Virtual platform Shindig recently announced the launch of its new Virtual Lobby feature, which will allow for a different type of networking than is usually found on other meetings and events platforms. Networking and engagement have long been a challenge for virtual events, and while many platforms have been trying to crack the code – with everything from speed date-style networking to AI-generated connections – Shindig’s new Virtual Lobby offers a unique experience.
The platform has been around since well before the pandemic and has always been focused on enabling connections and conversations in a virtual space. “Shindig was built from the ground up with large-scale interactivity in mind,” says Steve Gottlieb, Shindig Founder & CEO. “On Shindig, the audience can all see one another, and they can all privately chat with one another without disturbing anyone else. You could have 1000 people in an event, and they can all have the experience of sitting next to a friend or chatting with colleagues before the event starts.”
One-on-one appointments, says Gottlieb, are not the same as networking, since decisions are very often made by teams. Events are all about teams or groups bringing people together, introducing each other to build new relationships, and sharing different perspectives. “That's what it's going to take to fulfill the promise of virtual events,” notes Gottlieb.
The Virtual Lobby is a new feature that resulted from the pandemic, as more and more people were looking to include this type of networking capability for large-scale conferences and more complex events. Gottlieb notes that “there needed to be a place for people to congregate in between the sessions.”
He explains that as hybrid events become more common, the question of what we do and how we engage attendees in the “in between” becomes even more important.
“As people start streaming their panel discussions,” says Gottlieb, “they're forced to have breaks in their physical events for people to move around. And if they do that, they're going to lose that remote audience in their online events with all that dead air.”
That’s where Shindig’s lobby — which was designed to work with both virtual and hybrid events — comes in. It was created to give attendees a place to go in the in between and help ensure that online audiences are not disengaged during the built-in in between moments at hybrid events. Instead, the feature facilitates and encourages networking and sharing by creating valuable in between moments.
“It enables each event to effectively have a space where everyone can congregate,” explains Gottlieb. “And while they're congregating, they can actively engage with the program directory, compare notes, talk to people, and see who's there.” This type of interaction closely mirrors that of an in-person event, where attendees can have one-on-one or group conversations about what they thought of the last session or which one they’re planning on attending next.
The key according to Gottlieb is that this is where the energy of events happens and where the word of mouth gets created, which adds to the overall event engagement and success.
For hybrid events, in-person attendees are also able to participate in the Virtual Lobby through the Shindig app on their phones. In this way, they can interact with speakers or participants who may not have been able to make it to the live event but whom they would still like to connect with.
As live events return, it will be important for event organizers to remember their online attendees and to continue to provide them with a valuable experience that goes beyond just the content, and Shindig’s Virtual Lobby aims to do just that.