A number of exciting product updates for you regarding Hopin Session but first a couple quick reminders:

• We're still in private beta. It's important to note that Session is still in private beta and limited to only Hopineers at this time. We expect to soft launch (i.e., make a public announcement about Session) in March. The date is TBD. Secrecy is paramount until then.

• We're looking for as much feedback as possible. Use the new workflows in the #jm-session-feedback Slack channel to submit feedback on your experience with Session.

• The best way to learn about these features is to use them yourself! Create your Session account today at beta.session.com.

Huge shoutout to the Session product and engineering teams for building a TON of new features in this release.

In addition to dozens of bug fixes, here's the list of the new functionalities now available in your Session account:

• Breakout groups

• Brand color customization

• Presentation theme redesign

• In-room and AV toolbar redesign

• Removed theme switcher

• Keyboard shortcuts for emoji reactions

• Lobby customization (proof of concept)

And a whole bunch more.

Let's dive in.

Breakout groups

The easiest way to break people into small groups is here.

Any host can find breakout groups in the three-dot menu at the bottom of their screen.

Like this:

Once selected, you can choose the number of groups you'd like to create. Click here to watch a one-minute demo snippet of Session breakouts.

Once created, participants are auto-assigned to groups. You can move them manually, or just click Shuffle. You can also rename your breakout rooms.

For a full breakdown of how Session breakouts works, please see the knowledge base article Session Breakouts FAQs.

Keyboard shortcuts for emoji reactions

Quickly access Session emoji reactions with your keyboard.

Type "e" to bring up the emoji bar.

Type 1-6 to activate the desired emoji.

For example, "e1" is the shortcut for the thumbs-up emoji 👍.

Also, notice anything new?

That's right, please welcome the newest Session emoji family member, backed by popular demand, the Wave!

Give it a try by typing "e3" in your next session.

Brand color customization

You can now customize the primary color of your room, which means buttons and text accents can be on-brand.

• Click "Customize room"

• Find the "customize colors" button in the left panel menu of your Session room.

• Choose your preferred color.

Full in-room redesign (including new bottom toolbar)

You may have noticed that the main navigation and features in a Session room are all now located in the bottom of the window in a toolbar, making everything easily accessible while also simplifying and reducing visual clutter at the top of the window.

Note the logo is now placed next to the room name in the bottom left of the window.

Presentation theme redesign

Presentation theme just got an upgrade!

Here's what's new:

• Participants are smaller so you can see more of them while presenting.

• See in the below screenshot how Marques' video is larger? Participants grow and their name and audio level show up when they speak to make it easier to see who is speaking in the gallery.

• You can bring participants on with a new overflow menu.

  • Hover over any participant.

  • Click the three-dot menu in their video.

  • Select "Bring on stage."

Session tip #1!
Q: What's the difference between screensharing in the Classic theme vs. in the Presentation theme?
A: Presentation theme allows hosts to moderate who can share content. In Classic, anyone can share at anytime. In Presentation, only people on stage can share.

Removed theme switcher

More like "moved" it. Because it's still part of the room creation process. The difference is that now you can't suddenly change the theme of the room while you're mid-session. This is because user feedback came in that the theme switcher was too disorienting and disruptive. So now the theme of a room is permanent. Simply create another room with the theme you want.

Session tip #2! 
Q: What Session theme is best for webinars?
A: The AMA theme. 

Lobby customization (proof of concept)

You can now customize the page your participants land on before they enter your session.

The Lobby Editor allows you to add formatted text, images, videos, GIFs, links, and more to your Session lobby.

This is great for adding elements to your sessions:

• Branding and messaging

• An agenda

• A personal note

• A link to a pre-read

• An ice breaker

• A deck or download

• A promo code

• A digital business card

The possibilities are endless. We're excited to see how people use this feature. Please post examples in the feedback channel #jm-session-feedback.

Watch a demo here:

Thanks for reading. More updates coming soon.

❤️ Session team