Question 1

What's it like to attend a Meetaway? (videos)

Accepted Answer

Here are 2 videos that explain the attendee experience:

5-min demo video with an in depth tour of the user interface and brief explanation of key features

${vimeo}5 Min Demo Video

1-min video overview that highlights how Meetaway works which we share with first-time attendees

${vimeo}Attendee Experience Overview

Question 2

Can organizers suggest matches for specific attendees?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Organizers can suggest that specific attendees meet (or don't meet) on the "Attendees" tab under "Actions." Note, you won't see this option available until 2 or more attendees have registered for your event.

Meetaway's algorithm prioritizes organizer suggestions over nearly all other matching variables so the people you want to meet will (nearly) always meet.

Question 3

How can I add attendees to a Meetaway?  What registration options exist?

Accepted Answer

If you're allowing "Individual Matching" so that attendees can request conversations with specific people, then it's helpful to have your attendees in the system ahead time. This way, when people start to attend the event, they'll still see the full list of attendees. If you're not allowing "Individual Matching" then there's typically no need to have people in the system ahead of time so you can simply turn tickets off.

Here's a bit more detail on the options we provide for registering attendees:

Attendees register themselves - you can provide your attendees a customizable registration page for your event
Add an attendee- simply add an individual attendee on the attendee dashboard
Bulk upload - if you have an attendee list, you can upload this on the event dashboard. We provide a template that you can use.
Skip registration step - set "Ticket Required" to off and then give your audience the check-in link.
API - when needed, we can pass data into Meetaway via API from other systems. Typically, a bulk upload is quicker and easier for any single event. Organizers regularly using Meetaway may prefer our API over bulk uploading.

Question 4

How do I manually add attendees or bulk upload my attendees?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can add individual attendees or you can upload a CSV file with many attendees all at once. You’ll find both options on the “Manage Attendees” tab on the upper-right corner.

Additional details:

Add Attendee - If you click “Add Attendee” you’ll see a form to add an attendee. You can choose whether the attendee will receive an email notification letting them know you’ve given them a ticket.
Bulk Upload - If you click on the right side of the “Add Attendee” button (on the down arrow), you’ll see an option to bulk upload attendees. The easiest way to do so is to download the sample CSV, replace the sample users with your list, and then upload it.

Also FYI, when you add attendees, you'll see a checkbox that gives you the option to auto send an email to each attendee to let them know you've registered them.

Question 5

How long should I make my Meetaway?

Accepted Answer

Most Meetaways are 1 to 1.5 hours long.

Attendees tell us that attending a Meetaway is at least twice as efficient as in-person networking events and often up to twice as socially draining per hour since there's so little downtime, which they appreciate. So, attendees who favor 3-hour in-person networking events typically prefer 1.5 hour Meetaways.

If your audience is particularly extraverted or you include a webinar with speakers or panel discussions then it could make sense to run them for 2 hours. While, in theory, attendees can leave the event anytime, in practice, they nearly always stay for the full duration. So, we don't recommend scheduling them for longer than 2 hours.

Question 6

How is Meetaway different from video conferencing platforms?

Accepted Answer

Most video conferencing solutions, such as Zoom and Google Meet, are designed for group meetings with people you already know. Meetaway, in contrast, is designed for 1:1 speed networking style events where relationship building is important. The resulting differences are significant and include:

With Meetaway, attendees have control over which types of attendees they meet (based on matching criteria the organizer sets up) and they can request conversations with specific people.
Attendees are matched for a series of 1:1 conversations so they can genuinely connect and build relationships during uninterrupted one-on-one time with one person after the next.
Group conversations (like Zoom and Google Meet provide) can work well for information sharing, but they don’t work anywhere near as well for networking and relationship building.
Meetaways are run as a linear event, with registration ahead of time, automated reminder emails, a scheduled start and end-time, and an event wrap-up survey.

If you’re looking for meeting software, Meetaway isn’t for you. Whereas, if you’re looking to run networking events where people can build relationships, you’re in the right place!

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