Description

• This article will detail what a remote presenter will experience at an evexus in person event. Outlined below is an order of events; from the beginning of your event day, to the closing of the event. It will outline what a remote presenter will see and hear, what the in-person presenters/audience will see and hear, whilst demonstrating what the audience will concurrently experience on our platform. 

• This document is also a useful tool for any speakers who were not able to attend the remote presenter briefing or if the items discussed need to be revisited.

Prerequisites

Your next event with evexus is an In-Person hybrid event, but you are presenting remotely. 

• Prior to your hybrid event with evexus, a member of the conference organisational team will e-mail you a Zoom join meeting link. The Zoom meeting will act as a "green room" where presenters can be briefed by an operator, and final audio and video checks can be performed before being taken to air on the livestream, and in the room at the venue. 

• It is imperative that only remote presenters, nominated remote moderators and staff members can access this link. Please do not send the Zoom meeting link to delegates. 

• It is also important to ask all presenters and moderators to ensure their Zoom account name is the name provided to the operator on the Runsheet. If a presenter and/or moderator is unsure how to rename themselves in Zoom prior to an event, please refer to this article: How To Rename Yourself In Zoom Prior To Your Meeting

• We suggest you have the "Zoom Client for Meetings" app installed prior to the event, not just Zoom extension for browsers. You can download it here:
  Download Center for Zoom Apps and Plugins | Zoom

On The Day - Order of Events

All presenters will join the Zoom meeting for a "tech check"  30 minutes before the start of each session or in the break before presenting for all later sessions .
A conference organiser may also confirm with you a time which best suits the event, and your schedule.
It is crucial presenters are on time so that any remote presenter technical difficulties can be addressed before the event begins, and everyone is comfortable with the event proceedings. 

The Zoom Waiting Room

Upon clicking the provided Zoom meeting link, you will be presented with a Zoom waiting room message:

During this time, the operator will be cross-checking your name with a list of names on their provided Runsheet before letting you in. Please be patient as operators may be conducting final system checks, or there may be a remote presentation currently happening in the Zoom room. 

Concurrently on the evexus platform, and further on during tech checks, the audience will see the event holding slide, with background music playing underneath it. 

The Event Back Of House

Once an operator admits you, you will be greeted by:

• The operator foldback channel - labelled as "Room ##" - can be displaying a holding slide, a pre-recorded presentation, a video, the live camera in the venue, the live camera with a presenters slides, or a timer. The tile is dynamic, and displays what you need to be seeing at certain times throughout the day. 

• A secondary operator account for Zoom room management and Zoom chat - labelled as "Room ## Operator". 

• Other remote presenters in your session. 

• Remote moderator(s) in your session. 

• Event staff if they wish to attend the Zoom. 

  Open

  

This Zoom meeting room will not be visible to the audience on the livestream, or on screen within the venue, and participants can converse freely without the audience seeing or hearing them. 

However if the event is underway and you are to join during the presentation of another speaker, it is imperative you stay muted and turn your Zoom camera off. The operator will talk to you at their earliest convenience. 

Importantly, the layout "View" of your Zoom application does not affect what the audience sees, only yourself.

Views we recommend for your personal Zoom settings are:

• During your live presentation with slides - Gallery View (so that you can always see the timer). 

• During other persons' live presentations with slides - Side-by-side: Speaker. 

• During panel discussions and Q&A's - Gallery View.

• During video playback and pre-recorded sessions - Speaker View.

• To learn more about Zoom "Views", refer to this article:  Understanding Speaker View and Gallery View for Events

Prior to a presenters start time, the operator will perform an audio/visual "Tech Check", and also ensure all presenters are comfortable with sharing their slides in Zoom. The first presenter will be asked to share their slides through Zoom "Share Screen", and leave them shared until the event start time. 

Once all event personnel have arrived and have been tech checked, the operator will instruct all non-presenters to turn off their camera and mute themselves in the minute or so leading up to event-start time. 

Event Time - Live Presentations

An In Person event will usually begin with a moderator or host giving a welcome speech, and introducing the first presenter. This moderator or host can either be remote (on Zoom), or introducing in-person within the venue.

The remote/in-person moderator will look something like this on the platform, and in your Zoom meeting:

If your session moderator is joining the conference in-person, you will see and hear the moderator in the "Operator Foldback Channel" as mentioned above, presenting on stage in the venue. Once cued by the operator, your Zoom camera will be brought onto the screen in the venue, and you and the moderator can converse freely. 

If your session moderator is joining remotely, the operator will instruct the moderator or host that they are about to go live, and will give a timed countdown. Following the countdown, the host will be brought into the livestream, and onto the screen in the venue to begin their introduction. 

Once you begin presenting, a countdown timer will appear in the Zoom call that is the length of your runsheet item:

The audience cannot see the countdown timer, only participants in the Zoom call. 

Concurrently on the platform and on-screen in the venue, this is what the audience will see:

Alternatively, a presenter who is sharing their slides through Zoom will see this:

And concurrently on the platform and on-screen in the venue, this is what the audience will see:

Event Time - Live Panel Discussions and Q&A's

Live panel discussions and Q&A's usually involve multiple presenters/moderators on screen at the same time. The audience will be able to see everyone in the Zoom meeting who has their camera turned on. Therefore, it's imperative that everyone not participating in the panel/Q&A has their camera turned off, and are muted. The operator will instruct participants to turn on/off their cameras when required. 

Zoom participants will see:

And concurrently on the platform and in the venue, this is what the audience will see:

Event Time - Pre-Recorded Presentations and Videos

Pre-recorded presentations and videos are played on the platform and on-screen in the venue in fullscreen, and not on a background like you have seen above. 

Video playback for Zoom participants can be watched directly in the Zoom meeting, without the need to watch it on the platform. We recommend remote speakers and moderators watch all content in the Zoom meeting to avoid any audio feedback issues throughout the show. 

The video playback in Zoom will be seen in the same tile where the timer has previously been displayed; the "Operator Foldback Channel". 

Technical Information

• As a speaker, the only program you should have open is Zoom and your appropriate PowerPoint slides for your presentation. There's no need to be on the evexus platform unless you are a chair and require access to audience questions and chat. 

  • If you are a chair and have any questions about the platform, please click the support bubble in the bottom right of the platform and a support operator will be able to help you.

• Before joining the virtual meeting, all speakers should be mindful of any background noise that may go out to the audience. 

  • All notifications on your desktop, phone, laptop or any other device should be muted.

• Be sure to check the lighting in your room to make sure you don't appear too dark or bright in your video, as well as avoiding the glare of background windows. The operator will work with you and recommend changes during your tech check.

• A strong internet connection is recommended for all virtual speakers/moderators. For strong performance, you should make sure you are close to your internet router and not have anyone in your household streaming, downloading or doing anything that may cause stress on your connection. 

  • We advise speakers with a desktop/laptop to use cabled internet if possible.

  • Please close down any applications on your computer that may be causing stress on your internet connection i.e. Google Chrome with a lot of tabs open. 

• If you are using a laptop to present, we recommend that you have the laptop on a stable surface and properly directed towards your face. We don't recommend that the laptop be on your lap or anything unstable. Please also remember to plug your laptop into power to avoid dropping out midway through your presentation. 

Further Reading

Virtual Event Overview Video - visualise what you and your audience experience

What is a Remote Speaker Tech Check

How To Share Your Presentation in Zoom for Remote Speakers

Understanding the Remote Moderator Role and Requirements for Virtual Events

Understanding the Remote Moderator Role and Requirements for Virtual Events

Event Conclusion

At the conclusion of your presentation, the operator will give you the "all clear" that they are no longer on air, and you may leave the Zoom call at any time.