Generating event links

• Anyone who has a host account can generate event links from the host dashboard. If you don't have an account or don't know how to log in, contact [email protected] or your Sidebar contact.
• Share the link with anyone you would like to have join your event. There's no password or verification system in place, which makes it super easy for people to join, but it does mean anyone who has the link can get in. Determine how you will share the link - whether on your website, in emails to members or employees, in real time, or only to people who have RSVP'd

Upfront considerations

• Sidebar works on computers and tablets but not on phones. Most phones don't have the processing power or screen real estate for a great video experience and we want participants to be engaged.
• Each Sidebar event has a limit of 500 participants.
• You can have up to 100 rooms in an event.
• Each standard room in Sidebar can hold up to 100 people. 12 people will show up on video and the rest will be on audio only.
• An "auditorium" in Sidebar can hold up to 300 people. The host can choose 12 people can be on stage with their video on in order to present to the audience.
• Although the fun of Sidebar is that it's unstructured, putting some formal structure around the kickoff can be helpful with large groups or events where people don't know each other. Try having everyone gather in one room to start and then direct people into pre-created rooms depending on their cohort or shared interests. Read more below, or feel free to consult with your Sidebar contact about your plans
• Embrace the chaos. Any participant can create a new room or change room names. You can't control everything on Sidebar, just like you can't control everything at an in-person event. And that's what makes the experience so fun for participants — they can go wherever they want!

Preparing your event space

Once you've created a link for your event, you can create rooms inside the event before guests arrive. Here are some ideas for naming rooms:

• places (the patio, the lighthouse etc.)
• groups (young professionals, Mario Kart fans)
• topics of interest (US nuclear policy, marketing hacks, the best bagels in Brooklyn)
• after someone stationed in the room (CEO meet & greet)
• as a place to learn about Sidebar from a facilitator (Sidebar help room)

Avoid the urge to create too many rooms or people may be spread too thin at the start. As people familiarize themselves with the platform, participants will create rooms according to what interests them and will do so naturally as the event gets larger.

Marketing your event

People aren't going to show up to a virtual event just because there's a cool new platform involved. The typical draws for an event are: you belong to a pre-existing group or community; your friends or colleagues are going; you expect great people or people with similar interests to show up; there's content such as a talk, a discussion, music, or a ritual you find interesting; plus good ole FOMO.

But of course selling Sidebar helps. People are tired of Zoom calls, which are built for passive and formal one-to many-interactions. Sidebar is social, informal and participatory, more like being at a bar or reception than being in a seminar. Users can expect to have real conversations, talk to friends and strangers, and bump into new people organically.