How MIT's Experimental Study Group Connects a Global Community with SpatialChat
MIT’s Experimental Study Group needed a way to bring alumni together during the pandemic. With SpatialChat, they created dynamic virtual reunions that felt personal, engaging, and real—no matter where attendees were in the world.
About the Experimental Study Group (ESG) at MIT
The Experimental Study Group (ESG) is a first-year learning community at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). ESG delivers MIT’s core first-year curriculum through small, interactive classes that emphasize contextualized, hands-on learning. Each year 55 first-year students join ESG and often stay connected throughout their time at MIT as teaching assistants or associate advisors. Their alumni network spans more than 2,500 individuals across the United States and around the globe.
As ESG’s Outreach and Communications Director, Bettina McGimsey oversees communication, fundraising, and community development initiatives, ensuring ongoing engagement with current students, staff, and the broader alumni network.
The Challenge: Hosting Alumni Reunions During a Global Disruption
When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted in-person gatherings, ESG faced the challenge of maintaining community ties, especially through their alumni reunions — an important touchpoint for fostering engagement and support. Traditional virtual platforms lacked the interactivity and warmth that ESG valued in its events.
The Solution: A Virtual Space That Feels Like Reality
ESG first used SpatialChat to host a virtual alumni reunion during the pandemic — and the experience proved to be both dynamic and highly interactive. One of the primary benefits was the ability to reach alumni from across the world and bring them together in a shared virtual space. The team was so impressed by the engagement and reach of the event that they made SpatialChat their go-to platform for future virtual reunions.
ESG’s Favorite Features
SpatialChat's spatial audio and intuitive navigation allowed ESG to recreate the organic flow of real-life interactions. The platform enabled them to communicate with everyone at once while also allowing for individual and group conversations — just like a live reunion. Attendees could seamlessly move through conversations, hear others more clearly as they moved closer, and enjoy the sense of being in a shared, yet fluid, environment.
"From a sheer functional perspective, the way that SpatialChat mimics real space networking is conducive to making the virtual platform feel more like physical reality." — Bettina McGimsey
ESG also found the stage feature particularly helpful for addressing the entire group, while the grid view allowed guests to see one another more clearly during larger discussions. Additionally, they appreciated the ability to personalize the spaces, making them feel truly their own.
The Results: Higher Engagement, Greater Reach
Since adopting SpatialChat, ESG has drawn large numbers to its virtual alumni reunions, often with 100+ attendees from all corners of the world simultaneously interacting on the platform. These events have become a new tradition, enabling the group to connect with their peers who may never have been able to return to campus in person.
Even after pandemic restrictions eased, ESG continues to host virtual reunions on SpatialChat because of the positive feedback and the opportunity to stay connected with a geographically diverse alumni base.
A Platform Worth Recommending
Bettina didn’t hesitate to share that she would “definitely recommend SpatialChat for virtual reunions,” emphasizing the platform’s role in creating engaging and effective alumni gatherings.
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