Note: This story was written during the COVID-19 pandemic. None of the content has been changed so that it reflects the sentiments of the moment. However, much of the information remains relevant.

First: How are you? We’ve all been impacted by the virus, and we are all trying to carve new routines…us included. So, now that the initial jolt into a new reality has settled in, we find ourselves returning to what we know best – meetings and conferences.

As you know, virtual meetings are the new normal. And even though, in the past, you may have gotten away with pairing a dress shirt and tie with pajama bottoms and slippers for the quick video chat, nearly all business is being conducted via video conferencing now. Our goal has always been to help our clients’ meetings be as effective and successful as possible – and we’re happy to translate our knowledge and expertise to video conferencing.

In a recent Inc. article, Drew Bowers, a research psychologist in the University of Dayton Research Institute’s Human Factors Group, put it plainly: “You can’t simply take a presentation you gave in front of a live audience at a conference and throw it up on a video monitor for a virtual audience and expect the same results, because you’re limited, to a degree, in how you can interact with your virtual audience.”

On that note, we highlighted a few more points from that article and added many practical ideas of our own to provide some basic best practices for more effective virtual meetings and conferences.

Choose the Appropriate Platform for Your Goals

Choosing a virtual meeting platform depends on what you want to achieve in your meetings. WIRED has produced a quick comparison of the most popular, but a rundown of considerations are in order. Things to look for would be:

• Image quality. Look for HD video and audio.
• Crowd size. Is your meeting large or small? Some platforms, like Zoom, can accommodate up to 1,000 participants simultaneously.
• Meeting time. How much time do you need? It’s tempting to try out the Free versions, but be aware – many free versions have time limits (as well as group size limits). You want to avoid getting cut off or the opposite – having to rush through.
• Collaboration capabilities. Consider features that you might need and also help keep participants engaged, like screen share, team chat, hand raising, file sharing, desktop and application sharing, whiteboarding and annotations.
• Recording. It could be handy to be able to save meetings to the cloud, along with transcripts that have searchable text.
• Mobile friendly. Adding more flexibility for your guests is helpful and fairly easy, so why not? Two options to look for here: a mobile app and a dial-in option for audio-only capability.
• Security. Look for 256-bit TLS encryption to ensure that the meetings you hold, and the files you share within them, are secure.

Setting Up Your Space 

By now you’ve probably seen a lot of variations on this topic. Everyone from news anchors to colleagues to family – it’s offered an opportunity to observe what is going on in the background, plus notice the lighting quality and props.

• Quiet, please. Make sure you are in a quiet setting.
• Camera position. The best position is seated and close enough to the camera so that other participants get the feeling that you’re engaged and present. Make sure your camera is eye level – too low, too high, or weird angles can be very distracting – and unflattering. If you need to present, use screen sharing and digital whiteboard technology. Trying to present from a distance on a whiteboard simply doesn’t work well.
• Lighting. Be sure you are well lit. Here are some great suggestions from Lifesize.
• Be comfortable. Fidgeting can be distracting to other attendees. Make sure your chair is comfortable and you have everything you need close at hand to avoid a lot of movement.
• Look behind you. Wall decorations should be appropriate and your surroundings clean.
• Remove clutter. Your viewable space should be clean and neat. Especially your desk.

Remember Proper Meeting Etiquette

Keep in mind, you’re still in a meeting and many of the traditional meeting etiquettes still apply. Here are some Dos and Don’ts:

• Do maintain eye contact. Look into the camera, not at yourself on the screen.
• Do limit distractions. Turn off your cell phone and avoid checking emails and texts.
• Don’t interrupt other speakers.
• Do wear appropriate clothing. Dress as if you’re meeting in person – you never know if you’re going to have to get up. Avoid visually distracting clothing and jewelry – striped shirts and large, shiny, jewelry do not transmit well on camera.

Encourage Participant Engagement

One of the perks of virtual meetings is that they lend themselves to a more relaxed atmosphere – so keeping attendees engaged is critical. By interspersing engagement opportunities throughout the meeting, you reduce the temptation for attendees to multi-task or sit back and “tune out.” Consider the following:

• Icebreakers. Starting your meeting with an “icebreaker” is a great way to ease into the meeting instead of jumping right into tasks. It’s also a great way to add the social element that’s missing during social distancing.
• Themes. Depending on the time of day, it could be a “morning coffee club” or if it’s in the afternoon, you could start with mindful meditations.
• Polls & Questions. Taking polls during the meeting offers you the opportunity to get immediate feedback. Asking questions and asking for answers via chat not only engage remote participants but it also keeps the personal connection going. Keep questions specific – asking open-ended questions to a large remote audience can often result in “dead air.”
• Variety. Try something different – don’t be afraid to think outside the box. For inspiration check out our post on Gamification.

Test Before You Go Live

Don’t get caught looking like you didn’t prepare. Test your microphone before that actual meeting by video conferencing a co-worker or friend. Request their feedback on your background and lighting.

And Finally…

There really is no comparison to gathering in person – and we will need (and likely be craving) that kind of interactive networking and idea-sharing when this crisis is past. UD Conference Services is looking forward to that day and will be ready to serve you.

We’ve been taking a new look at our venues and seeing all the ways we are able to meet potential challenges. The large open spaces in the Clayton Conference Center offer incredibly flexible usage scenarios. The expansive grounds around The Virden Center in Lewes offer meetings and events the opportunity to be outdoors taking advantage of a coastal environment and the amazing productivity boost that can bring. But until we meet again, take care and stay connected.