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Frequently asked questions on Sessions.
Check out our Sessions tutorial for more details on how Sessions work.
Q: What are Sessions?
A: The quickest way to understand the Sessions area of Hopin is to think of rooms, groups or virtual roundtables within your event.
Q: What is the difference between Stage and Sessions?
A: Stage allows attendees to view only and have up to 10 people with video/audio on, run both pre-recorded or live video. Sessions are more like breakout rooms or workshops, allowing up to 50 participants with video/audio on, where attendees can ask questions on video or join a roundtable, so it's more interactive.
Q: How many people can view a Session?
A: The maximum number of people who can watch a Session is up to 5,000, depending on the number of speakers you have. A speaker is considered someone that comes on-screen during the session.
| Number of Speakers (includes number of screenshares) |
Maximum Viewers |
| 1 | 5,000 |
| 2 |
3,000 |
| 3 |
3,000 |
| 4 |
3,000 |
| 5 |
1,500 |
| 10 | 1,500 |
| 12 | 1,500 |
| 15 | 1,500 |
| 20 | 1,500 |
| 25 | 1,500 |
| 50 | 500 |
Basically, the more speakers you have for a session, the fewer amount of viewers you have for that session.
For more information check out Max On-Screen and Viewer Limits.
Q: How many people can participate in a session with their video/audio?
A: You can have up to 50 participants on screen (with video and audio). Any other person that joins that session will not be able to show up on screen, but will count as a viewer. If you have 49 speakers for a session, and one of them decides to share their screen, the screenshare will be counted as the 50th person.
Q: How do I create a session?
A: Go to your event dashboard > Venue > Sessions, then click 'Add session'.
Q: Where can I find the backstage of my session?
A: Sessions do not have backstages at this time. To speak/present in a session, click the sessions tab in the event and click the share audio and video button.
Q: Can I run my sessions alongside the stage?
A: Absolutely! All major segments of the event - stage, sessions, expo and networking - can be live at the same time.
Q: Who can watch a session?
A: You can set this to any of the 4 options:
- Anyone - all attendees will be able to enter the session and watch
- Private - private sessions will not be listed on the Sessions tab of the event and show up to organizers and invited attendees only
- Specific ticket holders - only attendees with the specified tickets will be able to see the session on the list and to watch it.
- Unlisted - no one will be able to see the Session in the Sessions area of the event. The organiser will have to share the session URL with attendees and speakers.
Q: Who can participate in a session?
A: You can set this to any of the 3 options:
- Anyone - any of the event attendees can join your session and show up on the screen with their video/audio
- Invite only - only the attendees whose names you type in the box below ‘Who can join’ can participate on screen
- Moderated - you need to select a moderator. They will need to approve everyone who attempts to join the screen with audio and video.
Take a look at our guide on how to add a moderator to a session and attendee permissions for more info.
Q: As an organizer, can I ‘force’ people to enter a session and remove them when I need them to enter another session?
A: This isn't possible at this time. The best workaround is to create a schedule with recommended segments to guide your attendees around the online event venue. Scheduled sessions are hidden until a set time beforehand. The schedule is displayed on the registration and reception pages for the attendees to know what's happening per time. Also, for every scheduled segment, a 'NOW' way-finder is displayed boldly at the segment area for the attendees to know where and what's happening.
Q: What happens when the end time comes for a Session that is tied to the schedule? Does the session get cut off?
A: No! The session does not cut off when the scheduled time is up. The session can run as long as you want it. The schedule only acts as a guide for the attendees to know what's happening per time.
Q: How can I order the sessions?
A: The sessions with a larger session size will show up before the sessions with a smaller session size. You can set the order of the sessions with the same-sized sessions by changing the number in the ‘Priority’ field. The lower the number, the higher up the session on the list.
Q: What are the video settings for the session?
A: The Hopin platform will adapt video settings dynamically based on users window/connectivity to ensure you get the optimum settings for your set up.
Q. Can I stream through RTMP within the session?
Yes, definitely! For more information on how to set this up, check out our guide.
Q: What are the recommended image dimension for the session? (width x height)
A: Large Session
Recommended: 1500 x 625px (2.40:1 aspect ratio)
Minimum size: 1000 x 415px
Medium Session
Recommended: 1500x600px (5:2 aspect ratio)
Minimum size: 800x320px
Q: Can attendees create their own sessions?
A: This is completely up to you as an organiser. To enable it, go to the event dashboard > Venue > Venue Control and select 'Enable attendee session creation'. Note that sessions created by attendees can’t be recorded
Q: How do I know how many people are in a session?
A: In the top right corner of the video, you’ll be able to see how many people are participating with their video/audio and how many people are watching.
Q: How can I see who is in the session?
A: At the top right of the page, click on the People tab. Attendees currently in the sessions will have a green dot displayed by their name.
Q: Can you screen share in a session?
A: Yes, you can!
Q: Can presenters use their phones or tablets to connect or do they have to be at a computer to participate as a presenter in a session?
A: Attendees can use their mobile devices (phones or tablets) to watch a session as well as our Mobile App. However, they are unable to screenshare on phones or tablets. If a presentation is needed, that cannot be done on mobile devices and a regular computer will be needed. Or, the speaker can send the presentation to someone else who will be at their computer. We currently do not recommend speakers to use mobile devices, desktop or laptop computer are required.
Q: Can I record the session?
A: Yes. While creating or editing a session check the box “Do you want to record this session?” to record the session (it is checked by default).
Q: Can the event attendees access the event sessions after the event is over?
A: Once the end time of the event hits, the “virtual doors” close and nobody is able to see any information. You as an organizer are able to see the analytics and videos and can distribute those however you choose.
Q: Where are my Sessions recordings?
A: You can find recordings in the Recordings tab of your event dashboard once the event is over.
We have an article on how to access recordings that we hope can help you further!
Q: How do I share recordings with my attendees?
A: You can enable the "Replay" area in your event so your Attendees can watch any recordings that they missed.
Check out this guide for more info!
Q: Can I set prerecorded videos in a session?
A: You have the option to share YouTube videos in a session. Here’s a guide on that.
Q: Can I mute the audio of a participant/speaker for everyone?
A: Yes, you can mute the audio of a participant for everyone, but you cannot unmute the person. Only the speaker will be able to unmute their audio thereafter.
Q: I have a PDF file I want to share in a session, how can I do that?
A: We recommend that you upload it to Google Drive, Dropbox etc., get a shareable link and post it to the session chat, then pin it to the top. Only the organizer has access to pin chat messages. You can also make use of the Additional Information area when creating the session to place all files and other information.
Q: How many Sessions can I create?
A: There’s no limit to the number of sessions you can create. That means you can create and run an unlimited number of sessions in your event.
Q: We need to have 10 sessions running at the same time, is that ok?
A: Absolutely! There’s no limit to the number of sessions you can run simultaneously.
Q: Can I create breakout sessions within a Session?
A: Yes, check out our article on breakout sessions to learn about how to use them.
Q: I can see the Session in the Event dashboard but not in the Session Area in the event, what happened?
A: Here’s what could have happened:
- Your session is connected to a schedule and is not scheduled to be active yet. Scheduled sessions show up on the sessions tab, by default, 5 minutes before the scheduled time (however this can be adjusted to make it longer).
- It’s set as Unlisted, only attendees who have the Session URL sent to them by the Organizer can find and watch the Session during the event.
- Or it’s set as viewable to specific ticket holders only and your type of ticket is not one of the specified tickets.
Q: I have multiple Sessions scheduled for the same time, how do I change their order in the Schedule?
A: At this time, scheduled sessions to begin at the same time appear in random order.
Q: Can I disable the Sessions and just have Stage or Networking for my event?
A: Absolutely! You have the option to disable any of the main event areas (Stage, Sessions, Networking and Expo) through your event dashboard. You can do this anytime before or during the event. Attendees will need to do a quick refresh if the area is enabled/disabled during the event.
Note: Disabling sessions during an event cancels the recordings and they cannot be retrieved.
Q. How can I make a Session visible before or after its scheduled time slot?
Organizers can change how long before and after their scheduled time a Session will appear by going to their Event Dashboard > Setup > Basics and clicking on Advanced Settings. Here you can enable your scheduled Sessions to be displayed for as long as you like before and after their scheduled time.
