Crossoverlearning, a cross-disciplinary knowledge community, held physical book clubs and gatherings before the pandemic. However, with three to four years of remote meeting experience already under our belt, we quickly adapted when the outbreak hit, launching two months of online book clubs and events—running over 14 events per month.
Today I'd like to share how we tackled this challenge: "How to run two events with only one meeting room permission." Due to budget constraints, we purchased ZOOM's lowest-tier plan, but we needed to run two book clubs on the same day. Since the two events had different moderators and participant numbers, and each event's final hour required breaking into two discussion groups, we solved this using the "breakout groups" method with just one room.
Here's the solution:
Main Room ＋ Breakout Groups Setup: Six rooms
- Room 1: Event A – Main Area
- Room 2: Event A – Group One
- Room 3: Event A – Group Two
- Room 4: Event B – Main Area
- Room 5: Event B – Group One
- Room 6: Event B – Group Two
Breakout Group Duration: No time limit set
Step One: Testing & Verification
Two weeks before the official event, during every internal meeting, we placed everyone in breakout rooms to test whether they'd auto-close or determine how many people were needed. We tested with one to three people staying in breakout rooms for two to three hours without issues.
Step Two: Simulate the Flow
The attached screenshot shows our simulation. As mentioned, we needed the main room plus six breakout rooms, so we mapped out the participant flow.
The admin stayed in the main room and manually, one by one, assigned participants to their designated breakout rooms after they entered.
This required us to prepare a roster in advance and confirm each participant's assigned room to avoid mistakes.
Step Three: Pre-Event Communication
With over 30 participants on the day, split into two rooms with two groups each, we thoroughly communicated with the day's moderators and assistants to ensure they understood the setup and could provide full support.
Step Four: Go Live
On event day, we opened the meeting room 30 minutes early so moderators and assistants could enter their designated breakout rooms before participants, serving as greeters. Then, 15 minutes before the official start, we opened entry for participants.
Participants would enter the main meeting room, where they'd see event images ("Please wait for room assignment") and music. Within about a minute, they'd be assigned to their designated room, where the moderator and assistant were already waiting to explain the agenda.
Image: Monitoring both events in progress via mobile phone
All room assignments were completed within about 15 minutes, and both events started smoothly with distinct atmospheres and pacing—it was incredibly moving to watch!
One important note: moderators and co-moderators can move between rooms to check on things, but don't end the breakout session—just leave the room. Otherwise, you'll ruin the entire event! ×D
We also manually assigned participants to the later breakout discussion groups. The event ran for about five hours and concluded successfully!!!
If you find this helpful, we'd love to have you join our event on 7/31 with 王永福 (Fu Ge). Come learn with us!
Registration: https://lihi1.cc/hoBgT/karenoffice
