TelSpan -Worldwide Conferencing

Part 5 in a Series

You just completed your successful conferencing event and are finally taking a deep breath.  You selected a great Conferencing Services Provider for your event.  The Event Advisors held your hand and walked you through every step of preparing for your event.  You worked the bugs out during the dry run, and the day of the event your Event Operator made sure your event was flawless.  The online registration platform boosted your attendance while reducing the administrative work on your end considerably.  Your speaker had an engaging presentation and the Q&A session generated a lot of great discussion.

What now?

Don’t forget to tie up the last details post-event.

Participant Report - A participant report can be generated from your online registration tool, or provided by your Event Operator if you so requested.  Use the information to study your participants for future use.  If you used an online registration tool you may have survey results available to you as well.

Transcription - If you requested one, a written transcript of your event will be sent to you.

Archived File - If you requested an archived file of your event, you can download the file post-event and your content will live on. Uses for archived events may include, podcasting, posting on your website, using for a reference or training library, or review by those who were unable to attend the event live.

Post-Event Wrap Up -Discuss any question or issues with your Event Advisor after the event and schedule your next conferencing event!

Part two in a Series

There are many conferencing providers who provide audio and conferencing services. However, not all are proficient at executing high profile conferencing events.  Here are some things to consider when selecting a provider for conferencing events:

Service Offerings – Does the provider offer all the services you might require for your event including operator assisted audio conferencing, web conferencing, recording and archiving services, streaming and webcasting, online registration, podcasting and video conferencing?  You do not want to have to utilize multiple providers on one event.

Event Assistance – Does the provider offer Event Advisors or other trained event conferencing specialists who focus entirely on planning and executing conferencing events?

Quality of Operators – Not only do some audio conferencing providers outsource, or not offer operator assisted functionality, the quality of the operators varies greatly among providers.  The quality and professionalism of the operator is often the one element most likely to affect the overall professionalism of your conferencing event.

Experience – Be sure the provider you select has experience with the type of conferencing event you are undertaking.  Consider the longevity of the provider and the experiences of their clients.

In my next post we’ll start to look at different elements that make up a conferencing event.

News Release: July 8, 2010

TelSpan, the Indianapolis-based provider of worldwide conferencing services, is proud to announce exciting new enhancements to its TelSpanRayo web conferencing platform.  The functionality of the platform has been improved without changing the primary software interface. TelSpanRayo clients now have the ability to download recorded presentations to be distributed as they wish.  Webcams and video and audio clips will not be included in the downloadable recordings, though video and audio clips are available in the recordings stored on-line within TelSpanRayo.  The webcam functionality has been relocated on the presentation screen for easier viewing.  Improved Java sharing for non-Windows PCs is also now included.  Platform stability, chat features, and TelSpanRayo library functionality have also been improved.

In the past month alone we have heard stories of devastation and destruction disrupting businesses and altering lives forever.

• Volcanic ash disrupting flights and impacting travel dramatically.
• Floods causing devastation.
• Tornados leaving swaths of destruction.
• An oil spill causing massive environmental damage, and negatively impacting a wide variety of industries, with no end in sight.

It’s easy to think these disasters won’t happen to us but no one is immune.  Every organization should have a disaster preparedness plan, and part of that plan should include the ability to communicate via conferencing platforms when offices are closed or travel disrupted.

We have clients in the southern United States who utilize TelSpan’s audio conferencing services to communicate during emergencies, particularly hurricanes.   From urgent conferencing solutions where you can dial out to your entire staff in an emergency with just one phone call, to recording emergency updates via phone which can be accessed by employees, TelSpan offers more solutions for disaster planning than just day-to-day conferencing.  Be sure to have audio and web conferencing codes established and at the ready in case a need to communicate by phone or to meet with dispersed participants occurs.

Call us today at 800-800-1729 to learn how our unique conferencing solutions can help you prepare for the unexpected and keep your organization performing during any emergency.

Here are five ways to utilize conferencing to improve your environmental impact and "green" your organization:

Offer Telecommuting to your Employees:  Telecommuting benefits the environment by reducing carbon emissions and lessening the wear and tear on roads, bridges and highways.   Think about the positive environmental impact if each of your employees telecommuted one day per week and connected via audio and web conferencing when not in the office.

Reduce Business Travel: In today’s world, business travel often has to be justified not only in terms of the bottom line, but in environmental terms as well.  A recent report found that airlines are emitting 20 percent more carbon dioxide into the environment than previously estimated. The amount could hit 1.5 billion tons a year by 2025, from the airline industry alone.  Reducing travel by utilizing audio and web conferencing in place of travel reduces carbon emissions, saves time and money, and keeps employees healthier and happier.

Reduce Printed Documents: Share and transfer documents online via web conference rather than printing and mailing them.

Take Online Recruiting to the Next Level:  Utilize video, web and audio conferencing to streamline your interviewing process before bringing candidates in for a live meeting.  Online recruiting offers particular environmental and cost benefits.  Instead of candidates traveling a great distance by car or air for screening, why not hold a web conference using a web cam? 

Offer Online Training and Education: Reduce time, travel, and expenses by offering online training and education programs via conferencing.  Participants can attend from anywhere and you can record and archive your events for further use.

At TelSpan, we have the services and the know-how to help you make your organization greener, more efficient, and more profitable.  Contact us today for more information.

Webinars are a great way for associations and other organizations to add some extra income to their bottom line.  By charging a participant fee, webinars can easily pay for themselves, or become a source of additional revenue!

Here’s an example of how one of our association clients utilized our Event Services to add over $1200 in revenue with just one 90 minute Webinar with 30 attendees, each paying $75 to attend:

Let us know other ways you have utilized conferencing services to benefit your organization!

When your conferencing participants or speakers encounter an unexpected issue accessing your event, is someone there to assist?  Here’s what happened recently when a TelSpan conference speaker encountered an issue.

Last week, Dan Keller, our Director, Corporate Quality Assurance received a call.  The caller had recently been a speaker on a webinar facilitated by a TelSpan client.  Unfortunately, during the pre-conference, she experienced issues accessing the web conferencing platform due to security issues with her employer’s server.  She called Mr. Keller after the event  to personally inform him that she was completely surprised and greatly impressed with TelSpan’s follow-up with her regarding her web conferencing issues, especially since she was not a TelSpan client.  She thanked Web Services for his outstanding work, extreme professionalism, and the caring attitude he exhibited.  She also stated that TelSpan provided her with such great service that she is recommending that her employer begin using us as their conferencing provider!

At TelSpan, every employee is guided by our goal to provide E3 (Excellence Exceeding Expectations) service to each and every person with whom we come into contact.  When selecting a conferencing provider, prepare for the unexpected!

One of the great benefits of online systems is the ability to record and archive your event for future use.  Create training or educational libraries by recording your events and archiving them.  Those who wish to review the materials again, those who were unable to attend the original session, or those who join your organization at a later time can view these archived sessions on demand.   You can even charge and collect a fee for archived event viewing, creating another revenue stream for your association.

Today’s organizations find they can do so much more, with less time, money and effort, by utilizing online training and education.  Use the latest technology to streamline your programs, enhance your offerings to your members, expand your reach, save money, and even possibly generate revenue!

Implementing an online training and education program is easier than you think!

Contact us for more information. 1-800-800-1729

Use Online Training and Education to Increase Member Satisfaction

Imagine how easy and cost efficient it could be to connect with your members via conferencing platforms, whether audio and/or web, in order to bring them the latest updates in your industry, or to offer them free or reduced-cost training on important issues.  This is a way to really add value to your members and increase their satisfaction.  Member retention is increased when the training and educational services you provide become integral to your member’s personal and professional success, and who isn't concerned about growing and retaining members?

Today's online tools allow for collaboration through polling, chatting, live conversation, and desktop sharing.  Many associations have found that the interaction of the group is actually increased when meeting online, compared to those who attend in a lecture setting.  Allowing your members to interact and collaborative gives them a feeling of investment in the communications process.  Friendships and other relationships are facilitated.  Just another way to add value to your membership!

Have you considered reasons why your members may be seeking online training and educational programs?  Here are some of those reasons!

1) Increase Time-to-Competency
Online programs allow you to bring your staff and members up to date as quickly as possible.  Utilizing virtual training and education methods allows you to schedule updates on-demand, and more frequently if needed.  Frequent, timely information will increase the overall competency of your audience, making them the experts in their fields.  Can you say "Membership Value"?!

2) Strengthen Relationships
Become a strategic partner in the success of your members.  Use online methods to bring information on changing laws, regulations, and other timely information to your members before others do.  Establishing yourself as the “go-to organization” for information cements you as the organization of choice for your members.  Information adds value to any relationship.

3) Increase Revenue
Create revenue-generating opportunities for your association by charging a fee for training and education.  Associations strive to maintain relevance in today’s world.  Those who are successful have discovered the rewards of offering education, training, and information as a value-add to their members.  The benefits are many.  Associations benefit from the non-dues revenue, increasing membership, and member retention.  Members benefit from low-cost information, training, and continuing education units, often required for their job, certification or license.  Associations today are fighting for membership dollars.  Those who provide online services will rise above their competitors as they increase the value of their membership.  Some programs may even be offered at no-charge or minimal charge to members when underwritten by a vendor or other sponsor.

In these challenging times. Everyone needs to consider programs that are easy to implement, and which increase bottom line revenue and add value to members.  We at TelSpan are ready to help!