Does the producer indicate the content or is that the presenter?
It depends upon the roles within your organization. If your event producer is someone within your organization that would normally be the person to decide this then yes. If you are doing planning by committee, then it is likely a committee decision.
Does the producer serve as host, producer and presenter?
First, I should mention that in this webinar I'm using the term "host" to refer to the computer that is supporting (that starts) the webinar. The producer can be a one person show, but that can be a challenge when it is time to actually present. For this webinar, I served as the event producer AND presenter, but I also have Kathy Whitener here with me to help with timing and to monitor the chat.
What is the shortest amount of time for a webinar?
There is no minimum, but my guess is if you have something under 15 minutes that you probably aren't requiring participation and could just as easily create something offline. For example, you can take a PowerPoint and easily synch it to audio and post it to http://www.slideshare.net
What if there is no response to check-ins? If no one interacts with you?
It's definitely a sign to you that something is wrong. For example today we knew we had an audio problem when we weren't getting responses. It could also mean that you have lost your audience and you need to change your presentation approach, which may or may not be doable in that moment. A participant from today's session suggested having a "plant" in your group. This is a good idea and can be very helpful to you as people often times don't want to be the first person to talk, so having a plant to start the conversation rolling is very helpful and is actually a strategy used in a number of other online formats. Sometimes though, people just don't have any questions.
Does the service selection include cost and determine the length of offering?
Every service has their own pricing structure. The most common structure is to pay for "seats" (the number of people participating in the webinar). I haven't seen limitations in the length of a webinar. This wasn't mentioned on the call, but the longer the contract the cheaper the price. DimDim is free for up to 20 people.
What skills are needed in creating the slides that you have with the visuals?
Really is just a matter of finding the image you want to use. I like to use photos from http://www.istockphoto.com because they are quality images and they have a wide selection. The cost is $1-3 for the extra small and small versions which are perfect for PowerPoints. Mac users, navigate to the slide you wish to add your image to and then select "INSERT" from PowerPoint's main menu bar and then select "PICTURE". Next, navigate to the image you want to use. Windows users review this.
Can the host and producer/presenter be in two different locations?
Absolutely, but if things start to go wrong you will find it more helpful to have both computers in the same locations, but its very common for the host and the presenter to be in different locations. Practice sessions will reveal the issues that will come up with having the host and presenter in different locations.
Please restate what you said about having the LCD to view your slides uploading.
In the room I am presenting in I have one computer setup as the host, and then I have my computer set as the presenter. The view of the host and presenter's environment is slightly different from the attendees, so it is helpful to be able to see their screen too. For example, as I turn features on or off, I can see when those changes take affect. One strategy you can use (I am using this strategy today) is to take a computer and log it in as an attendee and then use a LCD projector to display that screen on a wall. This allows me to easily see my screen and the attendees screen. This is very helpful to me because I can see when pages are loaded for attendees. I don't have to constantly ask my attendees if they see the slide. The LCD projector just makes it easier for me to see that screen.
Could you explain more about the “contract” which you are mentioning? With whom is the contract?
This may not apply to you. I am referring to the idea that some organizations might be hiring someone to be a presenter. In such a case, they would enter into a contract with that person.
Does this get easier as you do more?
Yes. If you are planning on doing the same webinar more than once, then the bulk of your work is on the front side, but I really can't say enough about the importance of practicing especially if you have larger gaps of time between each webinar.
When you schedule your meeting with DimDim or whomever, you need to schedule a time of 2 hours perhaps?
Yes, excellent point. When you are scheduling your event you need to allow for up front login time, time for your scheduled event, and then time for questions if you plan to do that as a follow-up.
How do you engage teammates who may not have experience with webinar planning to commit to the practice sessions? I guess this would also include contractors with desired content info?
That's easy to do with presenters that are contracted because you can specify that as a requirement of their contract. As far as your teammates go, you really have to let them know that because they don't have this experience they need to practice and that a failure to practice is like insurance for failure. This wasn't mentioned during the call but I would also add that you may come across a presenter who has delivered a webinar before using the same tool you plan to use and they may be less than thrilled about practicing and try and convice you that its not necessary. Their prior experience is great and they will likely feel more confident about the webinar, but the practice sessions are still important because you're working with new team, you need to test out the equipment, and you need to practice timing. Additionally, its important to have some practice in dealing with attendees (make sure you have people to listen/participate in your practice session). I promise you that after the first practice session, your teammates will be thanking you for having two more scheduled.
It would appear that you have spoken in person to the possible software sites when making your decision. Is there someone specifically with whom you should be speaking?
Just visit the websites of the services I mentioned. Once on their site you can do their video tours etc. I suggest signing up for their demo sessions so you have some Q & A time with a live person. One thing to keep in mind is that when you are dealing with sales rep (typcially the person leading the demo), that it is like dealing with a car sales person. They know a lot about the car, but they may not fully understand what's happening "under the hood" so they may say something work, but it really doesn't. This is why is really important to do the free trials before making a purchase.
Is DimDim the product you prefer? Are there products that have better capacity for one type of presentation?
I like DimDim because its free (for 20 people) and I want people to know that they don't need to pay big bucks to do this type of presentation. I also use WebEx in my work and I feel that DimDim is just as good for what I need to accomplish with regard to sharing this content. As I mentioned earlier, every tool has its own set of positive and negative attributes. They all offer some type of free version (usually up to 3 people).
You are with a separate organization – do you know questions that I should be asking of my university if I want to do this?
If you find your IT department at your university to be "troublesome" I would suggest securing a service that offers a web-based solution...meaning you don't have to download or install anything on a server. I'm a HUGE fan of web-based services in general because you don't need to worry about server maintenance etc. Adobe's service has an option that does allow you to host everything yourself but the up front costs are high. Conversely, in the long-term, it could be a cheaper option. When you speak with each company they will want to know what types of things you would be using the software for (meetings vs presentations), how many people would be online at any one time, and how often you anticipate using the tool. These are the main variables they use in determining cost. Don't forget that it is all negotiable. They also have non-profit discounts.
Is there a matrix or comparison chart of various products that is available so one can review them and make a choice without becoming very knowledgeable about each one?
This is the best one I could find, but I noticed it doesn't include Elluminate. http://web-conferencing-services.toptenreviews.com/ If anyone comes across one better then this let me know and I will post it here.