If you are
the coordinator of a video conference, here are a few tips to help get the most
out of the participants:
schedule the date, start/end time, as well as the number of participants
on each side - be aware of any time zone differences - be sure to relay this
information to all participants, along with any technical info that may be
necessary
if you need any audio-visual support, discuss it with the technician in
advance to avoid last minute surprises
if the participants have not met, consider given background sheets on the
presenter to the audience members and vice versa
Prepare the audience:
provide an agenda to the audience so they know what to expect
if PowerPoint or other documents are being referenced by the presenter,
provide hard copies of those documents to the audience so they can follow
along easily and at their own pace
let the audience know if they need to prepare anything in advance
keep their microphones muted while the presenter is speaking - even coughing
can be distracting
have each person introduce themselves before asking a question
ask them to turn off cell phones and pagers to avoid any distractions
Prepare the presenter(s):
avoid wearing solid black, red or white clothing, as well as busy patterns such as pinstripes, plaid, herringbone, and similar
designs
avoid glittery or noisy jewelry
look into the camera, not at the television monitor, and speak clearly
and at a normal pace
mute your microphone when the other side is speaking at length to avoid
distracting them
minimize body movement so the camera doesn't lose you
introduce yourself and review the agenda at the beginning of the meeting,
then review at the end
give/solicit introductions to/from the other sites if
not already done
establish a Q&A time frame at the beginning of the
meeting and always repeat questions before answering
wait a few seconds before speaking to allow any time delay between sites
to pass
a varied presentation is more interesting than a talking head - use other available equipment, such as a VCR,
PowerPoint, or handouts when appropriate
consider including a break if it's a long presentation
when another presenter in your location is speaking, be sure to have the
camera on that person
if you're using PowerPoint, be sure to use at least 24-point size text
when making your slides
be sure cell phones and pagers are turned off to avoid interruption
if connecting to multiple sites, be sure to use names and locations when
referring to each of them (such as "Let's hear from John at Boston
University")
These tips will help you and your participants get the most out of the
video conference.
