11 May Understanding Virtual

What is a Zoom Call?

A zoom call is video-conferencing tool that allows people to hold meetings online. The users on call may choose to record the conversation, collaborate on various projects, or share each other’s screens. One must first download the Zoom app as it is available on Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, Blackberry, and Zoom Rooms. A Zoom meeting can serve up to 100 participants for a default meeting, and 500 participants under the ‘Large Meeting’ option. A person may host as many meetings as he can but he would need some additional hosting licenses if he is to hold all the meetings concurrently. Zoom is convenient as the participants can take part in the meeting from any corner in the world. The fact that it can also hold up to 500 people per meeting has made it a favourite among the people.

What is a Webinar?

Webinars are online meetings held over the internet in real time. Most webinars are often business-related and serve the purpose of sharing ideas and knowledge with people around the world. Plenty of benefits are associated with webinars, which is why more are opting for these online meetings as opposed to physical meetings. For starters, the hustle of renting a venue is eliminated. As long as the potential members to a webinar have internet access, the meeting can be held in their own homes or a location of their choice. Secondly, webinars have this diverse element in that the meeting can be held at any moment despite of the time difference. All that is needed is to inform the participants of the time that the meeting is to be held.

What is Video Conferencing?

Video conferencing is a technological tool that allows people to hold online meetings that are face-to-face without the need for being in the same location. It is particularly popular among businesses and their subsidiaries in different locations. It saves on time and money that would have otherwise been used to cater for travelling expenses. A video conference works by allowing the users to see each other. This has been known to increase the connection between the speakers as they get to see the other person’s expressions and body language at large. Components of a video conference include: a screen to broadcast the video, a strong network (which allows for the fast connectivity during the conference), cameras on both parties’ devices, headphones or speakers, and an acoustic echo cancellation to reduce the audio delays.

What is a Webcast?

A webcast is a real-time broadcast of a video or an audio through the internet. Participants of the webcast may choose to either watch the webcast silently or engage the other delegates. That there is a face-to-face interaction allows all participants to stay interacted and not drift from the meeting. Servers in a webcast can be programmed in such a way that way that participants from different countries can get their inquiries answered in real time. This way, no one is inconvenienced by virtue of being in a faraway location. The webcast can also be recorded for future reference, or to simply be handed over to members who could not appear at the original online meeting.

What Does a Virtual Event Mean?

A virtual event is an organised meeting that takes place online and can range from a brief question and answer series with a handful of people to a full on conference with a thousand users. In order to host a successful virtual event, a few tips must be observed. For starters, it is essential to create a game plan. The host must come up with a strategy on how the event would go about. This means he should find a way to direct the conversation so that the participants do not drift from the main topic. Secondly, the time picked has to be just right. The participants may be in different locations and the time picked may be either too early or too late for some of them. A central time would encourage more people to show up to the virtual event. Lastly, the event should be promoted before the live dates so as to attract more people. A hashtag is a great place to start as there are hundreds of millions of people who use social media daily.

What is a Bannercast?

A Bannercast is a real time video that that gives participants the opportunity to place a webcast in a website banner advertisement. Bannercast’s are advantageous in that the users have the option of registering or not before they get to interact with advertisers, customers, and other stakeholders of the transaction. This program is most effective in advertising items on the internet as this is more likely to attract the target audience through the use of cookies on the various websites.

What is a Slidecast?

A slidecast is a kind of podcast whose audio is accompanied by a slide presentation to give the user a visual of what is being spoken about. It incorporates the use of imagery that must be synchronised with the image. The difference between a slidecast and a webcast is that the latter uses live images which usually comprises of the participant’s videos while a slidecast uses still images in relation to the topic in question. Slidecasts are popular in academic settings whereby they are used for student presentations or exam reviews.

What is a Hybrid Event?

A hybrid event is a workshop, seminar, conference or tradeshow that uses both live events and virtual components. In essence, this is a physical meeting which also engages an online audience. A successful hybrid event must contain the following components:

• Dynamic images. There should be three or more cameras shooting at different angles. This would give the online audience the impression that they are in the in the physical room and their view would not be subjected to just one angle.
• Interactive segments. It is crucial for the members physically present to be focused on the online audience as well. The objective is to avoid making the online audience feel like they are outsiders.