Hokkaido University Powers 2–3× More Peer Interaction in Virtual Symposiums Using SpatialChat

Riddhik Kochhar -

Context: Scaling a Research Symposium to 500 Participants

Hokkaido University’s Research Institute for Electronic Science organized an online academic symposium, “RIESsympo,” designed to bring together researchers for presentations, discussions, and networking. Initially planned for 300 participants, the event was later scaled to 500 attendees as interest grew.

To support this expansion, the organizers upgraded to a 500-seat Day Pass plan on SpatialChat. The platform allowed them to prepare the virtual environment in advance, configure multiple rooms, and align the setup with the structure of a traditional academic conference.

Coordination with the SpatialChat team ensured that operational details such as event timing, billing, and platform activation were handled efficiently. This preparation phase enabled the organizers to focus on designing a high-quality research experience rather than managing technical constraints.

The Challenge: Replicating Conference Dynamics at Scale

Academic symposiums rely heavily on interaction, whether through breakout discussions, informal networking, or parallel sessions. However, traditional virtual platforms often limit these dynamics, especially at larger scales.

Hosting hundreds of participants in a single session can reduce engagement, while breakout tools often disrupt the flow of discussion. At the same time, organizers need the flexibility to design multiple session types and allow participants to move freely between them.

For Hokkaido University, the key challenge was: How can a large-scale virtual symposium support parallel research discussions and networking without losing the dynamics of an in-person conference?

What Hokkaido University Implemented

Using SpatialChat’s Day Pass model, the university created a multi-room virtual environment tailored to the symposium format.

The “RIESsympo” space was structured to include multiple discussion areas, presentation zones, and networking spaces. Organizers configured these rooms in advance, ensuring that different research topics could be explored simultaneously.

The platform’s spatial interaction model allowed participants to move freely between rooms, join discussions based on interest, and engage with multiple research groups throughout the event. This flexibility enabled a more fluid and participant-driven experience compared to traditional session-based formats.

The ability to scale capacity from 300 to 500 participants without disrupting the event structure was also a key advantage, ensuring that increased attendance did not compromise interaction quality.

Results: High Participation and Multi-Threaded Research Interaction

  • 81–88% of attendees remained actively engaged throughout the symposium
  • 25–40 simultaneous discussion clusters formed during networking and breakout sessions
  • 2–3× higher peer-to-peer interaction compared to previous webinar-style events
  • Frequent session switching, with participants moving between multiple research discussions

Participants were able to explore a wide range of topics within a single event, engaging in discussions across different rooms and connecting with multiple peers. This created a dynamic environment where interaction was continuous rather than limited to scheduled segments.

What the Engagement Demonstrated

The Hokkaido University symposium demonstrated that large-scale virtual academic events can maintain high levels of interaction when designed around flexibility and movement.

By enabling dozens of parallel discussions, the platform supported the kind of multi-threaded engagement typically seen in physical conferences. Participants were not restricted to a single session, allowing them to engage more deeply with research topics and expand their network.

The ability to prepare the environment in advance and scale participation capacity ensured that the event could adapt to changing requirements without operational friction. This made it possible to deliver a seamless experience even at a scale of 500 attendees.

Overall, the event showed that virtual symposiums can successfully replicate the core dynamics of in-person academic gatherings when supported by an environment built for interaction rather than passive attendance.