Setting up breakout activities

Everything you need to know about breakouts on Gatheround

Updated over a week ago

Breakouts are a great way to get the conversation flowing in a more manageable setting. When creating groups, we will optimize to create new connections. Participants will be more likely to match with people they have never matched with before. Groups will change in each subsequent activity.

1-on-1 Breakouts

With this option, participants will be matched 1-on-1 in breakout rooms, with conversation prompts to guide their discussion. If an odd number of people join the activity when it starts, we will create a 3-person match so no one is left out. If a participants joins a 1-on-1 breakout after the initial countdown timer, they'll be added to an existing breakout and the match will become a small group instead of a 1-on-1.

Small Group Breakouts

If you select small group matching for an activity, your participants will be matched for a group of four for the duration of the activity. If there aren’t enough people to make perfect four person groups, then we will create smaller or larger groups as needed. For example, if 10 participants join the activity, there will be one group of four and two groups of three. If 13 participants join the activity, there will be two groups of four and one group of five.

Deciding on match size for your round

When creating your event, click on the “matching” drop-down directly below the activity name, image below. Simply select “Small group” or "1-on-1" from the given options. You can also make this adjustment from the event room itself by clicking on the name of the activity and selecting match size in the matching field.

Breakout Matching: FAQs

What happens if someone joins a Small Group activity late?

People can click "Join Activity" to join the activity late. If they join soon after the countdown, they will interrupt an existing small group match. If there is less than 1 minute remaining in the allotted time for an activity, the latecomer will be prompted to wait to join the next activity.

How do small groups work with sub-group A/B matching?

We will try to create as many new connections across sub-groups as possible. E.g., if there were two mentors and eight mentees, we will create two groups of five, each of which has one mentor and four mentees.

In a single event, can I have some activities use 1:1 matching and others use small group matching?

Yes! You can select the matching type for each individual activity. Feel free to mix it up between each activity.

What happens if someone leaves their small group before the activity has finished?

If someone leaves early, they will be removed from the match and head back to the room. The remaining participants will no longer see or hear that participant. Unless there is only one person left in the match, the match will continue to run until it is scheduled to end.

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