Back to afterthat

For hosts

Give everyone in the room a way to follow up

People join when you give them a reason in the last two minutes of your event. Here is what to set up beforehand, what to say out loud, and what to post the next day.

Before the event

  1. Create your event, or import it from a public Meetup or Luma link. Both start on the same page.
  2. Open the event and choose Share. Print the poster, or plan to put Projector mode on a screen. Scan the code from across a table to check that it works.
  3. Put the invitation link where people already look: your event description, the calendar invite, and your reminder message.
  4. Decide when the chat opens. Event settings has a Before-event chat toggle; with it off, members can read the conversation but cannot post until the scheduled start time. An event with no date stays open.
  5. Draft a welcome message you can post and pin as soon as the room opens. A room holds one pinned message, so keep it for that.
  6. Giving a talk? Use Download QR image on the share page and put it on your last slide.

What to say at the end

A QR code on the wall is not a reason to scan it. One sentence from you is. Pick the one that fits and say it while the code is on screen.

The question you ran out of time for

We didn’t get to every question. Scan this to join tonight’s chat. [Name] will answer the one about [topic] there tomorrow.

Ask that person first.

Try it at home

Try this once at home and post how it went. I’ll check in tomorrow. Scan this to join the chat.

The follow-up minute

Take one minute now. Scan the code and join the chat. If there’s someone you want to follow up with, send them a message request. They choose whether to accept.

Instead of a phone list

No sign-up sheet tonight. Scan this to join the chat with your email. It opens in your browser, and nobody has to hand out a phone number.

The simple close

Scan this to join tonight’s chat. Links, photos and follow-ups go there.

Your first message

A room with one message in it is easier to join than an empty one. Post this when the room opens and pin it.

Event

Welcome, and thanks for coming. Drop the links and recommendations you mentioned tonight here so they don’t get lost. I’ll post [the slides / the next date] tomorrow.

Recurring group

This is the ongoing chat for [group]. Each gathering gets its own conversation too; this one carries on between them. Next time: [date].

A prompt that fits your gathering

Talk or panel

Which question didn’t we get to?

Workshop or class

Show us what happened when you tried it at home.

Book club

What did you change your mind about after sleeping on it?

Board game night

What did your table play? Post the name and one rule you’re still not sure about.

Language exchange

Post one phrase you learned tonight and what it means.

Volunteer day

What should the next crew know?

The day after

Do the thing you promised: post the answer, the slides, or the next date. One follow-up from the host is usually what starts the replies. Share photos only when the people in them are happy with that. For a recurring group, post the next date in the series chat so the conversation carries over.

What your guests can count on

  • They join in the browser with their email. There is no password and nothing to download.
  • Joining and signing in never ask for a phone number.
  • A direct message starts only when the other person accepts the request, and either person can block.
  • You and your co-organizers can pin a message, remove a message or a member, ban someone from the event or series, and review reports privately.
  • It is free to host and free to join.

More detail in the Community guidelines and Help and safety.

For venues and speakers

Venues

A blurb for a booking pack:

Hosting an event here? afterthat gives your guests a free chat to keep talking afterwards. Create your event at afterthat.chat and show its QR code before people leave.

Speakers

Create an event for your talk, put its QR code on your last slide, and promise one answer in the chat.

Ready when you are

Create an event

Signing in comes first if you are signed out, and the first time you host you name your organization before the event. Importing from Meetup or Luma starts on the same page.