Zoom Webinars are designed so the host and any designated panelists can share their video, audio, and screen. Webinars allow “view-only” attendees who can interact via Q&A, Chat, and answer polling questions. The host can unmute the attendees. Attendees in webinars cannot rename themselves.

Learn the difference between a Meeting and a Webinar in Zoom’s Help Center.

Mason license Webinar attendee limit: 500

Getting Access

Requests for Zoom Webinar can be made by visiting the Zoom service page and using the Zoom Support button. Because limited licenses are available, access is granted temporarily.  You will receive an email once access is granted and again when the privileges are about to expire. If your access has expired, you may submit a new request.

Alternate hosts do not need similar special privileges. Licensed (Pro) users can be assigned the Alternate Host role during scheduling (or editing the event). These alternate hosts can start the event. Additionally, once a host has started an event, the host (or co-host) can promote other people without accounts to the co-host or host role.

Using Webinar

Once you have access, please do the following:

• Look at Zoom’s FAQs at their Support Center or visit https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/sections/200324965-Video-Webinar for information on using Webinar features
• Download Zoom’s latest applications: https://zoom.us/download
  (Note: Webinars must be scheduled using the browser version, but the host must start the meeting from the application.)
• Attend free training: https://zoom.us/livetraining
• Schedule a new Webinar using these instructions: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/200917029-Getting-started-with-webinar#h_bece1dbe-e9fc-48ab-af94-5873298c7b17 OR if you want to use an existing meeting, you can learn to convert a prescheduled meeting to a Webinar via these instructions https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/360042761551-Converting-a-meeting-to-a-webinar
• Do not schedule concurrent meetings or webinars under the same host account
• Scheduling Privileges (delegate Zoom scheduling):  https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362803-Scheduling-privilege 

Recommendations for Virtual Events

• Scheduling actions for university-sponsored virtual events are suggested using these instructions.
• For the hosts and co-hosts (and presenters), practice, practice, practice in the scheduled Zoom event. You may start and end a webinar days or weeks in advance and start it again on the day of the event. A practice/test Zoom meeting is available for attendees to test.
• Consider making the internet more accessible by utilizing Mason’s Assistive Technologies Initiative (ATI) services. ATI intakes captioning and translation requests for the Mason community. Please visit the ATI website or email ati@gmu.edu. Automated transcription has recently been added to Zoom. To turn on transcription, log into your account at gmu.zoom.us and navigate to your settings. From there, select In Meeting (Advanced), then toggle on “Closed Captioning" and check the box for “Enable live transcription.”
• You may submit your contact information and the virtual event details to the ITS Support Center via this online form. This will provide the ITS Support Center with essential event details should your attendees experience issues, such as joining the meeting or audio and video. It will also provide ITS with your contact information should they need to reach you to warn you of anything imperative your attendees have reported. After submitting this form, you may include the ITS Support Center contact information in your communication to your attendees. (Note: ITS Support Center staff WILL NOT assign someone to monitor your event. Calls/emails/etc. to the ITS Support Center will be answered in the order received.

Webinar Tips

• Zoom offers an ebook for Running Engaging Online Events.
  • Note, there are unique differences in Mason’s Zoom license:
    • Both Zoom Meetings and Zoom Webinars are limited to 500 participants respectively.
      > See How can I get Webinar or Large Meeting added to my Zoom account?
    • Zoom Integrations are limited to only Kaltura content distribution.
      > See What happens to my Zoom recordings?
• Framing of webcams is important. The lighting and angle of webcams make or break credibility. Work with your practicing presenters and hosts so that (if enabled) video is optimally framed with minimal distractions. Determining framing and virtual backgrounds is key during practice sessions before the event.
  See: More information to make your presenters look professional
• Use a “welcome slide” any way you would like. For example, one person shares them before the presenter starts their slide deck, or you can ask to include this as the first slide of the presenter’s deck.
  > This is an editable “welcome slide” template you can edit, make changes, translate to another language, etc.
• Familiarize yourself with in-meeting techniques to mute, expel, lock meetings, enable waiting rooms, disable sharing, etc. Conference “bombers” have been known to spread chaos through their microphones, webcams, screen sharing, file sharing, and chat features of web conferences.
  > See: How do I secure my online meeting? as a starting place to protect your event