In many ways, it’s wonderful that you are able to communicate with clients in other cities using just your computer. But just as in real life, the more people that are in an online meeting, the more likely it is that something will go wrong. With each new participant, nearly 10 minutes will be wasted on problems calling in, “dropped” attendees, and screeching feedback—leaving you with only half the time to complete your business.
How to Organize a Successful Video Conference With Several Attendees
While it may seem overwhelming to host a conference with five or more people attending, there are many things you can do to ensure that the meeting goes as smoothly as possible. Here are a few preparation tips for meetings that involve:
- Multiple participants. The first thing you must do is pinpoint a time where all attendees are available. Many online software applications (such as Doodle or Meet-O-Matic) allow multiple users to block out calendar dates, clearly showing availability and saving a lot of back-and-forth emails.
- Multiple locations. One of the first things organizers should do is make sure attendees have been given the correct time for the meeting. This includes checking with attendees in other time zones to ensure their meeting time has been calculated correctly.
- Multiple devices. Many attendees may be “calling in” using their cameras and computer, but some on-the-go participants may attend using their on smartphones or tablets. Make sure you can give clear directions on how to join the meeting on an alternate device (and not just iPad or iPhone).
- Multiple platforms. You may need to switch between users, see two different screens at once, or sign onto a different program during the meeting. You should do a full technical rehearsal before the meeting to ensure that all of the different programs will work on command and will work together.
At Casamo & Associates, we know that your time is valuable. That is why we can take over the organization of your meeting, coordinate your schedules and presentation documents, provide technical support during the meeting, and act as a liaison between you and your attendees. We can host your meeting in our fully-equipped videoconferencing site, and notify your attendees of videoconferencing sites near their locations using our network. If you would like to book our conference room, visit our Online Scheduler page to block out the date as soon as possible.
