Area 120 – Google’s own experimental product wing – launched a new service called Fundo last year that was touted to be a virtual meet-and-greet platform for creators to interact with their fans by hosting paid events. Since then, the service has been in the test phase with a small batch of content creators. Today, the Area 120 division has announced that Fundo is now open to all creators to host online events from the comfort of their home and meet with their audience.

Creators can host one-on-one chats with their fans, organize meet and greet events, and even start a paid workshop to share their expertise. During the chat sessions, fans can pose with their favorite creator virtually for a photo booth experience, and all of the photos can later be downloaded as a photo strip or animation that can be shared with friends. Talking about the meet and greet event on Fundo, it is essentially a group of fans having a video chat with their favorite creator. 

However, each audience member has to wait in a virtual line before they can talk to the influencer hosting the event. And while you wait, you can watch the interaction of other people and enjoy (or cringe, depending on the type of fanboys joining an event). In order to participate in an online event, users have to keep an eye on the Fundo page of their favorite creators, and once an upcoming event is listed, they can sign up for it and purchase tickets.

But you’ll have to be quick as only a limited number of tickets will be up for sale. When the event is about to start, a reminder will be sent via email or text. Users don’t need to download an app or software to attend a Fundo event. Aside from appearing on the Fundo homepage, creators can also share links of their upcoming events on their social media channels. Additionally, all tickets will be verified prior to joining a paid meet and greet session, making sure that any uninvited guests are not a part of the conversation. 

Source: Google Blog