Systems and methods for hosting a teleconference are disclosed herein. The method can include receiving, by a server, a request from a connected participant device to transition from a non-interactive slot to an interactive slot of the teleconference and moving, by the server, the connected participant device from the non-interactive slot to a buffer slot. The method can also include determining, by the server, a longest-inactive participant device among one or more participant devices currently occupying interactive slots; removing, by the server, the longest-inactive participant device from an associated interactive slot; and moving, by the server, the connected participant device from the buffer slot to the associated interactive slot.