I TESTED IT FOR YOU:

What’s Remo?

It’s a networking software, very nice visually and fairly intuitive. Its interface is a virtual room, seen from above, which gives it the look of a video game. When you click on a table, you can chat with other participants who are also online there. This user feature is surprising and appealingly playful. Beyond the graphics, Remo is a very efficient networking tool. I used it for an HEC London event that 110 people were online for. Participants said that they made more connections during this virtual event than they could have made in person. People are probably less shy in the virtual world than in the physical one.

What does it have that Zoom doesn’t?

The “wow” effect! The graphic interface is innovative, but there’s a different feeling, too. Zoom enables a group to have a discussion together. Remo lets them have many conversations at the same time. Of course, Remo has a function that lets you speak to everyone, but that’s not its main purpose. Similarly, while you can create groups with Zoom, it’s tedious (and, most of all, the time you take is counted). With Remo, you can move from table to table as groups form themselves. Finally, the Remo team is very responsive, and the possibility of inviting sponsors to a table, with links to their sites or videos, is another thing that helped to win us over.

Isn’t it kind of chaotic if everyone is always moving from one group to another?

Absolutely! When you get to a table in the middle of a conversation, you can interrupt everybody. But our community of alumni knows how to behave. This is also a big plus of the software: the big room and its many tables are like a virtual café, a convivial and pretty free space. In other words, just what we’re missing during lockdown.

What functions could be improved or added?

The biggest problem is that you need a very good Internet connection to really take advantage of this software. Several participants had to give up. Sometimes, they could see the platform but weren’t able to activate their video or their microphone. So, no way to participate. It’s really frustrating! Others weren’t able to connect with the platform at all. As for improvements that could be made, a private room or a private table would be a plus. It would also be good if organizers could disconnect someone (in case of bad behavior, of course, but also in case of connection problems. Sometimes participants still appear on screen even though they are no longer connected).

How much does it cost?

You can test the software for 14 days for free. After that, there’s a choice of options at different prices, starting at about 85 euros per month.

Alyssa Dominioni (MBA.18)
After attending Dalhousie University in Canada, working for the Lucien Barrière hotel group (Fouquet’s…) in Deauville, and spending four years in Australia working for Rydges Hotels & Resorts, Alyssa joined the HEC Paris team five years ago. Then, in 2019, she created the position of Alumni Relations & Careers Management for the HEC alumni community in London.