannot form a circle.
But with a little adaptation, the Café can be run for any number of people as long as the associated limitations do not compromise the Café purpose.
The following requirements are essential:
The room should be small with good acoustics. Participants should be seated at small round tables (3 ft diameter), no more than three or four people per table. The tables should be close together and arranged randomly in the room.
If small round tables are not available, then small rectangular tables are fine. The most important requirement is that people are sitting in touching distance of each other.
The room size and layout should allow the participants in the last phase of the Knowledge Café to push their tables to the side of the room and form a circle with their chairs. See the photo below.
I need a PC projector, audio, and a screen. I will bring my own laptop. Flip charts are not required and should be removed from the room.
