More of a visual learner than a reader? Check out this video introduction to hosting on Gatheround, or read on for written instructions:

You’ve gathered your participants and it’s time to start your event!

To begin, go to your event link. If you can’t find it: navigate to "My Events" on your sidebar navigation to find all the events you are the host of. From there, click the name of the event you’d like to join.

Once you are on the welcome page of your event, click “Join Event,” enter your name, and answer the icebreaker question.

Broadcasting a YouTube video is a great way to set the tone for your event. You can use this feature to play a fun music video, jump-start the conversation with thought-provoking content, or build on a conversation in progress in between activities. Please note that only a Host can play a video, and only when there isn't anybody streaming their personal video or audio in the main room.

To play a YouTube video, click on the play button on the bottom right of your screen.

Search for a video that you have in mind or select one of our recommended videos.

Click on the Play button and your broadcast will start!

Up to 200 people can turn on their camera and/or microphone in the main event room at the same time. Hosts can always turn on their cam/mic at any time by toggling on the camera and microphone buttons on the bottom left. Participants by default will also be able to turn on their camera and/or microphones in the main room, but this can be disabled in settings.

When you turn on your camera and/or microphone in the main room, all participants can see and hear you. Those who haven’t clicked the icons won’t be seen or heard, so they’ll need to communicate via chat. Keep in mind, once participants opt into joining a Breakout or Group Share (more on that later) they will have both their mic and camera on.

Note: If the event was created within a Group, all of the Organizers of the Group will have hosting permissions for that event. They will be able to manage host controls (above) and turn on their cam/mic even if the toggle is off for participants. If select people other than a Host would like to address your participants (like an outside speaker, for instance) you can assign host permissions for the duration of the event (see Managing Participants, below) to allow for selective access to video and audio in the main room.

Starting an activity is easy! You’ll see a playbar on the top of your screen, which will tell you the next activity coming up in your agenda. Hit play, and your activity will start immediately.

If you want to start a different activity or play activities out of order, click the three dashes to expand your full activity list. From here, hit play on the activity you want to start.

You can edit individual activities, add activities, and edit event details in real-time. This comes in handy if you’re running out of time and need to shorten your activities.

To edit event details such as event name, description, and icebreaker question, click the settings icon on the top right of your screen and go to “Event details.”

To edit your activities themselves, click the three dashes icon in the playbar. From there, you can click the pencil next to any preexisting activity you’d like to edit or you can add new activities/sections by clicking the big pencil on the top right.

To see who has joined your event, turn participants into hosts, or remove participants from events, click the participant avatars in the top right of your screen to view the participant list. Click the three dots to see options for that participant.

If you select “Make Host,” that participant will be able to manage host controls, play YouTube videos, start activities, or make edits to the event itself. They'll also have access to the event in the "My Events" section of their account. There is no limit to the number of hosts permitted in your event.

Selecting “Remove From Event” will remove that participant from the event and hide any messages they may have written previously in the chat.

Participating in the event as a host is no different than as a standard participant. You can choose to skip or participate in any activity.

If you’d like to end an activity early, you’ll see a square stop button for your in-progress activity in the playbar. If the activity is a breakout, your participants will automatically be placed back in the main room with a 10 second warning.

There's no official way to end or close an event. We recommend that the Host wrap things up by collecting feedback, and playing a music video on the way out!

Interested in seeing how to go through activities in a Gatheround event? Check out our tutorial event. It’s an interactive room that allows you to experience activities in Gatheround and get a feel for what it’s like to host. You can find the link to the tutorial by going to the "Getting Started" section of your sidebar navigation.