Shindig
Translating the Dynamics of In-person Events to the Virtual World

The COVID-19 pandemic has made two practices a norm today— social distancing and virtual interaction. Yes, Zoom and Skype meetings help people across the globe connect face-to-face safely from the comfort of their homes. However, more than a year of virtual meetings has introduced a new and widely acknowledged phenomenon called “Zoom fatigue.” What’s causing this exhaustion and burnout related to using virtual platforms for communication? Why is there no fatigue associated with other extensive screen use, such as in using social media, streaming channels, shopping websites, and gaming platforms? “The reason is the loss of autonomy. The average video call and webinar leads participants to experience enforced passivity, being reduced to a second-class citizen where all they can do is listen and text,” says Steve Gottlieb, Founder and CEO of Shindig. These digital interactions fail to allow participants to talk freely with fellow users and participate at will. Guests aren’t able to network, discuss, and socialize with one another, according to their interests, as is possible at in-person events.

Addressing these issues through a revolutionary technology that enables users to control their communication experience is Shindig, a platform for industrial-scale online events. With a focus on attendee/delegate interaction, Shindig replicates the “mingling” aspect of live events and provides users with the freedom to join and leave conversations as they choose. It also preserves participants’ autonomy in speaking to whom they wish, similar to physical encounters, free of constraints. “Shindig is all about large-scale virtual events that are every bit as engaging, meaningful, and memorable as in-person events,” affirms Gottlieb.

Loaded with an extensive set of features not found on other platforms, Shindig leads the next generation of online engagement. Presenters can talk, be interviewed, share multimedia, teach, and more to a live online audience. Meanwhile, organizers can screen and give participants access to the stage with just a click, preventing disruptive behavior.

Selected audience members can be brought up to share the stage and directly interact with hosts, “face-to-face,” before the entire group. Shindig also provides an array of production features for organizers, including background and widget customization, single sign-on, drag & drop options, audio, video settings, and other advanced tools. Accommodating an audience of up to 1,000, the platform facilitates effortless socializing and networking for users within the large group, as well as seamless transitioning to a small crowd just as at a cocktail party or in a conference lobby. A versatile and feature-rich virtual event platform, Shindig enables livestream integration for social media channels and recommends video snippets that can be used for marketing.

What truly differentiates Shindig is that it’s not a technology introduced hurriedly and opportunistically in response to the pandemic, without proper development. The team at Shindig has invested more than ten years into conceptualizing and building its sophisticated and feature-rich platform for producing large-scale events with engagement opportunities similar to in-person gatherings. Shindig’s deep understanding of how people engage has enabled them to create a virtual world as productive and meaningful as physical events. Shindig has numerous applications across industries ranging from college lectures, town hall meetings, and fundraisers to fandom trivia game shows, watch parties, and online performances. The platform has been embraced by high-profile individuals and institutions, including Sheryl Sandberg, Bill Gates, General Assembly, TED, Accenture, Amazon, Viacom, and others. Gottlieb highlights the successful hosting of the recent National Coalition of 100 Black Women Fundraiser, which broke records and was attended by several congressional representatives.

Moving forward, Shindig plans to focus on growing in tandem with client demands and the expanding expectations of what’s possible in the virtual world. “We aim to be the platform of choice for people who want to do more than a Zoom call,” concludes Gottlieb.