Meeting setup for baby virtual shower. Looking for guidance.

[NPC2256]

Hello, I don't really use zoom, but my wife and I are planning on doing a virtual baby shower since much of our friends and family reside in other states. We are planning on setting it up so that we have interval appointments for 1 on 1's with everyone first, and then one large viewing. I figured I could just upgrade to google calendar for a month to use their appointment schedule tool so people can RSVP with their chosen time slot, we go through as best as we can to sticking to the schedule, and then once we get through everyone we just have everyone come in the meeting together. 

This may sound like a dumb question, but to achieve this how would I want to set this up in the initial settings? With plenty of older family we'd like this to be as seamless and simple as possible.  Any better suggestions on how to acheieve this with zoom maybe? I'm obviously completely open to suggestions. Thank you!

[Ray_Harwood · Accepted solution]

Hi, @NPC2256  -- this sounds like a great event!

If I was doing this, I'd have a "Master of Ceremonies" familiar with Zoom help to organize and manage the event... freeing you up to enjoy yourself.  There are a couple of approaches to "interval guest control" you might consider.

One is to have a Waiting Room, and professionally "usher out" people whose time is over by sending them to the Waiting Room, at which point they can wait until all the visits are over (if the visits are short and the general session starts soon) or leave and return later... and then Admit the next group of people (assuming that maybe 2 or more people from different locations wanted to visit together) into the room. 

Another is to have the main meeting open entry/open exit, and put the parents-to-be in a Breakout Room, and as each time slot finished, manually move the visitors back to the main room, and move the next set into the Breakout Room.

There are pros and cons I could go into... but let me know if these are the sorts of suggestions you're looking for first.

It would be a nice touch to record the session for the parents-to-be, and optionally make the recording available to family and friends (it could be edited, perhaps, to include highlights only).  Recording a "main room" is easily done; recording a Breakout Room can be done relatively easily, but has a few minor considerations to be done well, in my opinion.

[NPC2256]

Hello Ray,

Thank you for your detailed response! I'm definitely open to many of the things you were suggesting, although I'd like to avoid "hiring" anyone (i.e. emcee/master of ceremonies), but is still worth considering, so thank you for letting me know that is an option. If you would be willing to go into the pros/cons I'm more than willing to listen! Thank you very much!