Conferencing Tips

Meetings Made Easy
Soft $ Benefits of Videoconferencing
Video Conferencing Tips
Setting Up VideoConferencing Facilities
Worksheet

Meetings Made Easy

Calculate Your Savings

On average, busy professionals like you attend more than 60 meetings each month. Travelling to and from these meetings is often considered a necessity, but based on research obtained from a recent "Meetings in America" study's believe that companies can often save money, increase efficiency and reduce stress by conducting more meetings electronically instead of in-person.

There's more to a meeting than meets the eye. Time spent travelling to and from the meeting, preparation time, briefing others who couldn't attend, wasted time at airports, missed work at the office, employee's salaries - all of these factors affect your meeting costs.

Using these factors, independent researchers calculated the cost of a typical five-person meeting, comparing travel to Videoconferencing. They found that an in-person meeting in which four attendees travel by plane is three times more expensive than a Videoconference. When you consider that busy professionals make an average of 4.6 plane trips per month, these costs can add up quickly.

Companies are feeling the pressure of rising airfares. Eighty-six percent of professionals surveyed said they are under more pressure this year to reduce travel costs.

The amount of time spent preparing for, travelling to and attending an in-person meeting is three times greater than the time involved in a Videoconference meeting.

Seventy-three percent of busy professionals said business travel causes stress due to time away from family, and sixty-four percent stress about work that piles up at the office during their absence.

Of course, electronic meetings may never completely replace in-person meetings. Certain business situations, such as your first meeting with a prospective client, generally require face-to-face contact and thus may involve travel. But more and more busy professionals just like you are saving time and reducing stress.

Soft $ Benefits of Videoconferencing

Below is an outline of the "soft" benefits that can be incorporated into your cost-benefit analysis.

Reduced Travel Costs

Airfare
Lodging, Meals, Car Rentals
Non-productive travel time, such as:
- trip preparation
- ground travel
- scheduling
Increased Productivity
Reduced Travel Time
Reduced Fatigue
Improved Quality of Life
Eliminated work build up during absence
Opportunity for more staff participation in meeting
Accelerated decision making
Increased intra- and intercompany communication flow

Strategic Benefits

Competitive Advantage
Improved customer service
Faster time to market
Scarce resource leverage
Better quality decisions
Faster management decisions
Improved Training - More timely manner & consistent message

Click here to see a worksheet that justifies a simple cost model to compute a cost justification analysis.

Videoconferencing Tips

Wear "Videoconferencing Friendly" Clothing

Color Avoid very intense colors, such as reds, as they tend to "bleed" on screen. Shirts and blouses in pastel colors look better than bright whites. Light and Dark Avoid all-light or all-dark clothing. The camera's automatic brightness control will be tricked by these. If you are wearing too much light-colored clothing, the camera will automatically darken the picture, making your face appear shadowed.

Arrive Early

Arrive at least 15 minutes early for a brief orientation. Become familiar with the keypad and all the peripherals you will be using.

Best Camera Settings

Your image looks best when you're seen from the waist up, with about 10% of the picture area left above your head.

Camera Presets

If you'll need to focus on different people during the presentation, use the keypad to preset up to at least four "views" in the room. During the presentation, simply press one of the preset buttons to move the camera instead of trying to manually pan and zoom, which can be awkward.

Be Natural

Speak and move naturally. Maintain eye contact with the people on screen as you would if you were meeting in person. There is about a half second transmission delay, so pause briefly for others to comment. It is a good idea to introduce yourself to others on the call.

Audio

During multipoint conferences, the system is usually set up to switch to the location with the most noise and movement. Side conversations and noises can cause the camera to switch unnecessarily. To keep the camera from switching when you don't want it to and possibly creating an embarrassing situation, use the MUTE button on the keypad when your location is not talking.

Avoid Unnecessary Sound and Movement

Avoid distracting movement such as tapping a pencil, turning back and forth in your chair, wiggling your foot, chewing gum, etc. The microphone is very sensitive and any noises made on your end will be amplified at the other end. If you need to shuffle papers, sneeze, move the microphone, etc., use the MUTE button until you're done.

Presentation Material for the Document Camera or PC

For best readability, use 24 point or larger font. Use a wider margin; sides will be slightly cut off. Keep to a landscaped format. Keep pictures simple and words few.

Setting Up VideoConferencing Facilities

Planning a videoconferencing space is more than just setting up a couple of cameras in a regular meeting room. Effective videoconferencing requires attention to the space’s physical factors and layout.

The following is the first of a two-part design tip highlighting the fundamentals for planning ideal conferencing spaces

Location, Location, Location

Room shape can be determined by the number of people who will be frequently using the space:

Rectangular-shaped rooms are best for meetings with four or more people – all participants should be within the camera's view
Square rooms are suitable for smaller meetings with less than three people
To minimize noise distractions, the videoconferencing room should be in a remote area, away from the cafeteria or other gathering place
Place a red light or a sign outside the room to alert others that a conference is in process

Make an Entrance

Provide two entrances to the room so that participants can enter the room and sit down without walking in front of the camera
The wall behind the participants should not have any doors or windows as this may cause distraction during sessions

Behind the Scene

The best choice for wall-paint colour is a light blue or light grey. White creates too much of a contrast and may actually make it difficult to see participants’ faces, especially those with darker skin tones
Avoid large patterns on furniture, walls or clothing – these tend to distract remote conferences
Keep artwork or plants out of the camera’s view

Optional Extras

Consider placing company logos behind the users as long as they do not reflect light or detract from the participants
Hang additional wall clocks in the room to display alternate time zones

Lights, Camera, Action!

Choose a room without windows or use light-blocking shades to provide light control
Use indirect fluorescent lighting to shine upward and reflect evenly off of the ceiling. Lights that shine downward tend to create shadows on the participants’ faces

Setting the Stage

Choose tables that provide access to power and data.
Chairs should not rock or roll. Wheels squeak when they roll and the rocking motion provides a distracting activity for fidgety, camera-shy participants.
Carts or cabinetry for audio-visual equipment should provide power and cable management systems. A cart should also lock and have wheels for mobility.