Ready for our close-up: Gatheround now supports 200 participants on camera

Our most-requested feature is here! Gatheround now supports 200 participants on camera at once. 

This is more than just a technical upgrade; it's a reflection of our mission to create a sense of togetherness online that is as satisfying, authentic, and engaging as an in-person interaction.

What does this change mean? Is Gatheround just like every other meeting tool now? 

You can now host or participate in a large meeting and feel the energy of the bigger group. You’ll see a wide range of faces, expressions, and reactions in real time and in coordination with your Gatheround agenda. 

Don’t worry, Gatheround is not turning into another grid of video feeds and black boxes. We’ve intentionally designed our new video capacity to integrate with the Gatheround room experience you know and love.

How does it work? 

Video feeds will mesh dynamically around existing agenda activities and meeting room features: paginating, resizing, and reordering depending on what activities are playing, who is speaking, and what room layout you have selected. It’s organic — just like a live meeting — and it’s designed to be inclusive and equitable. (That’s a Gatheround guarantee.)

Participants will have the choice to have video and audio on or off, and will continue to benefit from dozens of other ways to participate — like engaging in chat, contributing to polls and quizzes, or joining a Group Share or Breakout. As a default, video and audio will now be off when you join a meeting: we want every member of our community to have the opportunity to be seen and heard, and the power to make that decision for themselves.

How can I use it? 

However you want! Gatheround is the perfect venue for Town Halls, All Hands meetings, or virtual Offsites. You can also use it as a virtual classroom for big onboarding classes or learning cohorts, as a meeting space for webinars and community events, or to host your next mixer or social.

For some ideas on how to use Gatheround for a big group, check out our All Hands tab or explore Gatheround’s entire library of 100+ completely customizable meeting, training, and workshop agendas. 

Why did we make this change?

Gatheround is about being together as a community and encouraging people to participate however they choose. By adding more video feeds, we help facilitators and participants alike feel the energy of a crowd and the shared emotional experience of being part of a group dynamic.

However, you’ll notice that our approach avoids the “grid effect” — where people feel anonymous in a large group, even with their cameras on, and stop participating and engaging because they don’t really feel like part of something. By integrating video feeds into our meeting room and continuing to prioritize many other forms of participation, we continue to ensure that everyone in your meeting has a stake in the conversation and feels a sense of engagement and belonging, whether they choose to be on camera or not.

I have questions — who can I talk to? 

We’re always here to help! 

• Join a demo to get a personalized tour of Gatheround and understand how our new video capacity works
• Drop us a line at hello@gatheround.com if you have questions or comments
• Or check out our full calendar of free community events to see Gatheround’s features in action