Managing the Stage

There is a 'stage' area present when using Workshop themed rooms, as well as Interactive Webinar themed rooms. The layout for these themes enables the focus to be on participants who are on the stage, as their video feeds will be larger (Workshop themed room) or they will be the only ones on video (Interactive Webinar themed room). 

Restricting Access to the Stage

You are able to configure who has access to the stage when it is empty from within the room customization panel in a Workshop themed room. By default, only room owners and hosts are allowed to go on stage, however, it can be configured so that any participant can go on stage while the stage is empty.

To change it:

• From inside the room, click on the gear icon to customize the room

• Click on Stage under the "Room" section

• Click on the drop-down field below "Who can join the stage?"

• Set it to "Hosts" to restrict access to only hosts and room owners or set it to "Anyone" to allow any participant to join the stage when it's empty.
• Close the panel by clicking on the close icon to the top right.

It's important to note that this setting is only available in Workshop themed rooms.

The changes will take effect in real-time for yourself and the participants event before you close the customization panel. We recommend setting up your room, stage, and lobby area before your Session call starts. 

Adding Someone to the Stage

You can choose to add any participant within the room onto the stage as the room owner or host. To do this, you must first be inside the room. Once you are there:

• Click on the participants icon located at the bottom right of the screen
• Locate the name of the participant in the list and click on the Add to stage.

When a participant is added to the stage in a Workshop themed Room, they will automatically be brought up onto the stage. This is because they are already connected with audio and video in the audience.

If you are in an Interactive Webinar themed Room, they will have the option to accept or decline your invitation to be added to the stage and can configure their audio and video devices (including setting a virtual background) as shown below:

If the invite is declined, you will be notified via a toast at the top of the screen:

Tip: Room owners and hosts can add themselves to the stage from within the Participants tab as well.
Additionally, there will be a banner displayed above the stage when another participant is there. Clicking on the Take the stage button at the top right here will add you (room owners and hosts) to the stage.

What Controls Will Participants Have Access to While On Stage?

Workshop Themed Room

Once on stage in a Workshop themed room, Participants will:

1. See that they are live on stage.
2. They will have a larger video feed.
3. They will be able to present/share their screen and use the integrations. 
4. They will be able to leave the stage on their own.

Interactive Webinar Themed Room

Once on stage in an Interactive Webinar themed room, participants will be able to:

1. Turn on/off their audio and video.
2. Use a virtual background.
3. Share/Present their screen and use the integrations. 
4. Leave the stage on their own.

Removing Somone from the Stage

Room owners and hosts can remove participants from the stage. 

• Click on the Participants icon at the bottom right
• Locate the name of the participant and click on Remove from stage 

Highlighting Chat Messages On-Stage

Room owners and hosts can highlight chat messages on stage by hovering over the message in the chat area and clicking on the Show message on stage icon.

The message, the name of the participant, and their avatar will be displayed on the stage at the bottom left. It will remain there until it is removed by the host or room owner. You will also be able to tell which message is being highlighted on stage when looking in the chat as it will have a blue background as shown below:

To remove the message simply hover over the message in the chat and click on the Remove from stage icon.

Only one message can be displayed on stage at a time. 

Things to note

• Participants on stage are unable to add or remove people from the stage. This is controlled by the room owner and host(s).
• Other participants are unable to go on stage if someone else is already there. The Take the stage button (if anyone can join the stage) will only show when the stage is empty.
• Participants can be muted via the Participants tab at the bottom right. 
• The room owner and host can choose to highlight messages on stage that are sent within the chat.
• Presenters may leave the room while on stage by clicking on the Leave room button. If they return to the room, they'll automatically be added back to the stage. 
• Participants cannot send requests to be added to the stage. They could let the person on stage know that they would like to be added within the chat though.
• It is not possible to bring multiple people onto the stage at once.