I have been exploring the audio drop-n app Clubhouse and am surprised by the extremely high level of engagement. The shared room / stage audio conversations are informative and the networking is much higher than I have seen on most visual platforms. People will listen and talk for hours. There are countless topics being discussed at any one time. Each room has a host (s) or Clubhouse EmCee / moderator, and they can add people to the stage to allow them to add brilliance. There are many event planners and others in the meetings industry who are active in the tool.
In one Clubhouse room there was a discussion about how live events (virtual and in-person) were already utilizing Clubhouse as a way to engage their event attendees and others. Hosting chats in Clubhouse stages with your key people from the organization and speakers from the event can be a exclusive way to share more info, and expose your organization to others who may have never heard of your conference. And conducting well thought out interviews with your key people in this medium may be a new way to share information. Having a Clubhouse Emcee might be a good idea (and I am exploring offering this to a few clients).
If you are planning an event and are looking for how to host a simultaneous stage in Clubhouse, let’s brainstorm some ideas about my being your Clubhouse EmCee. While the app is still new, it is amazing how many unique ways I am seeing people figuring out fresh ways to engage. I am already talking to a few clients about their creation of a Clubhouse option as a way to expand their reach and conference experience.
What is Clubhouse? (From their website):
Clubhouse is a new type of network based on voice. When you open the app you can see “rooms” full of people talking—all open so you can hop in and out, exploring different conversations. You enter each room as an audience member, but if you want to talk you just raise your hand, and the speakers can choose to invite you up. Or you can create a room of your own. It’s a place to meet with friends and with new people around the world—to tell stories, ask questions, debate, learn, and have impromptu conversations on thousands of different topics.
Clubhouse is voice-only, and we think voice is a very special medium. With no camera on, you don’t have to worry about eye contact, what you’re wearing, or where you are. You can talk on Clubhouse while you’re folding laundry, breastfeeding, commuting, working on your couch in the basement, or going for a run. Instead of typing something and hitting Send, you’re engaged in a back-and-forth dialogue with others. The intonation, inflection and emotion conveyed through voice allow you to pick up on nuance and form uniquely human connections with others. You can still challenge each other and have tough conversations—but with voice there is often an ability to build more empathy. This is what drew us to the medium.
Over the past three months on Clubhouse, people have shared their joy and dismay about Supreme Court decisions, their feelings of anger and helplessness over the murder of George Floyd, and their struggles navigating the challenges of home and work during COVID-19. There have been rooms with people from all walks of life finding common ground. We’ve seen people host book clubs, fireside chats, passionate debates, and comedy shows. When people have fallen asleep late at night, others in the room have “tucked them in”—quietly sending them back to the audience in order to mute their microphone. People seem to be coming back because it’s a place where they can talk for hours at a time and leave each day feeling better rather than worse, because they’ve deepened friendships, built new ones, and learned something new.
Check out my podcast episode from my first week on clubhouse. And let’s talk soon about my helping your event navigate Clubhouse as your Clubhouse Emcee.
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Thom Singer is a keynote speaker on the art of human connections and a professional master of ceremonies / EmCee.