Early on, discuss your webinar outline
As the primary webinar host, don’t leave it to your guest presenters to plan the entire webinar, including content and engagement. Create a webinar outline and let presenters know what you plan to do and what you’d like them to cover. They need to know how long their presentation should be and which Zoom platform you will be using - Zoom meeting or webinar. Together you can determine what engagement tools work best for your platform, audience and content. If you need a webinar producer, be sure to let your presenters know how a producer can assist during the webinar.Resource: webinar planning template
Additional things to discuss with your presenters:
- Presentation format (slide presentation, demo, conversation, interview, panel, talking head)
- How well do they know your audience
- What is their experience/confidence presenting in Zoom
- Will they want to include polls
- How you want them to handle chat and questions
- Will there be a handout or other links to share
- Do they want to use breakout rooms, play a video clip or music
- A time to connect with the producer to go through details
- Share tips for Zoom presenters with your presenters
Schedule a practice session
Bring together the people who will be involved in the webinar for a practice session. Include the host, producer and the presenters. The practice session is intended to eliminate any surprises and include a tech check.Ask everyone to join the practice session from the same location they will be in on the day of the webinar and using the same computer, webcam, headset/microphone. If presenters are unable to join the practice session from the location/computer they will be using, you should still meet with them to go through the webinar agenda but also arrange for them to join you at least 30 minutes early on the day of the webinar for a tech check.
What to review at a webinar practice session:
Tech check and plan B
- Do a tech check of hardware - video, audio, background, lighting, etc.
- Determine chat settings for participants (e.g. allow chat with everyone or presenters only)
- Will participants be asked to unmute, share their screen, rename themselves, etc. The producer or host can manage all participant settings.
- If presenters are sharing music or a video, be sure they know how to properly share so participants can hear their computer audio
- Review security settings and discuss potential issues
- Review potential failures and a response for what to do (e.g. if presenters have an internet failure, can they re-join the meeting with a cell phone). Use a communication backchannel such as text or phone for the producer to connect with presenters/host..
Practice
- The host, producer and all presenters should have access to the webinar outline, the presentation documents and handouts.
- If your producer is helping manage chat, breakouts, sharing links & documents, creating/opening polls, etc, they need to know timing and have access to everything.
- Go through your entire webinar outline, starting with how and who should greet your participants as they join the webinar
- Have presenters practice their presentation, share their screen, go through activities, polls, interactions, etc. If they are not confident with Zoom, offer to manage the Zoom tools while they focus on their presentation.
- If you have more than one presenter, have presenters practice together. Will they each have their own slide deck or are they working from the same presentation. Practice the transition between presenters. If presenters are comfortable with Zoom, they can share control of a single slide deck.
- Discuss breaks, pauses, chat and Q & A. Will both chat and Q & A be used. Will chat and/or Q & A be moderated. Do presenters want to be interrupted or will they pause for questions.
- Determine a time to meet on the day of the webinar. I recommend at least 30 minutes prior to the webinar to do a last minute tech check, review of the content, and other details.
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