Tuesday 12 April 2011

Advantages and disadvantages of online meetings and conferences

Advantages and disadvantages of online meetings and conferences

Advantages

  • green issues - no travel costs, reduced cost of setting up a venue
  • use of technology
  • can use features of the software such as voting
  • can 'see' presenter - better than teleconferencing
  • can 'chat' at same time - put forward questions

Disadvantages

  • Not as exciting / inspiring / interesting as a live presenter or speaker
  • Presentation needs to be interesting - risk of 'blahing' as captive audience
  • Presenter isn't getting feedback of feel of audience - can't adapt as going along
  • Need opportunities to interact otherwise not interesting - audience lose interest
  • Technology sometimes doesn't work.

This is just a very brief summary of advantages and disadvantages of delivering online meetings and conferences. I think it is important to distinguish between the two - for meetings it can be very effective especially if the partcipants have met in the past, if the remit of the group is known, if there are short sharp agenda items, if the purpose and outcomes of the meeting are clear and, as in all effective meetings, the chair is good at facilitating. This is not to say that online meetings shouldn't be used for more informal gatherings and sharing ideas - this is great if that is the purpose and all the participants are enthusiastic - in fact this is probably the best way and situation to use online collaborative environments.

Online conferences are different, I think although I'm not an expert. From a personal point of view I don't want to log in to an online conference and see someone presenting from their sitting room. I would like to see the person delivering just as they would at a live event. I suppose what would be ideal is for the presentations to be streamed live plus a view of the presentation slides plus a chat or text wall for comments plus an interaction opportunity...... plus the chance to 'wander' between sessions to parallel presentations ......I'd get my own tea and biscuits!

If you have any examples of great online conferences that you have attended or participated in then please let me know, I'd be really interested.

Posted by claire donlan at 01:55 0 comments

3 comments:

  1. Use of Online meetings software's such as on premise RHUB web conferencing appliances helps businesses in reduced travel costs, reduced cost of setting up a venue, etc. Additionally, online meetings helps one in making use of good technology, using features of the software such as voting, seeing presenter - better than teleconferencing, chatting at same time - put forward questions etc.

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  2. Hi,

    Web conferencing plays a vital role in business meetings.It has changed the way to do a business but every thing has advantage and disadvantage as well. Thanks for figuring out the pros and cons of web conferencing.These are helpful to understand web conferencing better.
    Thanks a lot
    With Regards

    Jerry Everett

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