Active moderators. Great hosts know when to chime in, when to pull in a specific speaker to set the pace for a conversation, and when to keep quiet and let a good chat flow. Great hosts provide balance in a conversation without dominating it. They recognize speaker strengths and capitalize on that to move conversations forward. Great hosts also ask thoughtful questions that spark new insights and fire into conversations.

Good selectors of speakers. A hub is only as good as the quality of its speakers and listeners. Great hosts tend to find speakers who bring life, perspective, and interesting turns into conversations. As a host, it’s your decision to add in as many speakers onto the stage as possible but remember it’s about quality not quantity. Some conversations that are social in nature may require participation from all the audience members while others may require a panel-like session combined with limited question and answer sessions. It’s up to you to make good judgment on what will work for your hub.

Balanced. Any social conversation will tend to have its set of challenges. As the Univus platform grows, we expect hosts to encounter all types of audiences, some witty others interruptive. As a host, you will need to be prepared for any eventuality during conversations. Part of this preparation may include providing specific rules for the audience members to adhere to as they join your hub while being open to varied thoughts and opinions.

Share the stage. You will do great on Univus by equally sharing the stage with others. Chatting in real time can be exciting and sometimes you can get carried away by what you have to say. But great speakers are smart. They know what to say and for how long to say it so that they leave others with enough time to share their thoughts. Great conversations can only be shaped when all thoughts and opinions are considered. Taking turns to speak and listen is a great way to encourage productive conversations.

Engage thoughtfully. When you are not speaking, it’s advisable to mute yourself to avoid any interruptions. Similarly, you can unmute yourself to snap, clap, support or encourage a speaker who is taking their turn to share their thoughts. Sometimes, you can find that unmuting yourself while keeping your background noiseless provides a strategic presence on stage.

Leave and return on stage at will. Like in real life conversations, a speaker can join and leave a chat as they please. Feel free to leave the stage and go back to the listener audience or even the hub when you feel like it. Sometimes leaving the stage and returning to the listener section allows the host to add in other speakers without crowding the stage.

Ping in someone interesting. Great speakers often know who else can add value to a conversation. Feel free to ping in a friend or follower you believe can add content to a current conversation at any time. You can always ask the host or co-host to add the said person onto the stage.