Virtual Conference Guide


Overview

This guide contains tips and resources to help you get up and running for the Virtual Conference weekend. Below you will find information on:


We will be adding to this guide regularly. If your question isn't answered below, head over to the #help-desk channel on CTEBVI's Slack for realtime support.



Setting up and using Zoom

All of our conference events will take place on Zoom, so you'll want to make sure you have the latest version installed, and that you have a stable internet connection. You will need Version 5.3.0 or higher to navigate the Virtual Exhibit Hall.



Setting up and using Slack

Since we are not able to be together in person this year, we've adopted Slack to support the vibrant CTEBVI community outside of our scheduled conference events. Slack is where we can have casual conversations, trade contact info, get announcements, and ask questions. Think of it as the hotel corridor outside the workshop sessions, or the café where you bump into a long-time colleague or make a new connection. The CTEBVI Slack workspace will remain available before and after the conference weekend.


Once you're up and running, here are a few tips:


The best way to get familiar with Slack is to jump in and start using it, and you can always ask other people in a channel for help. Slack also offers tutorials to help you get started. To learn more about Slack's accessibility features, check out this article from AFB.



Attending Virtual Workshops

Each workshop session will have a dedicated Zoom link hosted by CTEBVI. Below is some general information about virtual workshops:



Workshop Monitor and Presenter Info

In addition to the presenter(s), each workshop session will have a CTEBVI volunteer monitor. The role of a workshop monitor is to support the presenter by monitoring the chat for questions, helping to navigate basic Zoom functionality and screen sharing, and messaging CTEBVI’s technical support if necessary. This is so that the workshop presenter(s) can focus on the workshop and not on technical concerns.

Below you will find a video recording of our Workshop Monitor Info session, which details the role of a monitor and demos Zoom functionality. Following the video, you will find a text summary of the main points covered.


Before the Conference

Conference attendees will receive an email with Zoom links for all sessions they have registered for.

Workshop presenters will receive an separate email from the CTEBVI Workshop Chairs containing:



Before the Session Begins

Monitors are encouraged to check in with presenters in advance to ask about their plans and requirements for:



Host Permissions



Introducing the Workshop

At the beginning of the meeting the monitor should:



Security and Best Practices

As a meeting Host or Co-Host, you have the ability to:

These options are available under the Security icon at the bottom of the screen. Options are also available by hovering over a participant's video window, or by choosing "Participants" and hovering over an individual participant's name.

By default, participants can unmute themselves after being muted by the Host or Co-Host. The most common purpose for muting all participants is to assist participants who have inadvertently enabled their microphone.

However, you and the workshop presenter(s) can decide to tailor these settings to the needs of your workshop. Consider whether the session is:

In the unlikely event that a participant is behaving in a way that is disruptive or inappropriate, you can use these controls to disable that participant's audio or video, or to remove them from the meeting.



The Meeting Toolbar and Zoom Functionality

The "View" option in the upper right of the screen lets each individual attendee choose how they would like presenters and participants to be displayed on the screen.

The meeting toolbar is the menu at the bottom of the Zoom window. It has the following options: