The Lounge feature allows event organizer and attendees to create a room or a lounge where you can feature specific topics by adding posts, images, videos, and an option to meet people through a live forum. Attendees are also welcome to create discussion posts and add pictures and videos. Attendees can access lounges in the event hub through a browser and the attendee app.
What can attendees do in a Lounge?
A lounge can be used as a "hangout" place. If you're taking a lunch break from your day-long event, attendees can enter the lounge and meet other attendees. You can set discussion topics for each lounge so attendees with common interests can gather and learn more about it. The lounge is open throughout the event, so attendees can enter whenever possible. Here's what they can do in the lounge:
Chat with other attendees in the lounge.
Post and comment in the Discussion tab.
Download documents and see links associated with the lounge.
See the list of other attendees who have joined the lounge through the Members tab.
Connect, chat, call, and book a meeting with the other attendees who have entered the lounge by clicking the attendees' profile buttons in the Members tab.
Share photos and videos that may be relevant to the topic.
Hop into a live group video call with other attendees through the forum. This allows them to interact better with other lounge attendees through audio and video.
Enable Lounges
As a default, when you enabled lounges, only event admins can create lounges.
Go to your Event Website tab
Click Virtual Event Hub
Click Navigation
Enable Lounges
Create a Lounge
Access your Virtual Event Hub
Click the Lounges tab from the left-side navigation
Click + Add Lounge
Lounge Settings
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Note: Lounge colors cannot be changed except for the button color that depends on the event's selected primary theme color.
Join a Lounge
Click the Join button to enter the lounge. After joining a lounge, the button will change to Enter when you try to enter again.
Lounge Features
Aside from the chat area on the right side, you will see these tabs in the lounge:
1. Discussion
Allows everyone to post content to the lounge. Attendees can add images and share links. There is also a comment option for each post. A "Join Now" button is available, and it will take you to the Live Forum tab. Also, there is an option to upload documents and links, which everyone in the lounge can view and download.
You can also pin messages by clicking the 3-dot menu on your post. Pinned messages stay on top of the Activity Stream so attendees can see them as soon as they enter the lounge.
2. Members
This will list all the people who have entered the lounge. Click on the profile to see the other information about the attendee. You can connect, chat, and meet with them by clicking the buttons below their profile picture.
Note: Attendee profiles cannot be removed from the Members tab. It will remain even after they exit.
3. Photos
Anyone in the lounge can upload images (200 x 200 pixels JPG, PNG, and GIF) for other lounge members to see.
4. Videos
All members in the lounge can upload videos (up to 1GB) that other lounge participants can view. After uploading, you can modify the video's title and description (coming soon!). To make changes, hover the mouse pointer over the video and click the Edit icon.
5. Live Forum
Anyone in the lounge can join the live video group call. You can turn on your camera and microphone, share your screen, and raise your hand while in the forum. You can also see a list of people currently in the forum. Up to 25 can be on camera simultaneously, and up to 250 can be in the Live Forum session.
Attendees can automatically enter when they click Join Now. There is no settings to stop or screen them before from entering.
To leave, click the red phone or simply move to another tab in the lounge.
This feature is not available in the attendee app
The forum has the same controls as a workshop session, except for creating breakout rooms. But as an admin, you can manage attendee permissions inside.
Note: Admins can remove attendees from the forum, but attendees cannot altogether be removed or banned them from the lounge.
6. Chat
Attendees can also chat in the lounge, just like in the lobby and sessions. The chat transcript can also be downloaded from the Analytics tab.
Note: Admins can ban attendees from chatting, but attendees cannot altogether be removed or banned them from the lounge.
Exit the Lounge
To exit, click the back arrow at the top of the screen. This will bring you back to the main lounge page, where you can join other lounges. You can also click the other tabs from the left-side navigation to move to a different part of the event.
Enable Text-Based Lounges
Event admins can also create simplified, text-based lounges. These lounges exclude multimedia functions like video and photos and the Live Forum. This streamlined interface is ideal for facilitating threaded discussions. Enabling this will apply to all lounges in the virtual event hub.
This feature is not available in the attendee app
In the admin console, click Engage and then Lounges
Turn on the toggle to Enable Text-Based Lounges in the Virtual Event Hub
Create text-based lounges in the event hub. It will only have a Discussion tab and a People tab. Attendees will still be able to share and download links and files.
Note: The existing threads, files and comments will remain in the lounge if the text-based feature is enabled or disabled.
Allow Attendees to Create Lounges
When attendees generate their own lounges, it will show which topics pique the interest of most attendees, and they can schedule a live forum to have a discussion on the topic. As an event admin, you can approve or deny lounges.
Go to Engage > Lounges
Enable the toggle for Allow attendees to create lounges
Add Lounge Restrictions
If you want specific ticket types to join lounges, you can add a restriction to tickets.
Lounges in the Attendee App
You can click Lounges from the lobby and then click the specific lounge to enter. The features are similar to the hub accessed through a browser, except for the following:
Not available in the Attendee App | Available Only in the Attendee App |
Live Forum Text-Based Lounges | Upload Documents & Links |
The Live Forum and Text-Based feature is unavailable through the app, but everything else exists. Attendees can post in the feed and chat, upload files, and see the list of people who entered the lounge.
Lounge Analytics
In Analytics > Lounges, you will find the following information:
Lounges - the name of the lounge
Attended - the number of attendees who joined the lounge
Photo Count - the number of photos uploaded
Video Count - the number of videos uploaded
Clicking on a lounge will give you more information, such as who joined and their actions, such as posting images or videos, the duration inside the lounge, and how many times they visited it. You can also download the Lounge Chat and the Discussion History.