The Forum Dialogues create space for Chautauquans to be in conversation with staff and trustees on topics that are important to the patron experience. The 2025 dialogues will give staff the opportunity to have more in-depth conversations with Chautauquans by sharing the current state of affairs, challenges we are facing, and our proposed solutions to meet those challenges. The dialogues will provide staff and trustees with insights on patron feedback, pain points, and perspective on how proposed changes might be received by Chautauquans. 

All Chautauquans are encouraged to participate because your perspective is helpful for the leadership of the Institution and helps us make informed decisions by prioritizing aspects of the guest experience. For example, the feedback received during the 2024 Forum Dialogues shaped the Institution’s priorities and focus areas for the 2025 season. The 2025 dialogues are meant to do the same with more in-depth conversations on a select group of topics. Furthermore, Chautauquans will get better insights on the challenges faced by the Institution, and get “line of sight” for future changes that might be considered.  

The process for reporting will be similar to 2024 with a couple of minor changes. The facilitators and staff will work together to write one joint report outlining the recurring themes and recommendations that emerge from the dialogues. This report will be released around Oct. 15, 2025 and discussed during the November 2025 board meeting. Concurrently, staff will develop operational and long-term plans based on the feedback, and similar to 2024, a list of action items emerging from the dialogues will be published by Dec. 31, 2025.  

There are four changes of note: 

• Last year we started this pilot program by inviting property owners, season pass holders, and leaders of community groups to participate. This year, we are expanding the invitation to anyone who has purchased a one-week or longer pass for the 2025 season. 
• In 2024, participants provided suggested topics for discussion for each of the dialogue sessions, and several topics became recurring themes across the nine weeks. Each week, 2–3 different topics were discussed. However, due to time constraints, we received repetitive (but less in-depth) feedback on the same topics. This year, we are proposing topics to have more in-depth conversations, including sharing our high-level thinking on our solutions/plans in each of these areas. This format will also allow participants to self-select into a dialogue most relevant to their Chautauqua experience. We are experimenting with this format that is partially a focus group, and partially a dialogue. In a true focus group, we would only collect information and not respond, but in this case, we will share our thoughts as well. 
• Last year, we asked our staff and trustee participants to create more space for listening than responding. We heard from both participants and staff/trustees that more dialogue with staff and trustees would be better. Therefore, this year, we will ask trustees and staff to speak more often, and the facilitators will help with the flow of conversations. 
• Staff will start the conversation by sharing a 10-minute overview of the topic, what the current challenges are, what options or solutions are being considered, and launch the dialogue with 2–3 broad questions. Our hope is to go more “in-depth” on these specific topics and provide line-of-sight to patrons on our current thinking/options. 

• The desire of our staff and trustees to be in conversation with patrons. The Forum Dialogues continues to be a venue for Chautuaquans to engage with leadership, and with one another, on topics that shape the Chautauqua experience. 
• The format and logistics will remain the same: 90-minute conversations on Monday afternoons. 
• A focus on civil dialogue and ground rules from last year will continue. 
• Invited Chautauquans will receive emails and registration will again be required. Patrons may register for only one session that they are most interested in to allow space for others to participate. 
• The dialogues will continue to be moderated by leadership of the CHQ Dialogues program. Roger Doebke, Robin Harbage and Cathy Digel will moderate the dialogues in rotating pairs, and Lynn Stahl will continue to serve in an advisory role. 
• The dialogues will continue to shape leadership decision-making by prioritizing certain issues and solutions.  

We considered a number of issues and selected topics that have relevance to a wide group of Chautauquans. We also selected topics where staff want to share our thinking on strategic solutions under consideration, and where initial feedback would help us narrow options or identify next steps. Lastly, we prioritized topics that seem to be recurring points of discussion within and outside of Forum Dialogues — and especially those that impact the patron experience. 

Chautauquans are always welcome to reach out to a staff member in charge of a specific area to engage them in a conversation. Any Chautauquan can stop by the Colonnade, or email staff to schedule a time to chat — during or outside the season. Appointments are highly encouraged during the season since staff members are heavily scheduled at that time. A number of webinars on recurring topics are also available on the Chautauqua Community Portal website. 

• The dialogue facilitators issued a report on the themes that emerged from the dialogues in September 2024. 
• The past president of CPOA provided a summary report as well, that was shared with the community in November of 2024. 
• In December 2024, Institution staff published a list of action items we prioritized for the 2025 season.  
• Updates and progress reports on key areas of focus were shared with community members in the new “Chautauqua Community Newsletter” and in a series of webinars in Spring 2025. All of this information, including recordings of the webinars, is publicly available on the Chautauqua Community Portal. 

Please end your questions to dialogues@chq.org. The Forum Dialogues leadership team consists of two staff members and four community volunteers who serve as facilitators and administrators for the Forum dialogues. Amit Taneja, Senior VP for Community Relations and Chief IDEA Officer, and Melissa Spas, VP for Religion, are the staff shepherds for this initiative. Roger Doebke, Robin Harbage and Cathy Digel will work in rotating pairs to facilitate the Forum Dialogues, and Lynn Stahl will continue this year in an advisory capacity. Any questions or feedback received at the email listed above is shared with all six of the people named above.  

We have designed these conversations to follow best practices for dialogues where smaller group sizes work best. Each week, we can accommodate thirty-five Chautauquans. To allow others an opportunity to participate, we ask that you register for and attend one session only. 

Yes, please reach out to dialogues@chq.org to reschedule or cancel your registration. We had wait lists for some weeks last year and anticipate the same for this year.  

Sure! Please reach out to dialogues@chq.org and we will do our best to accommodate you. Please note that if you are registered for a second dialogue but are placed in one that you are more interested in, your second registration spot will be opened up for someone else. If you are unable to attend your preferred topic, please note that staff are always happy to have a one-on-one conversation with you.