To run a social wall at an event, pick one short hashtag, collect public posts into an approval queue, publish only approved posts to the screen, place the screen where people pause, and have someone seed the first posts. The wall is a shared display, not a feed that updates itself without judgement.
What a social wall is, and what it is not
A social wall gathers public posts from other networks that use your hashtag or come from named profiles, and shows the approved ones on a screen. It is different from an in-app timeline, where participants post inside your own app. Many organisers want both: the timeline as the private community, the wall as the public face.
Because the wall draws from public content, it can show things you did not plan. A guest’s unflattering photograph, an off-topic joke or a complaint about the queue can reach a screen in a packed hall. That is why moderation is the heart of the job.
Is it worth it for your audience?
India has a large social audience. DataReportal’s Digital 2026 report counts LinkedIn at 170 million members in India and Instagram ad reach at 481 million in late 2025 (DataReportal, 2026). Those numbers describe the platforms, not your attendees, so judge by your own crowd. A trade exhibition of designers and photographers will post freely. A conclave of senior executives may post little, and a quiet wall looks worse than no wall.
Step 1: choose the hashtag
Rules for a hashtag:
- Short, with no ambiguous spelling. Avoid words that can be read two ways.
- Unique to the occasion and year, so unrelated posts do not appear.
- Printed on every screen, banner and entry pass.
- Easy to type on a phone, in Roman script, since mixed-script hashtags confuse collection.
Check that nobody else uses it. A quick search on the networks you plan to collect from is enough.
Step 2: decide the sources
Collect by hashtag, by named profiles such as speakers and the organiser’s accounts, or both. Profiles are safer because they are known. Hashtags are broader and need stricter moderation. Remember that only public posts are collected, and the availability of each network depends on what that platform lets third parties read.
Step 3: set the approval flow
Appoint two moderators for a large event so one can take a break. Give them a short guide: approve friendly and relevant posts, reject anything with competitors’ branding, personal data or controversial content, and hold anything unsure for a second opinion. Decide a response time, for example that posts should be reviewed within a few minutes while the wall is live.
Step 4: place the screen
Position matters more than size. Good spots are the registration area, the tea and coffee station, and outside the main hall, where people wait. A wall in a corridor nobody pauses in gets no attention. Set the layout for distance reading, with large text and few elements, and check the display from the back of the area.
Step 5: seed and prompt
Do not wait for guests to start. Before the doors open, have the team and a few friendly guests post. Then prompt from the stage and in the app: “Post a photo with the hashtag and see it on the screen outside.” A small incentive, such as points for a post in the app, increases volume.
Step 6: handle slow periods
Every wall has quiet stretches. Prepare a fallback: pre-approved photographs from the setup day, speaker quotes, sponsor thanks and the agenda. Rotate them in so the screen never looks empty.
Brand-safety checklist
| Risk | Action |
|---|---|
| Off-topic or spam posts | Approve only; reject by default |
| Competitor mentions | Reject or hold |
| Personal data in a photo | Reject |
| Complaint about the event | Hold; route to the help desk |
| Inappropriate content | Reject and note the account |
After the event
Export or archive approved posts as part of the memory of the event. Switch the wall off at close, since a live display left on after the doors shut can show unmoderated content. Thank the top contributors.
What to put on the wall besides posts
A wall that only shows guest posts depends entirely on guests. Build a content mix so that the screen is lively even when the feed is slow. A balanced loop might include approved guest posts, speaker quotes with name and session, sponsor thank-you slides, the next three agenda items, a prompt to post with the hashtag and a short reminder about the help desk. Keep each element on screen long enough to read, and avoid more than two or three seconds of animation between items.
For exhibitions, add exhibitor highlights: a stall number and a one-line description. This turns the wall into a wayfinding aid and gives sponsors and exhibitors a reason to point their own followers to the hashtag.
Working with speakers and exhibitors
Tell speakers the hashtag and the account to tag before the event. Many will post a photograph from the stage if you ask. Give exhibitors a simple card for their stall with the hashtag and a suggestion: “Post a photo of our product with the hashtag.” Exhibitors who post bring their own followers to the wall, which helps both the show and their stall.
Keep the organiser’s own social accounts active during the event, since those posts are usually the first to be approved and set the tone.
Privacy and consent
A photograph on a public network is the poster’s responsibility, but a photograph on your screen is the organiser’s. Put a short line on the registration page or in the app’s welcome notes that public posts with the hashtag may appear on the event screens. If children are present, apply stricter moderation. If someone asks for their post to be removed from the wall, remove it promptly and confirm in writing. India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 received assent on 11 August 2023 and is being commenced in phases through May 2027 (Wikipedia summary, 2025), so keep your consent wording simple and get it reviewed by your own counsel.
Measuring whether it worked
Count approved posts, the number of distinct accounts that contributed, and the share that came through speakers, exhibitors and ordinary guests. Compare against your attendance. A wall with a few dozen posts from a handful of accounts is a different story from one with hundreds from a spread of guests. Capture a few strong examples for the post-event report and for next year’s sponsor conversation.
How Sociana handles this
Sociana’s social wall gathers public posts by hashtag or profile into the admin panel as candidates; a post appears only after an organiser approves it. The wall is separate from the in-app timeline feed, which follows its own posting and moderation rules, and organisers can run both.
enGen X 2026 ran its Xchange social layer alongside Xcite games, Xplore bookings and an X-Board leaderboard, with revocable sharing. Read the enGen X 2026 case study for the full scope. Collection covers public content only. Related: exhibitions, social wall and moderation queue.
Frequently asked questions
Can the wall show posts from private accounts?
No. A social wall collects public posts only. Private accounts and private posts are not read.
How many moderators do we need?
One is enough for a small event. For a large exhibition, assign two so the queue is covered during breaks, and agree rules before the doors open.
What if nobody posts?
Seed the wall with team posts and pre-approved photographs, prompt from the stage, and add a small points incentive for posts made through the app timeline.
Is the wall the same as the app feed?
No. The feed holds posts made inside the app; the wall gathers public posts from other networks. Many events use both for different audiences.