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Roles
Every MicroTalks session has four participant roles. Each role has a different purpose and different slot limits.
Role Overview
| Role | Per Session | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Host | 1 | Opens and closes the session, moderates discussion |
| Presenter | Up to max (default: 3) | Gives a short talk followed by Q&A |
| Interviewer | 0 or 1 | Asks questions during Q&A to draw out insights |
| Guest | Up to max (default: 5) | Watches presentations and participates in discussion |
Host
The host is the session's moderator. They welcome participants, introduce presenters, keep time, and wrap up the session.
- Limit: 1 per session
- Responsibilities: Open/close session, moderate discussion, keep things on track
- Premium gating: Can be restricted to premium members via admin settings
Presenter
Presenters are the main attraction. Each presenter gives a short talk (default: 10 minutes) followed by a Q&A period (default: 5 minutes).
- Limit: Configurable per session (default: 3)
- Registration fields: Talk title and description (optional but encouraged)
- Presentation order: Assigned automatically on registration; admins can reorder
- Premium gating: Can be restricted to premium members via admin settings
Interviewer
The interviewer asks questions during each presenter's Q&A period, helping draw out insights and keep the conversation focused.
- Limit: 0 or 1 per session (configurable via "Has Interviewer" toggle)
- Premium gating: Same as presenter — can be restricted to premium members
TIP
Not every session needs an interviewer. Admins can disable this role per session by toggling "Has Interviewer" off.
Guest
Guests attend the session to watch presentations and participate in the group discussion.
- Limit: Configurable per session (default: 5)
- Registration fields: Topics of interest, questions (optional)
- No premium gating: Guest registration is always open to all members
When a Session Is Full
A session automatically transitions to Full status when all required slots are filled:
- Host slot is taken
- All presenter slots are filled
- Interviewer slot is taken (if the role is enabled)
- All guest slots are filled
If any slot opens up (e.g., someone cancels), the session returns to Open.
Premium Gating
Community admins can require premium membership for certain roles. When enabled:
- Presenting and Interviewing require premium status
- Hosting requires premium status (separate toggle)
- Guest registration is never gated
Premium status is granted to members who have an active Office Hours membership (via SSO) or who are site admins (staff).
The label shown to non-premium members (e.g., "Requires Office Hours membership") is configurable in admin settings.