I was wondering about conversation size when it was mentioned that it was 12-14 people.

The largest everyone-involved conversation I've been in was 7 people. (8 were there, but one wasn't talking.) It seemed like a miracle. We were seated at a round table in a quiet restaurant, and it was fans, so this happened spontaneously, not as a result of rules.

I've since found out that 8 people was considered the maximum size for a dinner party.