Zoom: Pre-Event Checklist for Hosts

If you're hosting an event via Zoom Video Webinar or Zoom Meetings, these steps will help you create the best experience for your panelists, co-hosts, and attendees, and participants. 

Note: If this is your first time hosting a Zoom webinar, consider reviewing Zoom's articles and videos to become more familiar with webinars:

• Meeting and Webinar Best Practices and Resources: Includes PDF reference guides and live training information.
• Scheduling a Webinar without Registration: Includes video explanation and text content. 
• Scheduling a Webinar with Registration: Includes video explanation and text content.

2+ Weeks Before

• Confirm the date, time, title, and description for your event.
• Decide whether you’d like to host the event via Meeting or Webinar.
• Request a Zoom Webinar or Large Meeting License.
• Understand and assign meeting or webinar roles: host, alternate hosts, panelists (webinar only), participants (meeting only), and attendees (webinar only). 
• Decide whether your meeting or webinar will require registration to attend.
• Schedule the webinar or meeting.
  
  • Enable Practice Session so that only the host and panelists can join to practice prior to going live.
  • A Zoom account may only host one meeting concurrently. Starting a second meeting will end your current meeting. If you have multiple meetings occuring at the same time, consider scheduling your meetings using multiple host accounts.
  • Meet with stakeholders to confirm the webinar's structure and content.

1 Week Before

• Review the webinar or meeting’s settings to confirm they're to your liking.
• Finalize your presentation; add poll questions as needed.
• Check your registered list of participants/attendees.
• Encourage attendees to download the desktop client or app before the meeting.
• If using webinar, host a tech rehearsal to review the features of Zoom Video Webinars.

30 Minutes Before (Webinar Only)

• Start the webinar practice session at https://zoom.us/webinar/list or via your host calendar appointment.
• During the Practice Session:
  
  • Greet panelists and review everyone's roles.
  • As panelists join, confirm that their audio and video are running smoothly.
• Set up and manage webinar tools:
  
  • Chat: Expand the More menu at bottom to allow or disable attendee chat.
  • Participants: Expand the More menu at bottom to allow panelists to start video and mute on entry.
  • Q&A: Expand the Options menu at top to allow or disable anonymous questions.
  • Polls: Select Polls to prepare to launch the poll.
  • Enable Live Transcription: Click Live Transcript to choose from closed captioning options:
    
    • Assign transcriptionist roles if applicable.
    • Enable Auto-Transcription.

15 Minutes Before (Webinar Only)

• Run a final audio, webcam video, and content sharing test.
• Review your host controls.

5 Minutes Before (Webinar Only)

• Mute all panelists; they will remain muted until the presentation starts.
• Use the broadcast button to move from practice session to live broadcast and allow attendees to join.
• Attendees will join muted; they will be able to see and hear panelists.
• Moderator: welcome the attendees and let them know you'll be getting started soon.

Event Start Time

• Start recording (unless you have enabled automatic recording).
• Unmute yourself and start the video.
• Begin the presentation with welcome and housekeeping items.
• Confirm that other presenters are ready to be unmuted and video is on.
• Monitor Q&A or chat for technical concerns from attendees, participants, panelists, and co-hosts.

After your webinar

• Set the meeting or webinar recording playback range.
• Send a follow-up email to attendees:
• Be sure to include the recording link.
• Include a call to action (what you want them to do next) - for example, a post-event survey link.
• Zoom cloud recordings are automatically deleted after 120 days. Download the recording prior to expiration if you would like to retain a copy of the event.

Get support

• Visit Zoom's online Help Center.
• Contact the UMass Amherst IT Service Desk.

 

Adapted with permission from the University of Minnesota's original article https://it.umn.edu/services-technologies/how-tos/zoom-pre-webinar-checklist-hosts,