New for 2024: Virtuoso presents Braindate Lounge
Monday, August 12 to Thursday, August 15
2:15 PM - 5:15 PM
Bellagio - Raphael
Discover a unique space to learn and initiate deeper connections through intentional conversations. This is more than just another networking opportunity — it’s a whole new way to meet the right people, share relevant knowledge, and learn from one another in a personal, focused setting.
What is a Braindate?
Meet as strangers, leave as friends. Sparking meaningful conversation during Virtuoso Travel Week all starts with a Braindate.
Braindates are one-on-one or small-group conversations based on topics posted by you and fellow participants in the Braindate Topic Market. They can be used to brainstorm, solve challenges, and gain knowledge above and beyond event programming while meeting new (and brilliant!) people. Braindate offers an easy way to connect to fellow participants and tap into their experiences and expertise through conversations on topics you care about the most.
Here's How to Braindate:
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Log into your Virtuoso Events App
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Navigate to Braindate on the homepage
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Explore the Topic Market: participants (and you!) post Braindate Topics here, related to discussions you’d like to have with others during the event. You can invite anyone to meet based on your topic!
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Create topics: post Braindate Topics about discussions you’d like to have. This is your opportunity to share your knowledge, experiences, and expertise!
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Book your braindates: send invitations to meet others to discuss their topics, and accept the invitations you receive. Once confirmed, your braindates will take place on-site in the Braindate Lounge. All Braindates will be live on your personal agenda within the Virtuoso Events app.
Why Should You Braindate?
- Take advantage of the collective knowledge of like-minded peers.
- Connect with others based on shared interests and experiences in order to meet your goals.
- Engage in direct, meaningful conversations about issues that are on your mind and in your heart.
- Gather diverse perspectives from others in an immediate, straightforward way.
- Use Braindates to troubleshoot a problem or challenge you’re facing at home and/or work.
- Self-direct your Braindate experience — Pick and choose your meetings by identifying who has the answers to your specific questions.
- Use your own experience for good — Position yourself as a thought leader and/or reliable source of information.
- You never know: A good conversation just may lead to a long-lasting relationship!
What is a One-on One Braindate?
A one-on-one Braindate is a 30-minute conversation that you book with another Virtuoso Travel Week participant. Check the Virtuoso Events App’s Braindate platform; if you see a 1:1 topic that interests you, request a Braindate with the author by proposing times to meet. Once the author accepts, meet them at your scheduled time in the Braindate Lounge.
What is a Group Braindate?
A group Braindate is a 45-minute collaborative conversation with up to five other attendees. If you see an interesting group topic on the platform, you can immediately reserve a spot. The group Braindate takes place in the Braindate Lounge at the time proposed by the topic's author.
The group format is best for hearing multiple perspectives on a single topic. The author acts as the moderator to ensure everyone contributes to the conversation.
Why is a Braindate Different from Networking?
Getting to know people at events is often challenging. Time is limited, and traditional networking can feel uncomfortable. Braindate provides a platform to explore and exchange ideas and experiences, so you can have more authentic conversations with new people who share common interests. Better still, it gives you direct access to the collective genius of your fellow participants!
Submit a topic and book your Braindates to experience this highly anticipated new event at Virtuoso Travel Week.
FAQs
Post a Braindate topic about something that you’d like to discuss in the Topic Market. Participants who also want to dive into that topic can then send you an invitation to meet! You can explore topics of interest with the Search, Sort and Filter functions, then send invitations for one-on-one Braindates or join group Braindates directly.
Learning Concierges will be on call throughout Virtuoso Travel Week to provide support and help you make the most of your experience. Get assistance with finding the right conversations to match your interests, establishing the learning intention for your Braindate, discovering the types of knowledge you can share with others, and more.
Yes. In the Topic Market, simply tap the heart icon next to a topic of interest and the platform will save it for you. Then tap Filter and select Favorites to access your saved topics at any time.
Not at all! Everyone has valuable knowledge and experiences to share, so don’t hold back. You can author a Braindate on a whole host of topics: What are you reading up on in your spare time these days? How do you achieve work-life balance? What are your secrets to nailing nerves before public speaking?
First, make sure everyone introduces themselves. Ask the participant(s) what interested them about the topic. Be transparent and honest about your own experience related to the topic. (Remember, you don’t need to be an expert to lead a Braindate.) Adopt a beginner’s mindset: Everyone has something interesting they can add to the conversation, so encourage every participant to join in the discussion. Don’t forget to share contact information — many great relationships start with a simple conversation.
Booking a spot in a group Braindate is a great way to start! These small-group discussions let you experience a diversity of perspectives around a given topic. To find upcoming group Braindates, head to the Topic Market, tap Filter, and select Upcoming and Group Braindate.
Start by entering their full name in the Topic Market search bar. If you can’t find them, they likely haven’t had the opportunity to create a topic yet. Event participants won’t appear on Braindate until they make themselves available to meet by posting a topic or group discussion.
Whenever there is new activity in your Braindate invitations — like a confirmed Braindate, an alternative time proposal, or a new message — a green dot will appear beside the bell icon in the navigation bar. You also will receive an email or SMS reminder if you’ve opted-in. You can manage these preferences in your Profile.
The person who originally sent the invitation must resend it to re-initiate a chat. We recommend you speak with one of the Learning Concierges by clicking the Chat icon on the Braindate platform. They can help you reconnect with that person.
To review proposed times for a Braindate, navigate to the bell icon and open your Pending tab. Click on the unread conversation (look for the green dot!) and scroll up until you find the proposed times. If you can’t find the conversation in your invitations, try opening the Confirmed tab to see your upcoming Braindates and reschedule as needed.
Sometimes there just isn’t enough time to book all the Braindates we would like. Don’t take it personally! Instead, consider joining a group discussion on a similar subject. Pro tip: The more topics you create, the better your chances of meeting people. You also can try adding more precise tags to your topic.