Online video conferencing is a huge subject and a very sought after business tool right now. All though it has multiple uses such as, distant learning, interviews, advertising and so much more, it is huge in the traditional job role it was developed for and that was to replicate that of an offline conference or meeting. The advances in technology mean that we can connect like never before and smooth streamlined video conferencing is possible from anywhere in the world. So long as you have access to the Internet you can use or be part of this growing industry.

The tools and functions you get with the average conferencing package work towards a unique communication experience. The tools and functions such as desktop sharing, file sharing, browser sharing, video sharing, whiteboard sharing, multi way video chat, multi way text chat, record function, and much more, combine to give the conference user a really powerful tool. Almost anything you find at an offline meeting is achievable, except the obvious closeness of gathering together. It even cuts your business expenses dramatically, in fact it can save you thousands of dollars a month if used in place of meetings, and conferences. All business updates and messages can take part using this communication medium, and the potential soon becomes apparent shortly after you get to grips with it.

Along with all the details like choosing the correct provider, choosing the correct package, making sure your webcam and mic are suitable, you really need to look at how you are going to use the conference software.

First of all make sure you use a provider which only charges per room and not per attendee, secondly make sure you choose one which streams your room directly from a server. This means not downloading and installing the conference software, as this suffers cross compatibility issues for you and your attendees.

Now you need to plan other key factors such as the goal of the conference, the segments of the conference, the moderators, and the material. Dont forget to make use of the tools and functions when planning your presentation, these combined can make for a really good engaging conference experience.

Now to conduct a conference using conferencing software, firstly you are advised to select multiple moderators. You need multiple moderators to conduct the conference in a suitable fashion. One reason for having other moderators is to split the conference up and each take to centre stage performing a segment. It works best to have 3 moderators minimum. So what is a moderator. A moderator has special access to the room and its tools. You, for example would be a moderator, and your login would be unique to you. Once in, you are in total control of the conference and its tools. You should have more than one moderator each with their own unique login. One moderators job should be to monitor the guests activities while in the room. This moderator will be responsible for crowd control. This includes, toggling on and off peoples text chat, this would also include replying to attendees questions in the chat window while you are busy with your presentation. This moderator would also have the ability to remove attendees from the conference and if necessary, ban them. Other moderators would be split between helping you conduct the conference by doing segments and also to act as an attendee to make sure everything is going smoothly.

If you were to have a guest speaker, he or she would also be a moderator. You would assign them their own unique login details previous to the conference. A guest speaker can be toggled in and out at the click of a button.

Using this article as a guide you should be able to choose the correct conference provider, plan and conduct a successful conference, and have a good understanding of moderators and why you need them. If you are thinking of running a conference solo, then I strongly recommend you give this guide some thought and try using multiple moderators, each playing a key part. Your conference and its objective will surely benefit.