Tips for Your Next Business Conference

For many, the online business conference is an entirely new experience. While many of us are intimately familiar with the old-fashioned meeting room, understanding the social and work obligation of the environment, this new world has thrown us for six.

It’s a little wonder!

In just a few short months, we went from the tried and tested methods of office life into the brand-new world of remote work. Though workers, on the whole, are seeming to enjoy this new setup, there remains some confusion about the online business conference.

Therefore, to ensure your next business conference runs smoothly, we’ve put together a few helpful tips.

Preparation is King

This little mantra is true of most aspects of life. The more prepared you are, the better you can handle the surprises that come your way. However, for an online business conference, this is especially true.

The Power of the Agenda

To start, create an agenda. This should include:

• The goals of the meeting,
• The topics you want to cover and,
• Any responsibilities of the attendees, such as who is taking the meeting’s minutes.

You will also want to assign any prep work in advance of the meeting, so people can arrive ready to participate.

As a rule of thumb, when writing the agenda, give each point a ten-minute slot. People tend to become fixated on the minor details, which are better left to a one-to-one call. Group meetings should be about resolving significant issues. With a specific timespan, everyone can focus on achieving their goals. Additionally, if the meeting is likely to run over an hour, split it into two or schedule a break. People’s concentration isn’t infinite.

Test Your Setup

Before the meeting begins, check your camera, microphone and internet connection are all working. There are few things more annoying – and unprofessional – than trying to perform a tech fix while everyone is waiting.

Perform a quick test call with a colleague to test your mic and camera. Then run a speed test on your internet. If there are others at home, request that they don’t perform any high bandwidth activities for the duration of the interview.

Finally, consider the position of your camera. You will want to sit somewhere with natural light, as you don’t want your face cast in shadow. Avoid lamps, as these cast dark shadows. Furthermore, position the camera at eye level. If you place it lower than your face, it will drag out your appearance and give everyone a prime view of your nostrils.

Explore the Possibilities

Part of the wonders of online business conference calls is access to fabulous technological features. First up, let’s consider the virtual whiteboard. If you need to explain a concept or idea to a group, instead of trying to paint a picture with your description, draw it out. You can use the whiteboard for sketches, flow charts, and diagrams. Moreover, you can also have a quick game of Pictionary as an icebreaker.

Next, we have the option of screen sharing. Back in the real world, for people to show work, laptops would have to be swapped, in an exasperating rigmarole. With online business conferences, it’s as easy as a click of a button. Use screen sharing to share work, perform a presentation, or even show a short video exploring a concept.

Virtual backgrounds are quickly gaining recognition as a useful tool. Despite working from home, we don’t want people snooping into our home, invading our privacy. Therefore, use a virtual background to hide the backdrop using incredible greenscreen technology. At Hello Backgrounds, they are some of the best possible virtual backgrounds around. With a choice ranging from fancy apartments and offices to serene, natural vistas.

Lastly, we can record meetings. In prior days, if you missed a meeting, the best alternative was to review the minutes and catch up with a colleague. Today, you can watch the meeting back as if it were happening live. Therefore, no one ever needs to miss a meeting again. Such a feature is fantastic for future reference and record-keeping. However, if a session was a teaching tutorial, then, rather than rerun the meeting, the recording can be used as a training material.

So, there you go. Next time you’re joining an online business conference, keep these tips in mind. They might revolutionise your experience.