The following checklist was
compiled with the assistance of Megan Kirst, president of Kingman,
Ariz.-based Global Videoconferencing Solutions; www.globalvideoconf.com.
Determining Needs
Will the videoconference be held
point-to-point or multi-point? (Point-to-point is between two
locations; multi-point is between three or more locations.)
Can the videoconference be held at
your office or venue, or will it be necessary to rent a
videoconferencing facility?
If a multipoint videoconference is
planned, does the facility have a multipoint bridge? If not, an
outside bridging provider will be needed.
What type of connection will be used?
It is standard to use a private IP network, the Internet or ISDN
lines. The more bandwidth you have available, the better the image
will be.
How many participants will be at each
location? Ensure that all participants will have adequate
visibility and will be covered by cameras and microphones.
What support equipment will be
needed? If any video or computer presentations are scheduled, a
computer scan converter or VCR might be required.
Initial
Preparations
At what time will the videoconference
be held? Many international videoconferences occur at odd hours of
the day and night. Provide coffee and tea if it is scheduled in the
early morning or late evening.
Give all participants the conference
agenda, including the date, time and a complete list of
participants.
Brief participants on instructions or
a contingency plan in the event of technical difficulties.
Consider using a facilitator to
ensure full participation, especially if the videoconference will
be multipoint.
Build in time for audience
interaction.
Advise participants not to wear
patterned clothing or shiny jewelry.
Give a list of participants at each
location to all involved.
Setting Up
What type of equipment are remote
sites using? Most domestic videoconferences are conducted via an
H.320 or H.323 system.
What are the ISDN numbers for the
remote site or sites?
Set up a test call a few days in
advance to ensure compatibility between local and remote sites and
systems.
Be sure video equipment is on and
working at least 30 minutes before the meeting is scheduled to
begin.
Adjust camera angles. Ideally, no
more than 10 percent of the picture should be above participants’
heads.
To reduce glare, make sure
curtains/blinds are drawn.
During the
Videoconference
Introduce participants at all
locations and outline the meeting’s agenda.
Follow the agenda to maximize time-
and cost-effectiveness.
Advise participants to address one
another by name to avoid confusion during interaction (and for
audiotapes).
To reduce background noise, put
participants in a “listen-only” mode when they are not
speaking.
Present information in short segments
for better audience retention and smoother Q&A sessions.
Use colorful visual aids such as
charts and graphs to communicate key points.
Note that international connections
might have slight delays in response time. Time comments to avoid
overlap and interruptions.
Following Up
Distribute conference minutes to all
participants.
Make audiotapes, videotapes or DVDs
of the event available to participants and to those who could not
attend.
Notes: