©.Shock / Adobe StockMeeting online is no longer reserved for high-level executive pow-wows. Since 2020, nearly everyone from grade school kids to grandparents has experienced online conferencing.
Our need to connect during the COVID-19 pandemic encouraged approximately 200 online conference platforms to emerge, many with very powerful capabilities. The online meeting is now as prevalent and necessary as the mobile phone. Use this to your advantage when planning a meeting!
What you need to decide is which type of online conference will best suit your needs. You have a choice of a video conference (that allows attendees to participate with both audio and video), a hybrid conference (where you are sharing a live presentation with a broader online audience), and finally you can offer a webinar or online conference (where you are the main attraction and there is limited interaction from your attendees).
Video conferences
Video conferences allow participants in remote locations to see and hear each other through video and audio connections. Video conferencing adds an important visual dimension to ordinary conference call and enables participants to communicate with facial expressions and body language.Participants can relate to each other much better when they’re more than just disembodied voices.
Online conferences or webinars
Online conferences or webinars are live or pre-recorded sessions that bring your message to many with little feedback. The webinar audience can see and hear you, but the participants are not visible and may only be audible when and if the host chooses to let them speak.Hybrid conferences
Hybrid conferences are a combination of a live in-person event with an online audience. You can choose to have the online participants connect through a video conference (communicating visually and audibly) or an online conference (without the visual and with selective audio input.)Video conferences have participants. Online conferences or webinars have viewers. Hybrid events can utilize whichever platform works best for the online audience without detracting from the live audience.
Meeting online is a powerful communication tool. It may seem daunting to the technical novices among you, but fear not! Plenty of help is available, and if you plan well, you’ll find that meeting online is an effective and efficient way to connect people all over the world.
Considering the positives
Some of the advantages of online meetings include:- It’s the next best thing to being in the same room. You’re not just a voice on the phone, but someone the other participants can see and relate to.
- This visual medium allows for demonstration. The maxim “a picture is worth a thousand words” certainly rings true here. You can show participants samples or demonstrate a solution to a problem.
- Videoconferencing enables participants to put a face with the name of a person they may know only as a voice on the phone or the sender of an e-mail message. As a result, videoconferencing may help to build a stronger relationship.
- Webinars allow you to quickly connect to a larger audience by recording your live session for playback at the viewers’ convenience.
- Hybrid meetings allow conference planners to include participants that may otherwise miss out on hearing a speaker, learning a skill, or being introduced to a new product.
Weighing the negatives
As with every new meeting technology, online meetings also have limitations and drawbacks:- Participants may not feel comfortable at first. It may take some time and effort to put all participants at ease with the idea of seeing themselves on the screen.
- A lot of careful planning is necessary for a successful online meeting.
- Technology can sometimes fail you.
- Each platform has a learning curve and you need to be proficient before you go live.
Determining your needs
As you begin to develop your online meeting, you must accurately determine your needs and resources. Ask yourself the following questions to guide you in your planning:- What does the meeting chairperson hope to accomplish with this meeting? Does the meeting chairperson want a collaborative event, or a one-way transfer of information from one party to another?
- Is it possible to accomplish the goal through an online meeting?
- Is an online presentation compatible with the meeting chairperson’s personality and presentation style, or would a meeting done in person or through another medium be more effective?
- Do I need an online meeting facility? If so, do I have the resources to create or rent one?
- Do other potential participants have online access?
- How many participants will be involved, and at how many sites?
- Do I need to hire technicians and site facilitators, or will I be able to do it alone or use existing staff?
It takes a team
As the conference planner, you’ll be spearheading your online meeting, but it takes a team of people to make it successful. Unless you decide to run the meeting yourself, you have to work with equipment providers and technical experts who set up the equipment. You also have to appoint a site facilitator at each location.The site facilitator plays a crucial role by overseeing everything at the remote site. They take care of technical needs, the room, the furniture arrangement, the distribution of materials to participants, and other key details.
Appointing a troubleshooter for each location is also an excellent idea. This person is responsible for fixing any technical problems that arise during the online meeting. Separating this function from the role of the event facilitator allows the facilitator to keep the meeting organized and on track while any technical problems are being resolved.