Background
Georgia Institute of Technology, a renowned institution known for its commitment to cultivating technological leadership, sought to create a seamless and engaging experience for its incoming students. The school’s mission is to develop leaders who can advance technology and improve the human condition, and one of its key goals is to foster strong, meaningful connections among students, faculty, and staff from the very beginning of their academic journey.
In August 2024, as part of their orientation program, Georgia Tech hosted a New Students Mixer to introduce incoming students to the community and help them build their professional and personal networks. With over 700 new students participating, the event needed to be engaging, interactive, and scalable.
The challenge was clear: how to maintain a personal touch and meaningful connections, while hosting such a large event in an increasingly digital world. Traditional in-person gatherings had their limitations, so Georgia Tech turned to Gatherly, a virtual event platform designed to create life-like, interactive experiences, to meet these needs.
The Challenge
Georgia Tech’s new students represented a diverse group, arriving from different parts of the country and even the world. The school needed a solution that would allow students to feel truly connected to one another, enabling organic interactions, networking, and the ability to foster a sense of belonging in an unfamiliar environment. The challenge was to deliver an event that didn’t feel like a standard virtual webinar or a static networking event, but instead, offered dynamic, fluid interaction – much like a real-world gathering.
Solution: Gatherly – Virtual Soiree with Life-Like Interactions
Gatherly is an innovative virtual event platform that replicates the in-person social experience by creating a highly interactive environment. Unlike traditional virtual events where participants are stuck behind a screen with little opportunity for spontaneous conversation, Gatherly’s platform utilizes virtual rooms where participants can move freely between areas, engage with others, and hold meaningful conversations in smaller, more intimate settings.
For Georgia Tech’s New Students Mixer, Gatherly was selected to provide a virtual experience where students could interact in real time, making the event feel more like a lively soiree than a typical online meeting. The platform’s dynamic capabilities included:
● Customizable spaces: Various virtual rooms that could be tailored to different group activities or interests.
● Spatial audio: Conversations could happen naturally in smaller groups, where participants would only hear the people around them, simulating the experience of mingling at a live event.
● Interactive networking: Virtual tables and booths for students to gather in smaller, manageable groups to introduce themselves, share ideas, and make connections.
● Gamification: The addition of playful elements such as trivia, challenges, and event-specific activities to keep the energy high and encourage socializing.
By offering these interactive features, Gatherly allowed Georgia Tech to maintain the human element of networking, even in a virtual environment.
Implementation
Leading up to the event, Georgia Tech coordinators collaborated with Gatherly to design themed virtual rooms for various interests, such as academic disciplines, social activities, and informal meetups. Students could choose rooms to foster organic connections. On the event day, the platform’s interface enabled easy navigation, chats, and one-on-one interactions. Activities included mingling, icebreaker sessions, and themed discussions. Highlights featured a welcome speech, an interactive icebreaker game, and surprise live performances, creating an engaging, immersive experience that felt as vibrant as an in-person gathering.
Results
The New Students Mixer hosted on Gatherly was an overwhelming success, both in terms of engagement and satisfaction. Key results include:
1. High Engagement: Over 700 new students participated in the event, with more than 85% of them attending the entire soiree, engaging with multiple rooms, and interacting with fellow students and faculty.
2. Increased Connections: The platform’s spatial audio feature and dynamic room structure encouraged students to network naturally and form connections, with many attendees reporting that they had meaningful conversations and made lasting friendships during the event.
3. Positive Feedback: 92% of participants indicated they felt more connected to the Georgia Tech community after the event. Students praised the interactive nature of the mixer and the ability to freely move between virtual spaces and engage in discussions that felt personal and authentic.
4. Smooth Execution: Thanks to Gatherly’s user-friendly interface and robust technical support, the event went off without a hitch. Technical difficulties were minimal, and Georgia Tech’s team was able to focus on creating a vibrant and engaging experience.
5. Successful Alignment with Institutional Goals: The event met Georgia Tech’s objective of fostering a sense of community and developing the next generation of leaders in a technologically advanced environment. The virtual space empowered students to advance their leadership skills through interaction, collaboration, and engagement.
Conclusion
The New Students Mixer at Georgia Tech was a hit, thanks to Gatherly’s virtual event platform. By replicating the energy of a live event, it fostered meaningful connections, a welcoming atmosphere, and leadership development. Gatherly showcased how virtual platforms can create impactful, life-like experiences, supporting networking and growth. As Georgia Tech emphasizes innovation and community, Gatherly will likely remain key in building an engaged, connected future.