Meetings with large groups of people (especially consensus-building meetings) often work better if they are designed and facilitated (or run) by someone who does not hold a stake in the outcome of the discussions. A facilitator can design and run a process that encourages people to work effectively together on the agenda. A facilitator will help the group get to know each other (through "ice-breaking" exercises), will work with them to set an agenda and ground rules, and then will direct and focus the discussion so that the agenda is followed and outcomes are accomplished.
We facilitate meetings for smaller organizations, as well as corporations.