What to think about before setting up a new conversation?

Before opening a new conversation, it is a good practice to think about and respond to such questions as:

What is the need for the conversation?

What is its purpose, and what kind of outcomes do you expect?

How long will be its anticipated duration?

Who will be the participants and the host?

Are you inviting participants in via a blog post in the Nexus blog (which is site-wide) or via one (or more) community blog (post a community blog and choose the targeted community as audience) or send a separate email?

What guidelines for engagement would you recommend to them?

Do they need a wiki too besides the conversation space?