Hopin User Guide
Welcome to gridCONNEXT 2020
A virtual platform to explore the changes taking place across the electric industry.
For the conference experience, we’re using Hopin. It turned out to be the best option in terms of quality, reliability and accessibility, with a reception and networking area, sponsor booths and breakout sessions.
Setting up your Hopin profile:
You won’t be able to access the event until 5 minutes before it starts, but you can create your profile in advance, and add the event to your calendar if you haven’t done so already.
Click on the ‘create your profile’ hyperlink. A popup window will open, from where you can adjust your profile information and add an image of yourself. You can always update your profile by accessing your account from the upper-right hand corner.
Getting around Hopin:
You will be able to access the event on Hopin 5 min before it starts from your profile dashboard by logging into your Hopin account. You are also going to receive a reminder by email shortly before the event starts, to make sure that you don’t miss it!
Similar to a physical event, you can choose where you want to go and what you’d like to attend. In the reception area you will find the complete agenda showing what is happening where. You will also find an overview of the different event areas, and further details about the event.
On the right side of the screen, you’ll find the main event chat where you can comment and interact with other event participants. You can ask questions to the main stage speakers by using @Q&A in the stage chat. Make sure to follow the event chat for any important announcements and updates.
Aside from the main chat, you can participate in polling under the ‘Polls’ tab, and DM participants by browsing under the ‘People’ tab. You can also invite someone to join you in a private meeting room, by inviting them to a video call. Please make sure the other person is aware and interested in having a video call before sending the invitation.
Upon opening Hopin and joining the event, you will land in the Reception area. You can think of the reception area as a venue’s lobby, it’s the information hub. Here you will find a complete overview of the agenda and you can follow what is currently happening and what’s to come.
This is the “Stage” where most of the gridCONNEXT 2020 speakers will be hosting fireside chats and panel discussions.
From 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST, the Sessions area is where you will find two concurring inspirational discussions each day. Speaker will host panel discussions and fireside chats further deep dividing into the topics discussed on stage. Every session will have its own chat, so you can interact with other participants and ask questions to the host.
You can connect with other event participants in the Networking area through the entire duration of the Ecosystems event. These 1-on-1 meetings will last up to 3 minutes, and you are able to leave the meeting at any time. A timer in the upper right hand corner will let you know how long remains in each chat. When time is up, your meeting will automatically end and you can click ‘Ready’ to be matched with a new participant. If you wish to exchange contact information with the other person in your meeting, both participants must click the ‘Connect’ button. If you connect, Hopin will share information such as your name and email address with the other participant. You can find the contacts you’ve made on your Hopin profile, under the ‘Connections’ tab. You can also select ‘Unmatch’ to lose the connection.
(Please note that you will be randomly matched with another participant in the networking area. You can DM specific participants under the ‘People’ tab and invite someone to join you in a private meeting room, by inviting them to a video call.)
In the Expo area, you can find virtual booths hosted by event partners. You may access each booth to gather information about the partner and to interact with the host. Every expo booth will have its own chat so you can leave questions or interact with other participants.
Tips & Tricks for Using Hopin:
We recommend attending the event using a laptop or PC, as we cannot guarantee it will work flawlessly on mobile.
For the best Hopin experience, we recommend you you use Chrome or Firefox. Please avoid Brave, Safari, and Microsoft IE or Edge.
When an area (e.g., Stage) is “live” according to the event schedule, the red “LIVE” tag will be shown, indicating to attendees where the action is at the time.
The “What’s happening now” button in the Reception area allows you to one-click navigate to where the action is.
Keep track of any announcements from gridCONNEXT in the event chat.
You can send direct messages to an individual at the event via DMs in the People tab or invite someone to join you in a private meeting room, by inviting them to a video call. To send a DM, find the person you wish to chat with in the People tab, click their profile photo, and start your conversation.
Each Session and Expo booth will have a separate chat where you can interact with other participants or ask questions to the hosts at the session you are attending.
gridCONNEXT and its hosts are not responsible for internet outages or technical difficulties.
If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to the team at contact@gridwise.org or reference the “Using Hopin as an Attendee” guide.