Stagemeting

Stagemeting is a term used to describe a deliberately staged meeting, typically conducted on a platform or stage in front of an audience or in a rehearsal space, intended to examine or dramatize the dynamics of group decision-making. The term blends stage and meeting and is used in theater pedagogy, performance art, and sometimes business training to explore communication patterns, leadership behaviors, and collaborative processes. In theater, a stagemeting may form part of a play or be a stand-alone performance where participants enact a meeting scenario; audiences may observe close-up interactions, nonverbal cues, and decision moments. In research or education, it can be used as a controlled setting to study social dynamics, with consent and debriefing.

Variants include public panels organized as staged meetings, where participants present positions and respond to questions in a structured format, and corporate demonstrations where executives rehearse a day’s meeting on a stage to model procedures or for training.

Criticism notes that stagemetings can feel artificial, potentially affecting participant behavior and authenticity. Privacy considerations and the need for clear consent are important, as is careful framing to avoid misrepresentation.

There are no standard definitions or widely accepted guidelines, and the term may be used inconsistently across contexts. It remains a flexible concept that intersects theater, education, and organizational studies.