If you're hosting a Zoom Video Webinar, these steps will help you create the best experience for your panelists, co-hosts, and attendees.
Note: If this is your first time hosting a Zoom webinar, consider reviewing Zoom's articles and videos to become more familiar with webinars:
- Meeting and Webinar Best Practices and Resources: Includes PDF reference guides and live training information.
- Scheduling a Webinar without Registration: Includes video explanation and text content.
- Scheduling a Webinar with Registration: Includes video explanation and text content.
2+ Weeks Before
- Confirm the date, time, title, and description for your webinar
- Assign webinar roles: host, co-hosts, panelists, and attendees
- Schedule the webinar
- Meet with panelists to confirm the webinar's structure and content
- Decide whether your webinar will require attendees to register
- Request any necessary permissions
- If your webinar includes between 500 and 1,000 attendees, apply for a Large Webinar License
- If you are expecting attendees from other countries, request an international dial-in code
1 Week Before
- Review the webinar and account settings to confirm they're to your liking
- Finalize your presentation; add poll questions as needed
- Check your list of attendees
- Encourage attendees to download the desktop client or app before the meeting
- In the unlikely event that attendees do not have a computer and can't call into the webinar because of long-distance restrictions, consider applying for a Zoom toll-free international dialing code
- Note: This option is currently only available with meetings and webinars hosted by HST/HCC users.
- Host a tech rehearsal to review the features of Zoom Video Webinars
30 Minutes Before
- Start the webinar at https://zoom.us/webinar/list or via your host calendar appointment
- Enable Practice Session so that only the host and panelists can join
- Greet panelists and review everyone's roles
- As panelists join, confirm that their audio and video are running smoothly
- Set up and manage webinar tools:
- Chat: Expand the More menu at bottom to allow or disable attendee chat
- Participants: Expand the More menu at bottom to allow panelists to start video and mute on entry
- Q&A: Expand the Options menu at top to allow or disable anonymous questions
- Polls: Select Polls to prepare to launch the poll
- Enable Live Transcription: Click Live Transcript to choose from closed captioning options:
- Assign transcriptionist roles if applicable
- Enable Auto-Transcription
15 Minutes Before
- Run a final audio, webcam video, and content sharing test
- Review your host controls
5 Minutes Before
- Mute all panelists; they will remain muted until the presentation starts
- Use the broadcast button to move from practice to start mode and allow attendees to join
- Attendees will join muted; they will be able to see and hear panelists
- Moderator: welcome the attendees and let them know you'll be getting started soon
Webinar Start Time
- Start recording (unless you have enabled automatic recording)
- Unmute yourself and start the video
- Begin the presentation with welcome and housekeeping items
- Confirm that other presenters are ready to be unmuted and video is on
- Monitor Q&A or chat for technical concerns from attendees
After your webinar
- Trim the webinar recording
- Send a follow-up email to attendees
- Be sure to include the webinar recording
- Include a call to action (what you want them to do next) - for example, a post-webinar survey link
Get support
- Review the University's Zoom self-help guides
- Visit Zoom's online Help Center
- Contact Technology Help