A presence system comprises a presence server and a plurality of users in a distributed community of users that are associated with the presence server. The presence server selects a set of mediators, e.g., based upon a predetermined event, or other suitable factors, wherein each mediator is associated with a subset of the plurality of users. The presence server communicates presence information to the mediators where each mediator receives presence information regarding subscribed-to presence information for the users in their associated subset of users. Each mediator communicates the subscribed-to presence information to associated ones of the users in their associated subset of users.