GEEK SPEAK | What is Toasty and How Can I Use it for My Virtual Meetings?

BY JESSICA DUNHAM

EAST Director of Events Jessica Dunham

Meet Jessica Dunham, EAST Director of Events. Jessica introduced EAST to Toasty when the staff began working remotely as a way to remain engaged and entertained during long meetings. If you are looking for a fun way to help colleagues, staff, and students combat “Zoom fatigue” and remain interactive while virtual, take a look at what Toasty has to offer!

What is Toasty?

Toasty was created to combat the frustration of ineffective, unproductive online meetings by transforming them into interactive, collaborative experiences. In a nutshell, Toasty is a video conferencing platform with built-in activities that are designed to engage attendees. Think Zoom or Google Meet but with a variety of icebreakers and team-building right at your fingertips.

Getting attendees to participate in meetings is not an easy task, and virtual meetings have additional obstacles to overcome. Attendees can more easily go unnoticed in the “background” and some find it even harder to speak up during a virtual meeting. Toasty helps meeting planners create a comfortable, inviting atmosphere that encourages conversation and engages attendees right from the very beginning.

Why/when would I want to use Toasty?

It’s perfect for any type of virtual gathering! Use Toasty to encourage brainstorming and discussions during a team meeting or to complement the training activities in a workshop. It’s also a great tool to establish trust among team members, to encourage conversation among people meeting for the first time, and to facilitate networking opportunities. It should also be noted that Toasty limits its platform to 25 participants per session, so keep that in mind.

How does Toasty work?

Toasty is very simple to use - it can be set up in minutes and adjusted on the fly. It features a control center that enables the meeting host to manage participants, including moving them into breakout rooms. The activity toolbar is where meeting hosts can create activities or add templates on the spot, as well as edit, rearrange, or remove activities at any time.

What types of things can you do on Toasty?

Activities include a fast-paced “Who Said That” guessing game and Conversation Cards to encourage discussion on a variety of topics. Breakout rooms provide an opportunity for attendees to get to know each other better in small groups and ensure that all voices are heard. Group and individual responses provide opportunities for reflection and discussion. Toasty also has polls, chat, and a Q&A feature.

What’s my favorite thing about Toasty?

The templates are game-changers! Toasty’s ready-made templates can be customized and used instantly. There are a variety of options to choose from, depending on what you hope to accomplish - whether you’re looking for activities to help strengthen your team, to facilitate and enhance brainstorming, or just for fun.

Head on over to Toasty to take advantage of their 30-day free trial to try it out at your next virtual gathering!

Be sure to take a peek at the Toasty Blog for some great advice on working remotely, as well as tips to get the most out of your Toasty experience!

Here are a few of my favorite templates:

Celebrate Wins Together

Personal Weather Conditions

Impromptu Networking

Attitude of Gratitude

Different Strengths

Round Robin Recognition

Which Would You Rather

Stand Up!

Learn more about Toasty at toasty.ai