In today’s increasingly remote-first world, one-off webinars no longer suffice. Organizations aiming to build lasting relationships, foster engagement, and nurture loyal audiences need to adopt a community-centric approach to virtual events. In this post, we’ll explore how recurring online events and digital gatherings can be used as cornerstones of a thriving community, how social media groups and discussion forums amplify the effect, and how the right platform can help you turn sporadic events into ongoing, vibrant engagement hubs.
Why recurring virtual events matter
Virtual event community engagement isn’t just about one big moment in time, but about continuity too. When you host recurring events (monthly meet-ups, quarterly conferences, weekly deep-dives), you’re creating rituals. These rituals do three key things:
- Set expectation and cadence: Your audience comes to know that “this happens every X week/month,” which builds anticipation and reduces drop-off.
- Build trust and familiarity: Recurring events allow participants to recognise one another, become familiar with hosts/moderators, and gradually step into roles (speaker, contributor, moderator) themselves.
- Seed community connections: Over time, attendees begin interacting not only with your brand, but with each other. They form bonds, create networks, and help sustain engagement between events.
By anchoring your community strategy in recurring virtual events, you’re no longer just checking a “webinar” box, but giving people a reason to return, engage, and belong.
Designing a community-oriented virtual event series
Here’s a practical framework to ensure that each event is aligned with long-term community building and not just a one-day flash.
1. Define recurring themes and formats
Decide on a consistent rhythm (e.g., “First Tuesday of every month”, “Quarterly Future Trends Forum”, “Weekly Community Hour”). Pick formats that serve multiple purposes:
- Education & value (panel, workshop)
- Connection & networking (open lounge, breakout sessions)
- Member-driven content (community presentations, peer shares)
2. Build for interactivity, not just passive listening
Engagement is the bedrock of community. Choose tools and formats that allow attendees to participate, not just watch. For example: breakout rooms, small-group discussions, live Q&A, polls, topic-based tables. Platforms that mimic natural interaction (avatars, spatial audio, free movement) help reduce the “passive screen” feeling and increase meaningful exchanges.
3. Make each event a stepping stone, not an endpoint
At the close of each event:
- Promote the next one and open early registration.
- Encourage post-event discussion (on forum, Slack/Discord, social group).
- Highlight attendee-generated content (ask participants to share questions, chat snapshots, quotes).
This keeps momentum going and reinforces the notion that the event is part of a larger journey.
4. Leverage social media groups and discussion forums
Events alone won’t build community if there is zero activity in between. Use a dedicated channel (Facebook Group, LinkedIn Group, Slack, Discord) and stitch it into your event strategy:
- Pre-event: Post topics, ask for questions, invite participants to identify themselves.
- During event: Use hashtags, chat threads, live commentary.
- Post-event: Share recordings, summarise key take-aways, prompt follow-on discussions (“What’s your next step?”).
By connecting your event series to the online social space, you create a living ecosystem where attendees can continue to engage with each other and the organisation.
5. Empower your participants to co-create
True community is simultaneously about your brand speaking and the members speaking and interacting with each other. In recurring events, provide opportunities for attendee-led sessions, peer networking time, or breakout tables moderated by community ambassadors. This reinforces belonging and fosters deeper relational ties.
6. Collect and act on data (Small Heading)
Track metrics like attendance retention, chat/interactions per session, forum activity between events, number of participants who have moved from lurker → active contributor. Use feedback loops (surveys, polls) to refine themes, formats, and timing of future events. The stronger your community, the more predictable and self-sustaining it becomes.
Using SpatialChat to fuel the virtual community engine
Choosing the right platform matters, and SpatialChat comes with features that support ongoing engagement and community building, not just one-off broadcasts.
- Immersive virtual spaces and spatial audio: Attendees are represented by avatars in a virtual room; proximity determines who they hear, just like in real life. This helps spontaneous networking and breaks the “conference hall of flat videos” feel.
- Room types for different purposes: SpatialChat offers “Stage” rooms for presentations, “Breakout” rooms for small-group interaction and “Workplace” environments for ongoing collaboration. This flexibility allows you to host presentations and informal networking lounges within the same ecosystem.
- Seamless access and scalability: With browser-based access (no downloads), high attendee capacity (up to 10,000), branding/customisation options, and analytics built in, SpatialChat allows you to scale your recurring event series while maintaining a consistent experience.
- Integration with other channels: By linking your SpatialChat events to your social media groups and discussion forums, you create a “home” virtual space for your community to connect live, and then invite them to continue the conversation off-line/online afterward.
In short: when recurring virtual events are hosted on a platform that enables natural interaction, networking, and follow-through, you are much more likely to build an engaged, returning community.
From event to ecosystem: A sample journey
To bring this all together, imagine the following journey for your community:
- Pre-Event (Week 0): You announce “Monthly Community Connect” in your LinkedIn Group, inviting members to submit discussion topics. On your forum, you open a thread: “What challenge are you bringing this month?”
- Event Day: You host a 90-minute SpatialChat session: 20-minute keynote, 30-minute breakout tables (participants pick topics), 30-minute networking lounge with spatial audio. You record the session.
- Immediate Post-Event (Day +1): You post the recording link in your social group + forum. You publish a highlight reel and ask members to add their reflections: “Your biggest takeaway?”
- Between Events (Weeks 1-3): You prompt discussion threads: “Here’s someone’s challenge—do you have a tip?” You feature a “Member Spotlight” in your group. You use event analytics to identify inactive members and send personalised invites.
- Pre-Next Event (Week 4): You announce next session’s topic, referencing insights from the previous discussion (shows continuity). You open a registration page and invite members to bring a peer.
- Repeat: With each cycle, the community grows, the relationships deepen, and people start attending not just because of the content, but because they value the network, the brand, and each other.
Over time, your recurring virtual event series shifts from one-time gatherings to the heart of your community ecosystem.
Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
- Treating events as silos: If each event is isolated, with no reference to past or future sessions, you miss the continuity that builds community.
- Too much broadcasting, not enough relationship building: If sessions are one-way lectures, participants may drop off. Make space for interaction, connection, peer-to-peer bonding.
- Neglecting the between-event time: Communities don’t live only during the event; without sustained activity off-stage, the momentum can vanish.
- Ignoring data or feedback: Without measuring attendance trends, forum activity and satisfaction, you won’t know if your community is thriving or fading.
- Failing to adapt: As your community evolves, topic interest, formats and platforms may shift. Stay responsive to member input.
Key takeaways
- Recurring virtual events are not just for content delivery. Treat them as community-building engines.
- Design for interaction, ritual and continuity (theme cadence, breakout formats, social follow-up).
- Use social groups and discussion forums to bridge the gaps between live events and sustain engagement.
- Choose a platform that supports immersive interaction, networking and scale; SpatialChat is built for that.
- Measure, iterate, and evolve your approach to deepen engagement and grow a loyal community over time.
Ultimately, organisations that move beyond “deliver a webinar” and instead adopt a series-and-community mindset will reap richer results: higher engagement, stronger loyalty, and more meaningful relationships. Use each virtual event as a node in your ongoing community network, and you’ll transform one-time attendees into active, returning members who show up because they belong, and because they value the space you’ve created for them.