A networked communications system that facilitates real-time interaction with persons-of-interest. The communications system includes an event scheduling workflow that, during a registration phase, allows users to register for a given event associated with a social influencer or other person-of-interest and, during the event, allows for a series of sequenced real-time direct and private interactions and engagements between or among the social influencer or other person-of-interest and respective users. This series of sequenced real-time, direct, and private interactions and engagements occurs automatically without requiring the participants to exchange contact or personally identifiable information (such as email addresses, phone numbers, chat identifiers, etc.) in order to initiate the real-time communications sessions.