Onboarding your users
Looking for tips and best practice suggestions for orienting your team or hosting your virtual event? Here are the top onboarding hacks Breakroom users have taught us.
Overview
Breakroom is designed to be simple to learn, so that users can log in and get straight to work—whether that work consists of attending team meetings, pursuing professional education, or manning an exposition booth. Still, with a little extra planning, you can set your Breakroom team up for success. The following resources and best practice tips are designed to help you create the ideal event schedule, design user orientation programming, and clear potential logistical hurdles. Get your users on the platform, get them oriented, and watch them thrive in a virtual face-to-face environment.
Orienting first-time users
The Breakroom Team recommends a three-step approach for getting users logged in and chatting with coworkers or fellow event attendees.
Access the platform. First, users need to get Breakroom running! Be sure to point them to our World Stream and desktop application documentation if they need help.
Enter your email address. Remind users that unless otherwise specified, they should log in using their work email address and provided password. For Eventbrite ticketholders, their login will be their email address and their Eventbrite ticket number.
Switch on your microphone. Once users have arrived in-world, they should click the button at the top of the screen that says Mic Off. A permissions box will appear, and users should confirm that they want to turn on their microphones. The microphone button text will glow green, indicating that their mics are now switched on and they can talk with other attendees.
For the best possible experience, we recommend that users access World Stream using Google Chrome. Please also remind users to close any other open apps or programs on their computer, and to turn off their VPNs.
No other steps are necessary to join in the bustle of Breakroom—but your users will definitely want the opportunity to edit their avatars, explore your region, and learn how to get around. Here are quick links to some additional resources that can help.
Getting around: Learn how to control your avatar and camera, as well as how to find and speak to other users in-world.
Choosing an avatar: Learn how to pick a starter avatar from the default collection defined by the world owner.
Customizing your avatar: Learn how to edit your avatar, including facial and body customization.
Accessing the Breakroom Shop: Learn how to shop for new avatar components and use them to truly express your individuality.
The conferencing system: Learn more about Breakroom's video conferencing components, including voice chat, webcam, and screen share.
Navigation tools: Breakroom's built-in navigation tools make it easy to get around.
Gestures and camera controls: Learn how to control your camera while seated in a panel or breakout space, and how to participate with fun animations.
Asking questions: Have a question for an event coordinator or speaker? Learn how to submit it using the Breakroom moderator panel.
Onboarding speakers and VIPs
Breakroom's Customer Success, Sales, and Marketing Teams bring a wealth of knowledge to the table when it comes to helping world Owners host virtual events. Here are some of their top tips.
Speakers will need extra attention and orientation time. Take time before the event to connect with each speaker individually and gauge their level of comfort with the platform. Some key things to ask them are: Do you understand how to get around the region? Do you want to control your avatar yourself, or do you want a member of our team to move your avatar for you? Do you want to take live questions from the audience, or do you want a moderator to take questions for you? How do you want to leave the stage when you are done with your presentation?
Plan on at least 45 minutes of rehearsal and tech tests for each speaker. Hold these rehearsals prior to the day of the event, so you have plenty of time to address any issues that arise. Use this time to run through every presentation slide and video, and confirm that audio is working.
After coming up with a stage management plan for each speaker and panel, draw up a comprehensive event schedule for the backstage coordinators. Be sure to include any needed buffer time and special notes.
During rehearsals and tech tests, make sure that speakers log in and present from the computer they plan to use on the day of the event. You don't want to encounter any surprises on your big day!
AV device testing and firewalls
As part of Breakroom's conference package, we offer built-in AV device testing. To access this service, all users need to do is click the Device Options button located at the top of the screen.
When this button is clicked, two more buttons will appear. Users should click the Mic & Cam Test button to continue.
This will open the AV Test panel. There users can verify if their audio and video devices are working, see which devices are currently being used by Breakroom, test their speakers, and check their audio volume. You can find more detailed information in our AV troubleshooting documentation.
In addition to this resource, the following best practice tips will help your users get the best possible experience.
If users are accessing Breakroom via a desktop application, we suggest that they shut down all other applications running on their computer.
If users are accessing Breakroom via World Stream, they should shut down any applications other than their browser and close any unneeded browser tabs or windows.
Headphones are strongly suggested. Please ensure that your users and speakers are properly outfitted with headphones in order to avoid audio problems.
The balance option located within the computer sound settings can be used to cut down on unwanted audio feedback. On Windows 10 machines, you can located this option by opening Windows Settings and searching for "balance." Please see this page for more information about adjusting the audio balance on macOS.
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