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Blog

Insights on online meetings, events and human connection.

Reflections and practical ideas about meaningful gatherings at a distance — by Emilie van Rappard, Founder of MeetingMasters Online

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An empty meeting room with the meeting cost calculator on the projection screen

Meeting online · September 2, 2026

A meeting like that, what does it cost?

“Roughly what does that cost?” is one of the hardest questions we get. The largest cost is not the room or the catering — it is the people.

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Participants in coloured circles inside a picture frame with a cloudy sky, as an image for play in an online gathering

Meeting design · August 26, 2026

Play is good for nothing. Which makes it very useful.

Playing during working hours sounds like a waste of time. Yet a group that plays now and then does almost everything better than a group that never does.

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Illustration for an article on the argument between working from home and returning to the office

Working from home · August 14, 2026

Back to the office: the answer to the wrong question

More and more employers are fixing the number of office days. But the argument isn't about where people work — it's about cohesion. And nobody talks about that any more.

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Illustration for the article 'Not the same. Still good.' on online versus offline gatherings

Meeting design · July 13, 2026

Not the same. Still good.

Most gatherings were already ineffective before they went online. Online only made it more visible. Success depends on the method, not the medium — the question is never 'online or offline?' but 'what has to happen here?'

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Illustration for an article on working from home versus returning to the office

Working from home · June 30, 2026

Back and forth. Work from home — or return to the office?

Work from home, or a duty to come in? The argument swings back and forth. But the place is a side issue — what counts is how you really connect people, wherever they work.

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Illustration for an article on making contact online as a craft in its own right

Meeting online · June 10, 2026

We have all got the hang of online by now.

Making contact online is a craft of its own. And that's good news, because far more is possible than most people think.

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Person at a desk with a computer and a dog — for an article on gamers and being together online

Meeting online · May 27, 2026

What gamers know about being together online that organisations still have to learn

Gamers have known for years how being together online works — with their own etiquette and a surprising amount of connection. Organisations still have plenty to learn from them.

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Illustration for an article on the shape of online environments: circles versus squares

Meeting design · May 13, 2026

Circles versus squares

The shape of your online environment shapes how people behave. Boxes invite broadcasting and waiting; circles invite moving, choosing and running into each other.

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Illustration for an article on technical frustration in online meetings

Meeting design · April 15, 2026

System rage in online meetings: it wrecks more than you realise

Frustration with technology is an underrated factor in online sessions. Anyone still recovering from a technical fight isn't connecting with the content — engagement starts at the login, not at the first agenda item.

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Emilie van Rappard of MeetingMasters — for an article on the AI paradox

Meeting online · April 1, 2026

The AI paradox: why meetings are worth more now

AI is taking over the routine work. But the moment someone says 'hold on, I see this differently' and a conversation changes the whole direction? That's where machines fall short. It only happens when people genuinely meet.

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Group of friends in a coffee bar — for an article on group dynamics and the rule of eight

Meeting design · March 25, 2026

The rule of eight: when a group stops running itself

Groups of up to eight people regulate themselves naturally. Beyond that the dynamic changes completely. Every meeting with more than a handful of people is a design question — not just a logistical one.

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Illustration for the article 'Blaming online' on meeting design

Meeting design · March 4, 2026

Blaming online

The limits of online actually create opportunities. They force you to design a meeting on purpose. Focus on real interaction rather than leaning on the social extras, and every format gets better.

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e-OLY House in SpatialChat — the virtual clubhouse for the World Olympians Association

Case story · February 7, 2026

An online home for former Olympians worldwide

A video call is a tool. An online meeting place is something else entirely. Together with MeetingMasters, the World Olympians Association built e-OLY House — a digital space where real connection happens without a compulsory programme.

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