Summervibes at the Italian castello “The Happening 2025” – Collaboration, Castello, and Summer Light

After a couple of weeks on vacation, I am now back at the office and still holding on to that easy summer rhythm — and the feeling of shorts and sandals, which I so dearly love wearing. In fact, a good summer to me is one where this is the number one dress code :-). However, taking advantage of this moment and lingering in it a little longer, I’d like to share some thoughts about something amazing I was able to experience before heading off for a few days at the beach and in the mountains.

Before fully grooving into holiday mode, I had the wonderful opportunity to join The Happening, a global professional gathering of people acquainted with the MG Taylor method, invited by my dear partner who has been connected to this network for many years. She was personally trained by the creators, Mat and Gail Taylor, and has worked alongside friends and colleagues in many places with many different groups — from Airbus to other large corporates. I, on the other hand, arrived at this event more as a curious satellite, stepping into a community that spans continents and years of shared practice.

An extraordinary space for beautiful encounters

The Castello di San Sebastiano di Po is an amazing venue for peculiar occasions. It certainly was the perfect spot for this special gathering of over 100 professionals from all over the world dedicated to supporting sustainable collaboration design. Check it out for yourself: https://www.castellosansebastiano.it/

The group met in San Sebastiano da Po, in the hills near Turin, Italy, in a place that felt as if it had been designed for gathering. The venue — a castello perched above the countryside — was more than a building; it was almost a small village. Cobblestone paths, sunlit courtyards, and cool, shaded rooms made every step between sessions feel like a passage from one chapter of a story to the next. Even before the first conversation, I sensed how the setting itself was part of the encounter.

The MG Taylor method is difficult to explain without feeling you’ve left something out. My attempt to convey it would be this: created by Mat and Gail Taylor, it combines Montessori-inspired experiential learning with intentional space design and facilitation. To me, it felt like a living choreography — a careful but generous structure based on principles rather than rules, a stage or a framework rather than boundaries — that allows people, even from vastly different disciplines, to think, create, and decide together with surprising ease. Complex challenges that might normally weigh heavy in a boardroom seemed to unfold naturally in such a space. In other words, it felt like collaboration with heart, mindfulness, clarity, and purpose, carried by professionals who describe themselves as “knowledge workers” and “facilitators,” but who, in truth, are hosts of transformation.

Collaboration vs. Cooperation

One of the spaces gathered around this topic and shared some deep insight from a French couple who have dedicated their professional life to this topic. Whilst they describe “collaboration” as a group working a somewhat target oriented setting with a framework, they see “cooperation” as a truly open way of co-creation rooted in profound mutual respect and openness.

The days blurred in the best way — a rhythm of engaging work, deep exchange, and moments of play. I found myself in conversations that began in casual, meaningful and yet serious settings, sitting in the green courtyards or gathering in picturesque patios with a view. Presentations, discussions, and conversations somehow continued over slow lunches with a view across the rolling hills, or into the evening over shared wine and laughter. A session on peace-creation with Rob Evans didn’t just end with applause; it lingered like a question in the mind, challenging the way I think about conflict and resolution. At another moment, I was in the middle of mixing a basil-lime-gin cocktail, the fragrance of fresh herbs cutting through the warm air, realising that this, too, was part of building trust — the small acts that bring people closer. A ZEN improv session was a playful and joyful reminder of my days when I was still working as a trainer with groups. The extensive talk on the possibilities of AI in this kind of work left me with a comforting feeling of satisfaction, knowing that I am quite on track with the way I am using it in my professional activities.

Between these moments, new friendships took root — with people from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, Switzerland, Japan, India, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Bali… each carrying their own stories, perspectives, and an unmistakable spark of goodwill.

Zen Improv Session by Jun from Japan

Being fully in the here and now—focusing on being rather than overthinking what we are doing. Simply doing it. A heart-opening experience filled with laughter, insight, connection, and pure joy. It reminded me of my days working with groups in training—when presence and playfulness were at the core of learning.

I never quite stopped feeling like that “satellite” — someone circling a well-established constellation — yet the longer I orbited, the more I realised I was part of its light. The true value wasn’t in any single moment, but in the threads between them and the people: an unplanned conversation that deepened my understanding, a quiet pause for a bit of lyrics-writing, laughter that softened a complex discussion, and the tender sense of possibility that lingered as the days drew to a close.

It was the magic of this encounter — the unique mix of people, place, and timing — that left such a strong impression on me. And while the actual work with groups in an MG Taylor setting would likely take on a different rhythm and purpose, I can clearly see how the same principles and spirit could be applied to achieve remarkable outcomes.

If I were working with a complex challenge, or needed to bring a diverse group into meaningful cooperation, I can say without hesitation that I would immediately consult with any of the people so dedicated to this method. These professionals are masters at creating the conditions where extraordinary results become almost inevitable. If that’s relevant for you too, I will be happy to introduce you — and even more excited to see what happens when methods like these are applied to bold, impact-driven projects. Because when people, place, and purpose align like this, the results don’t just stay in the room; they ripple outwards, carrying the best of the experience into the work that follows.

So, here I am now, getting ready for my next impact adventure — finishing up the ties on Phy2Climate, promoting next-level noise barrier solutions, and browsing for new challenges. Do you have an impact project in mind where you could use some of my assistance?