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 4 in a Series
Many components are involved in a complex conferencing event. Now that your planning and preparation are completed, what components might be involved during your actual event?
• A custom script prepared during pre-event planning may be used if desired for a welcome statement, Q&A session, and closing comments.
• All participants may enter the call in lecture mode if you desire. In broadcast mode, all participants’ lines will be muted during the presentation to reduce background noise, ensuring an uninterrupted event.
• Your Event Operator can run a professionally managed Q&A session during your event.
• If needed, a back-door line can be established, with an additional Event Operator to facilitate behind-the-scenes communication.
• Your event may be broadcast via a stream over the internet to a large audience if desired.
Each conferencing event is unique, and your event will be customized to your particular needs. In my next post we’ll learn what happens post-event.
Part 3 in a Series
You’ve decided to have a conferencing event and you have selected a conferencing provider. What can you expect next?
A conferencing provider specializing in events will work closely with you to plan your event. At TelSpan, a dedicated Event Advisor will contact you to review all the details and requirements for your upcoming conferencing event. They will make helpful suggestions such as how to register and notify participants about your event, provide tips for increasing attendance and engagement at your event, and will arrange for speaker training prior to the big day.
Pre-event activities also often include:
• Script preparation.
• Pre-recording of introductions.
• Preparation of a promotional tape, theme music, or an ad campaign to be played into the conference call.
• Scheduling and conducting a dry run to be held several days in advance of the event.
• Sub-conference the day of the event to meet with scheduled speakers to review the agenda before going live.
• Confirmation of event requirements such as roll call, participant reports to be generated post-Event, polling to be conducted, or transcriptions.
In my next post we’ll look at components of the live 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.
Part one in a series
At TelSpan we specialize in high-touch, critical conferencing events. But what is a conferencing event? You are probably familiar with reservationless audio conference calls, and possibly even web conferences, but a conferencing event takes conferencing to the next level. When your conference combines two or more technologies, involves a large number of participants, and needs to be professionally planned and executed, a conferencing event is in order.
Conferencing events are great for high profile calls such as Investor Relations Calls, Virtual Training and Educational Events, Public Relations Events, and Crisis Communications Events. In these types of conferences, it is crucial that the organization presents a professional image to their constituents. Having an operator on the call to make introductions, manage the participants and noise level, and conduct a professionally run Q&A can boost your organization’s image and credibility.
A TelSpan Event Advisor will assist you with the complete planning and execution of your event, and an Event Operator will ensure your conference is flawless and professional. Depending on your needs, a combination of online registration, operator assisted audio, web conferencing, and even streaming may be utilized.
In my next post we’ll begin to explore the different components of a successful conferencing event.
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:
|
Gross Revenue |
$2250.00 |
|
TelSpan Web Conferencing Event Fee |
-$200.00 |
|
Operator Assisted Conferencing Charge |
-$641.70 |
|
TelSpan Online Registration System |
-$75.00 |
|
Credit Card Processing Fees |
-$123.75 |
|
Net Profit for Association |
$1209.55 |
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!
Have you ever thought about the quality of the operator on your conference call and the difference that operator makes in the overall presentation of your organization? Have you ever experienced any of the following?
• Operators who are not articulate enough or difficult to understand because of accents or dialects?
• Disappointment with operators who are unprepared or not knowledgeable about your industry?
• Frustration with operators mispronouncing terms and names?
• Static, echo, or sound quality issues during conference calls?
• Not getting enough help and support from your Conferencing Service Provider when planning and setting up your conferencing events?
At TelSpan, we think nothing is more important to the outcome of your operator assisted conference call, than the quality of the operator running your call, and the support system behind that operator. Our operators go through a rigorous training and certification process. Our operators are articulate, fluent, and speak clearly. Our Operator Services Team is backed up by the entire TelSpan team, including Client Services, Quality Assurance, Web Services, as well as our Event Advisors, who help you organize and plan your conferencing event from the pre-planning stage, all the way to post-event analysis.
Think about the difference an operator can make to you, and then give us a call!
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!
Why associations should consider online training and education.
There are four main reasons to consider a program of online training and education:
1) Reduce Costs
When you consider the costs involved with live training or educational programs, online solutions begin to seem like a no-brainer. Eliminate travel, equipment, and room costs, and utilize online registration and web conferencing instead, and allow your attendees to attend from almost anywhere.
2) Expand Reach
When you make your training and education programs virtual, your potential audience suddenly becomes worldwide. Implement a virtual platform and watch your attendance rates soar. Archiving your sessions for future viewing will help you to expand your reach even further.
3) React Quickly
Bring your members up to speed on the latest information before others do. Arm your audience with the knowledge they need to make them the most knowledgeable and up-to-date in their industry, before anyone else. Having a virtual system at the ready for these communications can allow your organization to react quickly, almost instantly in these cases
4) Integrate Technology-Based Learning
Utilizing the latest in technology shows your members that you are cutting edge and up-to-date. Your members, particularly those who are of younger generations, will be looking to affiliate with associations and organizations that utilize the full benefits of technology. Your members will appreciate the ease with which they will be able to obtain training and education and the time and money online methods will save them.
Next week I'll provide some more great reasons your association should try and online training and education solution this year!
The dictionary tells us that integration is defined as “the act or process of making whole or entire”. Integration is hitting the technology sector in many ways. Hand held devices are now allowing their owners to utilize one device to handle telephone calls, internet access, email, texting, music, videos and more every day, all on one tiny unit!
In the world of conferencing and communications, integration is quite the buzz word lately. In our industry, integration means being able to use one system or platform for more than one use. Gone are the days when you had to utilize separate platforms, and possibly even separate vendors for your different communications needs. Technological advances in our world enable users to manage all aspects of their conference from one platform.
Recent updates to our TelSpanRayo platform feature such integrated technology. One of the easiest-to-use and feature-rich platforms available, TelSpanRayo now integrates audio, web, and video conferencing and even has an integrated recording feature!
Give us a call today, to learn more about integration and how it can make your life easier!
It is that time of year when we tend to reflect upon our successes and failures for the year, and realize all of the things we have to be thankful for.
Here at TelSpan we are thankful for our wonderful clients and for the trust they put in us to handle their critical conferencing and communications needs. We are thankful for our employees, whose E3 (Excellence Exceeding Expectations) work ethic makes our clients’ calls as flawless as possible. We are thankful that we have prospered during these tough economic times, while helping our clients save money and increasing productivity. We are thankful for the wonderful country we live in, and for the freedoms and opportunities we are provided.
It is our hope that you will take a few moments this week to reflect upon the positive aspects of this year. As always, please let us know whenever we may be of assistance to you.
Most of us consider an audio conference call to be routine, however keep these tips in mid to increase the professionalism of your next call.
• Use a headset or handset with your telephone. Do not use the speakerphone.
• Avoid extraneous sounds such as music, coughing, eating, typing and shuffling papers. The mute button is your friend.
• Take turns speaking and state your name when speaking if you are on a large call.
• Do not put your phone on “hold” during a conference. Your on hold music or messages will play into the call. Mute and unmute your line as needed instead.
• When possible, limit cell phone usage on conference calls. These phones are more likely to drop or add static into the conference.
For more tips, visit http://www.telspan.com/audio-conferencing-etiquette-guide
As we have all surely heard, the flu season has started extremely early this year and has hit particularly hard with the addition of the H1N1 virus. The best defense is a good offense. Be prepared in advance for how you will deal with a possible outbreak of the flu or other emergency at your place of business, school, or within your family. Conferencing is one of many ways to help reduce the spread of disease while allowing workers to remain productive. Web and audio conferencing platforms allow workers to continue to work from home while recovering or caring for sick family members.
Have you ever wondered if audio conferencing solutions are still relevant in the new age of VoIP? I believe they still are. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, and allows you to communicate via a microphone or headset connected to your computer, as opposed to a traditional phone line connection.
VoIP integrates well with web conferencing and participants appreciate the integration of the audio and web through one channel, reduced cost, and ease of instructions, but VoIP has enough issues to warrant a second look at audio conferencing.
Without the right equipment and configuration of microphones, speakers, and headsets, feedback and other issues may occur. Using VoIP will also deplete bandwidth on your conference which can affect the quality of your overall conferencing experience. As you add more elements into your internet pipe, participants, video, webcams, VoIP, your conference quality and speed may suffer. Many users do not have the bandwidth to support all of these features within a conference.
If you are holding a web conference of any great size, and it is important to you that your conference goes off without a hitch, it is still recommended to utilize a separate audio conferencing line for your audio. This allows your bandwidth to be dedicated to your web conference, and helps to guarantee the quality and clarity on the audio that you need.
Here’s a great article from The Webinar Blog:
http://wsuccess.typepad.com/webinarblog/2009/07/voip-gives-me-a-headache.html
