Zoom webinar practice session

Practice session

for a Zoom webinar.

A webinar is a large and high-stakes event with a great number of participants. Every host expects the event to run without a hitch, but in reality technical and organizational difficulties often arise. To prevent such situations, Zoom has provided a practice session feature.

A Zoom webinar practice session lets you get familiar with the controls before the webinar itself begins. This feature is available to the host, the alternative host and invited panelists. Attendees cannot join the session.

Create a short set of instructions for your speakers covering the main actions inside Zoom, so as to avoid technical problems during the webinar itself.

Also put together a Zoom webinar program that will serve as the plan for your event and prevent organizational hiccups. Set out in it the timeline of the whole webinar, when each guest appears and how long the breaks will last.

Once everyone has gone through the instructions, hold a practice session well in advance of the Zoom webinar.

During the session, ask the speakers to practise with the Zoom controls and rehearse the order of their actions. Run an equipment check so that everyone has a working camera and microphone — the ones they will be using on the day of the event. Ideally, everyone should join from the place they will be presenting from on the day of the event. Test the “Share Screen” feature and check that the material being shared is displayed correctly for the speakers. Also rehearse the timing precisely, in line with your event plan.

There can be only one active practice session for each Zoom webinar. You can hold it several days before the actual webinar. If you start a practice session, run your checks and end the event, this will have no effect on the start of the Zoom webinar when the actual date and time arrive.