Spotlight 10: Channel your event discussions

Spotlight 10: Channel your event discussions



Discussion channels are spaces that you or your event participants can create to talk about various topics related to your event. Private or public channels can be created to educate your attendees, enable people to develop relationships, or plan event specifics with other organizers on a digital forum.

For instance, say you'd like to decide the venue for your event with another event organizer or allow attendees to network with other participants during a session. All you have to do is to form specific channels that can bring together a certain group of people or connect everyone. Event participants can create or join these discussion channels for instant access.
 

Bring people together in one platform

Creating a discussion channel for event participants before the event allows them to communicate with peers, speakers, and just about any event participant.



Before your event has started, think of topics that drive conversations, and create channels for those topics. Next, go to the Design tab in your event's Microsite Builder. Click the Add Channel button in the Discussions page of your event microsite to open the Add Channel dialog box. This is where you can describe each channel, add members, and set an access level for it. Give a relevant name and description for your channel as this will help attendees to identify the purpose of the channel and be encouraged to use it when necessary.

Engaging discussion channels can also be created during and after your event has ended as well.

Interact with attendees in real-time

Join a public channel or get invited to a private channel that other attendees have created to talk about their experience at your event and to share ideas.



Anyone who has bought a ticket to your event can access the event microsite and create discussion channels by themselves. When attendees create public channels, you will be able to join them too. Go to your event's Microsite Builder and click the View All link. This will display the Channel List dialog box where you can select the Available Channels tab. This tab will list all the new public channels made by other event participants along with the date of creation. Click the Join button for any channel you want to be a part of. Once you're added to a channel you will be able to view all the chats that took place between members from the very beginning when you login to the event microsite.

Event participants can also access channels from the event's microsite and the attendee mobile app as well.

Access your channels instantly 

Browse the list of all channels that anyone has created for the event in the event microsite.



Channels that are specific to you are listed separately for immediate access in the My Channels tab of the Channel List dialog box on the event microsite. These channels include any you've created or joined.

People who are part of the event can also access their channel list from the attendee mobile app.

Leave a conversation at anytime

Exit a channel if you're ready to end the conversation or if the discussion is not for you. 



After you've accessed the event, click the Delete icon or the Leave option for any channel to stop receiving notifications about that discussion.

Learn more about discussion channels in the Zoho Backstage web app and the attendee app and get the conversation going at your event!

You can always write to us at support@zohobackstage.com with feedback on how you were able to boost the engagement at your event with Zoho Backstage.

Happy organizing!