Microsoft Teams increases Town Hall capacity to 50,000 attendees

The Evolution of Microsoft Teams Town Halls

In September 2023, Microsoft Teams unveiled a groundbreaking feature: Town Halls. This new tool revolutionizes one-to-many communication, allowing presenters, organizers, and co-organizers to lead engaging presentations effortlessly. Initially, Microsoft had announced the discontinuation of its existing Teams Live Events solution to streamline its offerings towards Town Halls.

Response to Customer Feedback

However, following extensive customer feedback, Microsoft has decided to retain Teams Live Events beyond the initially planned discontinuation date of September 30, 2024. The company’s statement emphasized:

“We’ve spoken with customers and understand how important it is to ensure a smooth transition to Town Hall. We are committed to making it as easy and beneficial as possible for customers to experiment, adopt, and implement Town Hall as their destination for large-scale digital events, as well as allow customers to upgrade from Live Events to Town Hall on their own schedule.”

Enhancements to Town Hall Features

Since its launch, Microsoft has continuously enhanced the Town Hall feature. Previously, the platform supported a maximum of 20,000 attendees for any given event. Recently, Microsoft updated its roadmap page, revealing an exciting expansion: Town Halls will soon accommodate up to 50,000 simultaneous attendees starting December 2023, accessible through web, desktop, and Mac platforms.

Ensuring Quality and Stability

Microsoft assures that the quality and stability of Town Halls will remain robust, even with this increased capacity. However, for events exceeding 20,000 concurrent participants, certain interactive features will be disabled to guarantee a reliable experience for everyone involved. This decision ensures that organizations can effectively communicate with large audiences without sacrificing event quality.

Support for Large Audiences

For organizations aiming to leverage the expanded capacity for large gatherings, Microsoft encourages them to enlist support through the Microsoft 365 Live Event Assistance Program (LEAP). This assistance is available to organizations that hold an active Teams Premium license, providing them with additional resources to facilitate their large-scale digital events.

Empowering Organizations through Technology

By increasing the Town Hall capacity, Microsoft empowers businesses and organizations to engage with larger audiences while ensuring a high-quality, seamless communication experience. This strategic enhancement positions Microsoft Teams as a front-runner in the realm of virtual event solutions.

For more details, read the full coverage on Neowin.