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How To Host a Virtual Meeting
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Business New Haven
11/10/2003
By: BNH
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As the economy slowly improves, many of us are being asked to get back on the road or to begin holding larger meetings. In the last two years, many professionals have scaled back their meetings or held them in-house, but the need for large scale meetings and events continues to increase.
Many companies have become more adept at using an array of technology to communicate from their offices. Whether it is web, video- or audio conferencing, more and more users have expanded their communications arsenal. Just because you are taking your meeting on the road does not mean you cannot employ these technologies to expand your communications horizons.
First, determine how many people need to connect to the meeting remotely. As the number increases, the cost and complexity does, too.
In the case of the audio- or video conference, you need to employ a bridge connecting multiple users to the conference. Next, determine how they will connect and communicate. Some guidelines are included in the examples below. Finally, talk to your audio-visual supplier to make sure it has the equipment and expertise to make your meeting a success.
Audio conferencing is the easiest to use at a remote site. All you need is a standard telephone line and some sort of audio conferencing interface. The complexity of the interface depends on the number of people in the meeting locally and calling in remotely.
Most audio-visual providers have telephone interfaces and can provide excellent sounding audio to both sides of the telephone call. Consider using this when the message in the audio is more important than the visual, or when other conferencing cannot be employed due to budget constraints or technology issues.
Video conferencing allows remote sites to see and hear what is going on in the meeting. Depending on the configuration and the requirements, the remote site may or may not be seen and heard locally. The requirements for video conferencing are a little more complex than audio only.
The facility needs to have at least one ISDN line (preferably three) and the audio-visual company needs to have an adequate video-conferencing interface. Fortunately, most hotels and meeting facilities are prepared for these needs and most rental companies have the equipment to get the job done. Consider using this technology as a low-cost and easily implemented solution when video transmission from the meeting is more important.
Web streaming (occasionally referred to as conferencing) comes in different flavors. You can have a one-way video stream or a one-way video stream with many different types of audience feedback. This feedback might include Internet chat or audio conferencing, to name just two.
If the visual and audio from the meeting are to be broadcast to a great number of people in different parts of the county (or world, for that matter) Web streaming is a very cost-effective and secure way to get your message out there.
This type of communication is significantly more complex than the first two options. First, you need an ample Internet connection at the local site. Most hotels and conference centers have Internet connections, but they may be inadequate for the task. Be sure to inquire about this before booking the facility, if Web streaming will be required.
There are other methods of Web streaming your visual from the local site, even if an Internet connection is not available. Be sure to discuss these options with your audio-visual provider as they have the experience to make it work correctly.
When deciding on remote communications to occur during your event, be sure to discuss the technical requirements with both the venue and the audio-visual provider. Be sure to ask about their experience with these types of events and what kind of equipment they will be using. Confirm that technical support is available, and discuss the cost. Video conferencing and Web streaming require special technical skills, make certain your audio-visual provider has the skills to get the job done.
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