Best practices for moderating/hosting virtual events?
March 6, 2021 8:56 AM Subscribe
I'll be the host and moderator for a large virtual event in a few weeks, and I'd like to read up on best practices for how to do the job well. I've moderated panels and given talks, but this event will involve on-camera conversation with groups of audience members, and I want to make sure I'm prepared. Resources specific to virtual events with audience participation would be especially welcome!
A little more detail about the type of event:
-- A large Zoom webinar which will also be live streamed
-- Different groups of audience members will be brought on camera to do activities and answer questions. They'll probably mostly be young folks (teens and early twenties)
-- I'll be wearing a few hats -- introducing the event, explaining each activity, chatting on camera with audience members, vamping to fill time as-needed
-- I will be the only on-camera host, but I'll have a team helping behind-the-scenes to moderate the chat, move participants on-and-off-camera, etc
I'm basically looking for resources on how to moderate this kind of event, and best practices for handling the kinds of issues that come up when you're talking strangers on camera. I think this will be a fun event, but the community involved has a reputation for fighting and callouts, and I just want to be as prepared as possible for whatever might get thrown at me.
A little more detail about the type of event:
-- A large Zoom webinar which will also be live streamed
-- Different groups of audience members will be brought on camera to do activities and answer questions. They'll probably mostly be young folks (teens and early twenties)
-- I'll be wearing a few hats -- introducing the event, explaining each activity, chatting on camera with audience members, vamping to fill time as-needed
-- I will be the only on-camera host, but I'll have a team helping behind-the-scenes to moderate the chat, move participants on-and-off-camera, etc
I'm basically looking for resources on how to moderate this kind of event, and best practices for handling the kinds of issues that come up when you're talking strangers on camera. I think this will be a fun event, but the community involved has a reputation for fighting and callouts, and I just want to be as prepared as possible for whatever might get thrown at me.
I've been in a few of these for various organizations and a few bits of advice
- if you have the Zoom chat enabled AND the live chat chat, there may be two different chat areas to moderate. If you're using Zoom Webinar you can disable Zoom chat or keep it to "admins only" which might be best, otherwise things can get hectic.
- make sure your chat moderator knows how to mute anyone and/or kick them out or kick them off camera
- letting people know a few "housekeeping rules" (or whatever you want to call it) beforehand can make managing the chat interactions better.
- if this event is long make sure you have a drink/snack nearby and/or a plan with your moderator in case you need to dart out and use the bathroom or someone knocks on the door etc.
- video checks with people beforehand to make sure they have the lighting/angles/privs to be able to do the thing they need to do. For example. if someone is sharing slides make sure they know how to present the slides using their software, not just show someone their Powerpoint program
- make sure you have phone numbers for other admins so in case something super weird happens you have a backup way of contacting them.
- I often have a "welcome" slide up when people are entering the event and milling about beforehand instead of them just watching me and my co-presenters banter. Can also include contact info/websites/socials for the people who will be presenting.
- have the person who is in the chat include contact/websites/socials in the chat a few times during the event so that people can get them even if they weren't there at the beginning.
- sometimes participation can also be "Hey here is a shared Google doc we'll all be brainstorming on" or something, if your audience is younger there's a good chance they'll skew savvier so that this is a thing they can do.
posted by jessamyn at 10:05 AM on March 6, 2021 [1 favorite]
- if you have the Zoom chat enabled AND the live chat chat, there may be two different chat areas to moderate. If you're using Zoom Webinar you can disable Zoom chat or keep it to "admins only" which might be best, otherwise things can get hectic.
- make sure your chat moderator knows how to mute anyone and/or kick them out or kick them off camera
- letting people know a few "housekeeping rules" (or whatever you want to call it) beforehand can make managing the chat interactions better.
- if this event is long make sure you have a drink/snack nearby and/or a plan with your moderator in case you need to dart out and use the bathroom or someone knocks on the door etc.
- video checks with people beforehand to make sure they have the lighting/angles/privs to be able to do the thing they need to do. For example. if someone is sharing slides make sure they know how to present the slides using their software, not just show someone their Powerpoint program
- make sure you have phone numbers for other admins so in case something super weird happens you have a backup way of contacting them.
- I often have a "welcome" slide up when people are entering the event and milling about beforehand instead of them just watching me and my co-presenters banter. Can also include contact info/websites/socials for the people who will be presenting.
- have the person who is in the chat include contact/websites/socials in the chat a few times during the event so that people can get them even if they weren't there at the beginning.
- sometimes participation can also be "Hey here is a shared Google doc we'll all be brainstorming on" or something, if your audience is younger there's a good chance they'll skew savvier so that this is a thing they can do.
posted by jessamyn at 10:05 AM on March 6, 2021 [1 favorite]
I don't know if you'll be moderating with slides, but two slide tips that have worked for me:
- if you're going back and forth between a large group of presenters, it's a lot smoother to have one slide deck (advanced by the moderator) rather than switching who's sharing their screen. If each person is talking for longer, they may prefer to share their own screen.
- AFAIK, it's not possible to be in presenter view in google slides in a window rather than full screen. So I prefer to download slides into powerpoint, because in the slideshow settings there you can be in presenter mode in a window, rather than full screen. "Slide show -->set up show" That way you can also see the chat, Q7A, and participant boxes.
- if you have any tendencies to be a fast talker, I think that can accelerate when you can't see the audience, so work hard with being comfortable taking up time and not rushing.
posted by mercredi at 12:04 PM on March 6, 2021
- if you're going back and forth between a large group of presenters, it's a lot smoother to have one slide deck (advanced by the moderator) rather than switching who's sharing their screen. If each person is talking for longer, they may prefer to share their own screen.
- AFAIK, it's not possible to be in presenter view in google slides in a window rather than full screen. So I prefer to download slides into powerpoint, because in the slideshow settings there you can be in presenter mode in a window, rather than full screen. "Slide show -->set up show" That way you can also see the chat, Q7A, and participant boxes.
- if you have any tendencies to be a fast talker, I think that can accelerate when you can't see the audience, so work hard with being comfortable taking up time and not rushing.
posted by mercredi at 12:04 PM on March 6, 2021
Response by poster: This is already all very helpful, thank you!
I'm realizing I wasn't clear about this in my question, but for the record: I'll be the only professional "on camera" at this event, the audience will all be fans of the thing the event is focused on, and all of them will be strangers to me. In terms of the vibe, I expect this will be the virtual event equivalent of inviting people on stage at a convention.
posted by Narrative Priorities at 12:24 PM on March 6, 2021
I'm realizing I wasn't clear about this in my question, but for the record: I'll be the only professional "on camera" at this event, the audience will all be fans of the thing the event is focused on, and all of them will be strangers to me. In terms of the vibe, I expect this will be the virtual event equivalent of inviting people on stage at a convention.
posted by Narrative Priorities at 12:24 PM on March 6, 2021
There are a few past AskMefi threads that are related, maybe something in there of value for you:
posted by jeremias at 4:51 AM on March 7, 2021
posted by jeremias at 4:51 AM on March 7, 2021
Back in June 2020 I organized a Zoom training event with ~200 people. I felt a Code of Conduct was important; I think your attendees would feel that way too.
posted by olopua at 8:41 PM on March 7, 2021
posted by olopua at 8:41 PM on March 7, 2021
« Older Converting old .dbx files (from Outlook Express)... | Overriding HTML fonts in recieved messages in... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
https://twitter.com/emamo
posted by wowenthusiast at 9:19 AM on March 6, 2021 [1 favorite]