TelSpan -Worldwide Conferencing

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.

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.

News Release: April 22, 2010

TelSpan, the Indianapolis-based provider of worldwide conferencing services, is celebrating its 20th year in business in 2010.  TelSpan, officially incorporated in the state of Indiana in February of 1990, was founded by J. Bruce Laughrey, who owned MediSpan at the time.  TelSpan was established as a separate entity from MediSpan, and JB Laughrey, Inc. was formed to be the parent company.

Mr. Laughrey’s initial idea was to use TelSpan as a separate entity to distribute MediSpan’s drug interaction information to patients over the telephone via 800 and the then-new 900 numbers.  According to Mr. Laughrey, “The idea was kind of like today’s Text for Haiti to make a donation which appears on your cell phone bill. Our idea was to provide medical information via the phone, and the charge would appear on the patient’s phone bill.”  Mr. Laughrey tasked a MediSpan employee, Larry Flaten, to set up the TelSpan operations.  Mr. Flaten came up with a related idea to utilize the phone system, now patented by TelSpan, called TeleCredit.  According to Mr. Flaten, “The idea was the old rebate idea in reverse. Instead of charging people on their phone bills, they would apply for a rebate using an 800 number, and the customer who dialed the number would receive a credit on their phone bill.”  Purina ran a very successful rebate program through the TeleCredit model with TelSpan. 

The entrepreneurs continued to look for ideas to grow their new company.  Mr. Flaten’s next idea was for an 800 Calling Card, an audio greeting card which included a specific 800 number.   After the sender recorded a message, the recipient would dial the number and hear a personally recorded message from the sender.  At this time, Keith E. Locke, current President and CEO of TelSpan, serving as a Consultant for MediSpan purchased the first calling card for his wife, Linda!  More ideas followed, including TikChek, an automated sports ticket exchange system, on-phone testing, and automated prescription medication fulfillment services for the pharmaceutical industry.

While at MediSpan, Mr. Laughrey was a member of the executive council for NCPDP.  This pharmacy organization conducted many conference calls, and Mr. Laughrey was astounded by the high price of the conference calls at that time.  Sensing a strong business opportunity, Mr. Laughrey and Mr. Flaten hired a programmer who designed and built TelSpan’s original RSC audio conferencing bridges.  In 1995, Mr. Laughrey hired Mr. Locke to direct TelSpan’s operations full-time. Mr. Locke continues to guide TelSpan through the world of conferencing and communications services, with on-site operators and web support, making it the growing, worldwide, conferencing and streaming services provider it is today.

TelSpan was founded on Mr. Laughrey’s guiding principles of E3 (Excellence Exceeding Expectations) service, a client service standard which remains at the heart of each TelSpan service and client interaction.  In today’s quickly changing world of telecommunications, TelSpan is proud to celebrate twenty years of providing clients with E3 service and the best possible world-class conferencing and communications services in the industry.

About TelSpan

Founded in 1989, TelSpan is an Indianapolis-based primary provider of conferencing related services, including web, audio, and video conferencing, streaming, recording, online registration, and operator-assisted event and Q&A conferences.  TelSpan focuses upon providing high quality conferencing services to organizations worldwide with guaranteed E3 (Excellence Exceeding Expectations) service.  For more information, please visit TelSpan’s website at http://www.telspan.com.

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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Marie Nolan at 800-600-6458 ext. 650 or e-mail Marie at nolanm@telspan.com.

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!

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!