How to set up and host a Zoom Webinar with the MQG Zoom account Sign in using the credentials once your date and time have been approved. In the left-hand menu panel, select “My Webinars.” Click the button that says “Schedule a Webinar.” Fill out the entry fields: Topic Description When Duration Time Zone Registration Select “required” if you want attendees to register. This ensures a level of security. Leave it unchecked if you don’t need attendees to register. Authentication They need to sign in to the webinar from the Zoom account the invite was sent to Webinar Passcode Passcode means that only users with your invite link or passcode can enter. Host video: This is your webcam. You decide whether to turn it on or leave it off. At the MQG, we leave ours on for introductions and Q&A. Panelists Video: This is your presenter’s webcam. We recommend leaving this on so you can see the presenter. Audio options: “Telephone” means that attendees must call in with a phone to hear the webinar. “Computer Audio” means that attendees may only use their computers to listen. We recommend giving attendees an option by selecting “Both.” Disable Q&A: If you select this box, no one will be able to ask questions via the chat box in the Zoom webinar platform. We recommend leaving it unchecked. Webinar Options Enable Practice Session: Checking this box means that you’ll be able to start the webinar with the presenter without others seeing you. This “practice session” continues until you click the “Start Broadcast” button in the Zoom interface. We recommend enabling practice sessions so you and the presenter can log in 10–15 minutes early. Click “Schedule” to move to the next page of setup. This is the main dashboard for your webinar. When you return to Zoom to access your webinar information, this is the page you will come to. You may edit any of the information you’ve already input and see the number of registered attendees. Branding: You may use our webinar banner, or you may upload your own. You may also upload a logo. Invitations Invite Panelists: This is where you’ll add your presenter or presenters. Click “Edit” and fill out the forms with your presenter’s info. This will send them an automated email with a link to log in at the time of the webinar. Invite Attendees: Share this info with potential attendees in one of two ways: i. Copy/paste the registration link to send in an email or share on social media. Copy the pre-written invitation and paste it into an email. Note: Clicking the “Email me the invitation” option will send it to guilds@themodernquiltguild.com unless you change your email address (see the note on the next page about changing it). Manage Attendees: Here you can search for registered members and either cancel their registration or resend the confirmation email. You can also see the number of attendees. Email settings: Reply-to: Please change this first field and use your webinar manager’s email address instead of guilds@themodernquiltguild.com. This ensures that all communications about this particular webinar go to your guild. Invitation Email to Panelists: Click “Edit” and make sure this box is checked. Confirmation Email to Registrants: Click “Edit” and make sure the “Send Confirmation Email to Registrants” box is checked. Leave the email template at its default settings. Reminder Email: Click “Edit” and select the time you’d like to send the reminder. We generally use the “1-hour” option. Leave the email template at its default settings. Follow-up Email to Attendees: If you would like to request feedback from attendees, please use this feature. If not, please disable it by unchecking the box in the “Edit” menu. Polls: If you’d like to ask poll questions during the webinar, add them here. Conducting a Test Webinar We recommend hosting a test webinar for you and the presenter at least a week in advance. This familiarizes both of you with the webinar platform and lets you discuss what to expect on the day of the webinar. Please coordinate with the MQG on a date and time to do a test just as you would with a webinar. To do this, create a brand-new webinar following the steps above, and call it “[Your guild name] test webinar.” Do not conduct a test using the official webinar you created for members. Set up the test for a pre-determined time that works with your presenter’s schedule. You should do a private webinar test to explain the Zoom platform and tell the presenter what to expect at your guild webinar. Starting and hosting the webinar Once you’re ready to begin the webinar, log in to Zoom, go to “My Webinars” and click on your webinar. Click “Start Webinar.” If you’ve enabled the Practice Session (see above), you will not be visible to attendees until you click “Broadcast” within the webinar interface. Select the type of audio you’d like to use. You may either use your computer’s audio or call in via phone using the number provided. We recommend using the computer’s audio if possible. Now you should see the main webinar interface. The menu options are as follows. Audio and video settings are on the left. Use these at any time to mute/unmute yourself or stop or share your webcam. Participants: Click this button to see all viewers once the broadcast has begun. While you are in practice mode, it will say you have no viewers (0). All participants are muted and invisible by default, and we recommend keeping it that way during the presentation. Q&A: This is where attendees will ask questions during the presentation. At the MQG, we prefer viewers to ask questions via this box, and we read them aloud at the end of the presentation. You also have the option to unmute an attendee so they may ask their own question (this can be done in the Participants section). We recommend deciding on a method for Q&A ahead of time and explaining to attendees at the start how they should ask questions. Polling: If you added poll questions during the webinar setup, they will appear here. We do not use polls in MQG webinars. Share Screen: Click this button to share your computer screen in addition to your webcam. Likely, it will be the presenter sharing their screen so they can show their slide deck, so explain to the presenter that this is the button they’ll use to do so. Chat: We recommend turning off the chat by clicking the menu option and unchecking “Allow Viewer Chat.” If left on, chats will show up for the webinar host, presenter, and all attendees, which can be distracting. More: This is where you can invite members by sending the access link, or you may start a recording. Recording: If you choose to record your webinar, be sure to click record just before starting the broadcast. This will ensure all of your webinar is recorded. Once the webinar has ended, you will see options for converting the audio/video and where to save the files. If enabled the host and the presenter have access to the practice session for as long as you’d like before you start the broadcast. During this time, no one can see you, though you can see and talk to each other. Once you are ready to start, click the Broadcast button to go live. Webinar Hosting Best Practices Before starting the broadcast, have the presenter share their screen and set their slide deck to presentation mode. This way, the presentation is ready to go once the host introduces the session. The host should begin the webinar by welcoming attendees and providing an introduction to the topic and presenter. Also, take a few moments to explain the Zoom platform and tell attendees how they should submit questions for Q&A. For example, you could say, “Welcome to the webinar. We’re very excited to have [Speaker] here tonight to talk about [Topic]. Before we begin, please note that we will have a Q&A session at the end of the presentation, and you can submit questions via the Q&A box in the menu on the bottom of your screen.” If the webinar is being recorded, tell viewers when and where they can watch it again. Give an introduction to the speaker by reading their bio or sharing a bit about them. Once the host is done with introductions, invite the speaker to begin the presentation. At this point, the host should mute their audio and stop sharing their webcam to allow the speaker to present without distractions. During the presentation, the host should monitor the Q&A section for any questions about technical difficulties. If there is a technical difficulty, ask the attendee (via chat) to log out and log back in. If that doesn’t work, they can call in on their phone using the number in the confirmation email. Once the speaker is done presenting, the host should unmute their audio and turn their camera back on to facilitate the Q&A session. The host should read questions out loud for the presenter to answer. Once the presentation is over, the host should thank the speaker for their time and thank the attendees for joining. Then click “End Meeting” in the lower right of the screen to end the webinar. If the webinar is being recorded, a screen will then pop up showing the options for converting and storing the session. You can choose where to save the recording in the menus provided. FAQ WHERE SHOULD WE HOLD OUR WEBINAR? Choose a location that has good lighting and good wifi access. Since you will be the host, it’s important that you have good Internet. If you are accommodating a crowd, make sure the location has a large screen so attendees can see, and speakers so they can hear. If you are conducting the webinar from home, make sure your room has good lighting (so you show up well on your webcam), and again, that you have a strong Internet connection. HOW LONG SHOULD OUR WEBINAR BE? The MQG webinars are about one hour long, with time for questions. We find this is enough time to thoroughly cover a topic, but not too long to inconvenience attendees. You can also hold shorter webinars if there is enough time to cover your topic. CAN WE RECORD OUR WEBINAR? Yes, as long as you have written permission from the presenter. The recording will be saved to the host’s personal computer as an mp4 file that you can upload to YouTube or Vimeo. WHO CAN WE SHARE THE WEBINAR WITH? WHAT ABOUT COPYRIGHT? At the MQG, we allow webinar recordings to be viewed only by members. We also post the following copyright information with all recordings. You may wish to draft something similar. You must have written permission from the presenters to share the webinar beyond meetings. Copyright © 2016 by The MQG and [Presenter]. Photos used with permission. Licensed for webinars by the Modern Quilt Guild. All rights reserved. Licensed only for private home viewing or public viewing at official Modern Quilt Guild meetings. Any public performance (including non-MQG or unofficial MQG guild meetings) or copying is prohibited. This webinar thereof may not be reproduced, sold, commercialized, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of [Presenter] and the Modern Quilt Guild. CAN WE HAVE MORE THAN ONE PRESENTER FOR A PANEL? Yes, you can have more than one presenter. Please see HOW TO SET UP AND HOST A ZOOM WEBINAR. WHO SHOULD WE INVITE TO ATTEND GUILD WEBINARS? CAN WE HAVE PUBLIC WEBINARS OR ARE THEY RESTRICTED TO GUILD MEMBERS? This is up to you. The guild webinar platform will accommodate 100 registered attendees signing in from different computers. If you have a large guild, not everyone may be able to attend from home, though people may watch together. If you have a small guild, you are welcome to invite the public. IS THERE A WAY TO REQUEST PAYMENT FOR THE WEBINAR? No, not from the Zoom platform. You can request payment from an attendee before sending them the registration link, but this must be done manually and independently from our platform.
