Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María Turns a 150-Person Event into a Real-Time Interactive Experience with SpatialChat

Moving Beyond Passive Virtual Sessions

Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María hosted a two-day academic event designed for approximately 150 students and academic participants. The objective was to create an environment that encouraged interaction, rather than relying on the passive formats typically associated with virtual sessions.

Standard tools like Zoom or Google Meet often limit engagement to structured presentations, with interaction confined to chat or brief Q&A segments. For a student-facing academic event, this model restricts participation and reduces opportunities for peer-to-peer exchange. To address this, the university implemented the event on SpatialChat, focusing on creating a space where participants could actively engage with one another throughout the experience.

A Unified Environment Across Two Days

The event was hosted within a single SpatialChat environment that remained consistent across both days. This continuity allowed participants to become familiar with the space, making navigation and interaction more intuitive as the event progressed.

Rather than segmenting the experience into isolated sessions, the environment supported a blend of structured and informal engagement. Participants could attend sessions while also having the flexibility to explore conversations happening elsewhere in the space.

The setup supported up to 150 users simultaneously, ensuring that all participants could interact within a shared environment without fragmentation. This created a sense of collective presence, where multiple activities could unfold in parallel.

Parallel Conversations and Participant-Led Interaction

SpatialChat’s spatial audio enabled the formation of multiple simultaneous discussion clusters. Instead of a single, centralized conversation, the environment supported several small groups engaging independently. Participants naturally formed clusters of three to six individuals, creating an ideal setting for focused discussion. These groups emerged organically as attendees moved through the space, joining conversations that aligned with their interests.

Movement played a key role in shaping this behavior. Participants were not assigned to specific breakout rooms; instead, they navigated freely, choosing when to join, leave, or switch discussions. This led to a continuous flow of interaction, with attendees contributing to multiple conversations during each session window.

This model increased both the frequency and quality of interaction. Rather than waiting for designated discussion periods, participants engaged in real-time dialogue throughout the event.

Consistent Engagement at Mid-Scale

With 150 participants, the event operated at a scale that balanced diversity of interaction with conversational clarity. At any given moment, the environment supported multiple active clusters, ensuring that engagement was distributed rather than concentrated. Participants moved between these clusters regularly, exploring different topics and engaging with a range of peers. This behavior resulted in higher cumulative interaction time per attendee compared to traditional webinar formats.

The two-day structure reinforced these patterns. As participants returned on the second day, they were already familiar with the environment, enabling them to engage more quickly and effectively. Conversations picked up momentum earlier, and navigation became more seamless. This consistency contributed to sustained engagement across both days, with participants actively contributing to discussions rather than passively consuming content.

From One-Way Delivery to Interactive Exchange

Before adopting SpatialChat, virtual academic events often relied on one-way delivery models. While effective for presentations, these formats limit opportunities for spontaneous interaction and collaboration.

This event demonstrated a shift toward a more interactive approach. By enabling participant-led movement and parallel discussions, SpatialChat transformed the experience into a dynamic exchange of ideas.

Attendees were able to engage with both content and peers in real time. Discussions were not confined to specific segments but occurred continuously alongside formal sessions. This created a more immersive experience, where learning and interaction were closely integrated.

The flexibility of the environment also allowed participants to tailor their experience. Instead of following a fixed agenda, they explored conversations and sessions based on their interests, leading to more relevant and meaningful engagement.

A More Engaging Format for Student-Centric Events

Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María’s implementation highlights how virtual academic events can be restructured to prioritize interaction. By leveraging SpatialChat’s spatial design, the event created a setting where students could connect, discuss, and collaborate more naturally.

The combination of real-time conversation, free movement, and small-group interaction resulted in an experience that more closely resembled in-person academic environments. Participants were not just attendees—they were active contributors to the event.

In doing so, the university demonstrated that even short-duration academic events can move beyond passive formats, delivering a more engaging, interactive, and participant-driven experience.