Interactive webinars allow both presenters and attendees to share their microphones and webcams in the live webinar room.
Interactive webinars are highly interactive, real-time events best suited for meetings and round tables where attendees participate with mics + webcams actively.Presenters and attendees will both see the default webinar room, and there is no delay, allowing for seamless audience participation.Interactive webinars have stricter system requirements: attendees must have high-speed internet and a modern browser like Chrome or Firefox.
Note:Webcast mode will be automatically required for all attendees once your webinar reaches50 registrations(250 if 64 cameras mode is enabled), to ensure the best possible attendee experience.
How do I make sure my webinar is set up to be in interactive mode (not webcast mode)?
When first creating your webinar, under Live Event Experience, click the Interactivebutton.
This setting can also be adjusted for existing webinars on theirManage Webinartabs, underLive Webinar Settings.
Will my attendees be prompted to share their microphones and webcams as they enter the webinar room?
To ensure attendees will immediately be able to share their microphones and webcams, we'll next go to theEdittab of our webinar.UnderAdvanced Settings, we'll make sure to enable:
- Attendees can share mics and webcams
- Prompt attendee to share camera and mic on enter
- Use simple view to just turn on web cam and mic
With the above settings in place, attendees will be prompted to share their microphones and webcams as soon as they enter the webinar room.
Inside of the webinar room, attendees will be able to adjust these settings using the icons at the bottom of their screens.
Can I control attendees' mics and cams?
As anadmin*inside of the webinar room, you'll be able to see which attendees have enabled their microphones and webcams.The list of attendees will be available to you when you're in thePresenter View, on the people tab (as shown in the screenshot below).
*To give any presenter admin access inside of the webinar room, make sure to check theCan access Host Control Panel in live webinar roombox when adding them as a presenter on thePresenterstab of the webinar.
For any attendee who's enabled their microphone and/or webcam, you'll be able to make adjustments as needed, like muting/unmuting their microphone or turning off their webcam.
Clicking either the microphone or camcorder icons, you can enable or disable the attendee's devices (as long as the attendee has already allowed BigMarker to access them).
To assist attendees in enabling their microphones or webcams:
- Find the attendee in this list, and then click "⋮" next to their microphone and webcam icons
- From there, hover over eitherManage MicorManage Camera
- You'll be able to clickRequest Control
- The attendee will then receive a notification of your request
- As soon as the attendee clicksAllow (Recommended), you will be able to make adjustments to their microphone or webcam by using the toggles available, and then clickingNext
- At that point, you'll see the attendee's icon(s) change to blue in the control panel
- The attendee will see these changes reflected in the icons at the bottom of their screen
How can I make sure my attendees are setup to be able to share their microphones and webcams?
Anyone wanting to share their microphones and/or webcams in a live webinar room should test their system setups using theBigMarker System Check.
Just like presenters, attendees will want to follow the instruction below:
- Use eitherChromeorFirefoxas your browser (especially if you intend to use your microphone and webcam in the webinar).Make sure your browser is updated to its latest version.
- If you have slower than required upload and download speeds, seen in theBigMarker System Check, please hardwire into your router or set up as close to your router as possible.
- If you experience issues with your webcam display due to slow internet speeds, please consider joining the webinar with microphone only.
For my interactive webinar, what settings do I need to use under "Webcam Experience" on the Manage Webinar tab?
Most often, you'll want your webinar to utilizeUp to64 Camerasmode.This will ensure that, even if you collect more registrants than expected, your small group can still share their microphones and/or webcams.
To select eitherUp to64 Cameras modeorUp to9 Camerasmode on theManage Webinartab of your webinar, scroll down to theWebcam Experiencesection.From there, select your preferred mode.
Below, we'll discuss the differences betweenUp to 64 Camerasmode andUp to9 Camerasmode:
- 64 Cameras Mode reduces CPU and network bandwidth usage, allowing you to share up to 64 webcams at one time.
- 9 Cameras Mode keeps webcam streams separate, allowing up to 9 people to share webcams at the same time.
When should I use the "Up to 64 Cameras" mode?
In general, wehighlyrecommend usingUp to 64 Camerasmode for interactive webinars.This option will help to ensure that all users sharing microphone and webcam can be seen and heard, improving their overall experience - even if a handful of users don't have ideal setups*.
*Anyone wanting to share their microphones and/or webcams in a live webinar room should test their system setupshere.
SelectingUp to 64 Cameraswill set the maximum number of shared microphones and/or webcams to 64 (including both presenters and attendees)
Importantly, selectingUp to 64 CamerasunderWebcam Experienceon theManage Webinartab will delay BigMarker's switchover toWebcast*mode until your interactive webinar has collected 250 or more registrants.
*Webcast mode automatically blocks attendees from sharing their microphones and webcams.This mode is implemented to create the best possible experience for larger groups of attendees.
When should I use the "Up to 9 Cameras" mode?
If you expect9 or fewerpresenters and attendees to share their microphones and/or webcams in the live webinar room, theUp to 9 Camerasoption can function well.
However, it is essential that each user intending on sharing their microphone and/or webcam has the best setup possible, especially in interactive webinars using theUp to 9 Camerasmode!users can test the functionality of their setupshere.
As noted earlier in the article, BigMarker willautomaticallyswitch intoWebcast*mode if your interactive webinar collects 50 or more registrants -if your webinar has been set up to useUp to 9 Camerasunder theWebcam Experiencesection of theManage Webinartab.
*Webcast mode automatically blocks attendees from sharing their microphones and webcams.This mode is implemented to create the best possible experience for larger groups of attendees.
What branding opportunities do I have in an interactive webinar?
Unlike webinars utilizingWebcastmode, those usingInteractivemode will appear to attendees as shown in the screenshot below.
You will be able to update the logo visible in the room at upper left, and you will still be able to take advantage of BigMarker'sAudience Engagementtools (eg Handouts, Offers, and Polls).
