Virtual Social Program
* When: Wednesday, September 1 following the Meet-the-Editors event
* Where: Gather Town - click here to access the OR 2021 Gather Space
We warmly invite you to attend our virtual get-together on the social platform Gather Town. A great opportunity to interact with sponsors, meet old and new colleagues at the rooftop bar and tour the beautiful city of Bern – all from the convenience of your home or office. A highlight of the virtual sightseeing tour is our Visit Bern Quiz, generously sponsored by Springer. With a good knowledge of the capital of Switzerland and a bit of luck you might be the winner of a EUR 250, EUR 150 or EUR 100 voucher for a book purchase in the Springer Shop. We are looking forward to socializing with you!
New to Gather Town?
Gather Town is “a social platform that creates virtual spaces to bring people together and connect authentically. The platform combines video calling with fun features in a custom 2-D world, making it more spontaneous and enjoyable to get together for work, life, or play!”
After logging in and setting up your avatar, you are able to explore the virtual space and interact with other participants and objects that are close by. The videos and sounds of other people fade in and out based on how close you are to their avatars – just like in real life. Besides public areas you can find private spaces for spontaneous one-on-one meetings with colleagues and friends.
Step-by-step to the OR 2021 Gather Space
- Click on the link to access the OR 2021 Gather Space.
- Allow your browser to access your microphone and camera to enable interactions with other participants. We recommend using the Google Chrome browser since Gather Town works best with it.
- Enter the passcode distributed to you via e-mail.
- You are now able to create your own avatar according to your personal preferences. There are many options to customize your avatar like changing the clothes, hair style and color, as well as accessories.
- Once you are done creating your avatar, please click on the green “Next Step” button. Don’t worry – you will still be able to change your appearance later on.
- Please enter the nickname for your avatar and click the green “Finish” button. To connect with old friends more easily, we recommend choosing a recognizable nickname.
- You can now make a brief sound and video check to see whether your microphone and camera are working properly.
- If you are new to Gather Town, you are able to go through a short tutorial that teaches you the basic principles of Gather Town.
- You are now ready to enter the OR 2021 Gather Space!
- To move around and explore the space, you can use the arrow keys.
- The videos and sounds of other people fade in and out based on how close you are to their avatars – just like in real life.
- To interact with objects (e.g., view a poster or play a game), you can move towards them and then press the “x” button.
- The main hall can be reached through the entrance above your entry-point. Please check out the map for a first overview of the space.
