The Adobe Event Services team, of which I’m part, has produced thousands of Adobe Connect events over time. In parallel, we’ve built up what we consider a proven list of best practices for successful online meetings of all sizes. Following are a few of my favorites, but you can check out the entire list here. We think incorporating these ideas into your everyday meetings will help result in successful experiences for you and your participants.
Wireless and Web Collaboration
Something we repeatedly suggest is to hard wire into the fastest internet connection possible. The reason for this is sometimes wireless connectivity has pauses or is slow and can cause participants to have audio pauses or make video choppy. If participants complain of choppy audio or content not showing, suggest they hard wire into the internet, if at all possible, and their experience will most likely improve.
VoIP Considerations
It is important to note that VoIP utilizes the internet to transmit audio. If you choose this option it is always recommended you plug directly into your network connection, rather than use wireless and be on the highest bandwidth connection possible. The connection speed of meeting participants also determines their VoIP experience so those on slower connections might experience drop off’s or time delays, called latency, when listening to audio.
Create a “lobby” Layout
Most people use email reminders with their Adobe Connect events to remind participants when a meeting is on the horizon. By nature, once that reminder pops up, participants naturally click on the URL to enter the session. It’s best to plan for participants entering about 15 minutes prior to start time by creating a layout, called a lobby, where participants will know they have correctly accessed the webcast and can hear audio. This is a great area to provide meeting room best practices, information about your company, product or service, a list of upcoming online meetings or perhaps polling questions to learn more about your participants. If you are using VoIP, it’s a good idea to include an MP3 player visual so participants will also know they can hear audio.
Again, these are just a few of our best practice tips. For a longer list of ways to consider improving your online meetings, visit our best practices document here. We’re interested in yours, too, so please share in comments.
And for the latest Adobe Connect news and updates, follow us on Twitter at @AdobeConnect. Or for your Adobe Connect support-related questions, you can find us at @ConnectSupport
Amy Brooks, Adobe Connect Event Producer