Editor’s note: The League will be issuing instructions on how to join the Virtual Annual Meeting (webinar) as we get closer to June 25. You will receive these instructions by email. In the meantime, please see “Save the Dates” in this issue of the Voter and be sure to register on time. And for those of you who have already attended a Zoom “meeting,” here are some thoughts on how those smaller interactions differ from the larger-format “webinar.”
We experienced our first League Day by webinar this past week. It was a great success and we hope it is the beginning of many more!
Webinar is a clunky word, born out of a need to describe a seminar presented online. It has become a handy way to talk about a meeting in which information is conveyed, at a college lecture or a business conference. Webinars are also called video conferences. Participants attend via computer or phone. Our League is learning how to use the Zoom software for committee meetings; you may already have attended several of these.
Webinar behavior differs from Zoom meeting behavior in only a couple of ways. First, a webinar is more formal, with a larger group than a committee. A Webinar offers speakers the opportunity to share illustrated material, as in an outline (or what in the olden days we called a viewgraph), an agenda, or a budget. Other tools allow quick polling, voting, or sharing a short film.
As an audience member, do not expect to add your voice to the discussion, as you would in a Zoom meeting. Only the speakers will be heard; your microphone will be muted. And you will not see other audience members, although you can see the speakers. But you can give your thoughts during the meeting in the Q&A box you will find at the bottom of your screen during the webinar. Also, a chat window will allow you to write short messages.
Webinars demand careful preparation and skillful work by the managers behind the scenes, compared with Zoom meetings, which can seem spontaneous. Webinars also have a longer life, because they can be recorded and saved on our website for future viewing.
Many of us are already happy with this new capability. We like the ease and efficiency of attending a meeting from our own bedroom or living room. We feel comfortable having our desk and papers at hand during the meeting, and somehow, we feel we are all better able to stay on topic!
—Elsa Pendleton
