MODERN METHOD OF CONFERENCE: WEBINAR

The word ‘Webinar’ is made from two words- ‘web’ and ‘seminar’. It is a web-based seminar. A webinar is a live meeting that takes place over the web. A presentation, lecture, workshop or seminar can be transmitted over the web using video conferencing software. A key feature of webinar is its interactive elements: the ability to give, receive, and discuss information in real-time.

Webinar came about in the early 1990s when audio and video web-conferencing capabilities were created. Businesses and higher education institutes began to take webinars seriously in the early 2000s when high-speed internet access became widely available and at a reasonable cost.

Using webinar software participants can share audio, documents and applications with webinar attendees. This is useful when the webinar host is conducting a lecture or information session. While the presenter is speaking they can share desktop applications and documents. The meeting can be a presentation, discussion, demonstration, or instructional session. Participants can view documents and applications via their computers, while shared audio allows for presentation and discussion. To make the webinar work, we need a computer, a compatible web browser, and a way to share the audio portion of the session.

Advantages of Webinar:

1)      Webinar tools are affordable.

2)      Webinar facilitates business communication. It brings together the presenter and the participants even when they are in different geographic locations.

3)     Webinar relieves the nervousness for introverted learners because they are able to stay at home on in a personalised learning environment in which they feel relaxed.

4)  Webinar provides an environment in which participants can record seminar content for personal review or for people who missed the real time session.

5)     Webinar saves travelling, time and money.

Disadvantages of Webinar:

1)      Webinar is ineffective if there slow speed of network.

2)      There is a risk of lost of internet connection.

MODERN METHOD OF CONFERENCE: SKYPE

Skype is an application that provides video chat and voice call services. Through Skype we can exchange images, text, video messages. It enables video conference calls. Skype is available for computers, tablets, mobiles, and smart watches via internet. It is free and quite easy to download and use. After it is downloaded, installed and registered, we need to plug in a headset, speaker or USB phone to start using kype.

Skype was created by Niklas Zennstrom from Sweden and Janus Friis from Denmark, in collaboration with Ahti Heinla, Priit Kasesalu, and Jaan Tallinn from Estonia in August 2003. Microsoft bought Skype in May 2011 and established its headquarters in Luxembourg.

Benefits/Uses/Features/Advantages of Skype in Business Communication:

1)    Enables Large Group Meeting- Skype enables large group meetings. Up to 250 people can join a meeting using the smart phones, tablets, personal computers, and meeting room devices.

2)     Person-to-Person Phone Calls- Through Skype, one can make free calls to other Skype users.

3)   Conference Calls- Skype can be used for conference calls. To make a conference call, we need to launch a “new group conversation”, and select participants by dragging and dropping them into the conversation.

4)   Work from Home- Skype is useful in business as it allows the people to work from home. It has many helpful features including video calling. Business person can communicate with co-workers from home. It helps the companies communicate in group conference from different places.

5)    Screen Sharing- Through Skype, we can share screen also. Once screen sharing is enabled, we can choose to share the full screen or just a portion of it. This is useful if other programmes are running during the call and we do not want to let other call participants see them. We can also turn screen sharing on or off at any point during a call.

6)  File Sharing- Skype provides real-time file sharing, so we can send a file directly to one of the contacts.

7)   Save Time and Money- Skype makes it much easier for the family and friends to reconnect and for customers and business persons to hold the meetings and the conferences and it saves an enormous amount of money and time.

8)  Brings People Together­­- Skype can bring societies together through video chat with friends and family. They can call across the world as it is free communication. A Skype video call is the perfect replacement for a face to face meeting.

Disadvantages of Skype:

1)    There is a risk in using Skype regarding technical issues such as disconnection in network, camera may not work properly or video streaming problem. The sound quality of using Skype may not be good.

2)      There is loss of interpersonal connections as we can see everyone on the chat.

3)      Skype technology can be used for cyber bullying.

4)    Skype technology needs Wi-Fi or 3G service to run. The international calls cost money. Everyone needs a proper equipment to use Skype call which produces financial challenges.

ORGANISING A CONFERENCE

Organising a conference falls under three categories:

A] PRE-CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES

B] CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES

C] POST-CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES

A] PRE-CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES:  

1) Planning- The organisers should plan early. They should make sure that the conference is really necessary. The planning should be started a year in advance so that the participants get plenty of time to make travel plans. The earlier planning makes things easy for both the organisers and the participants.

2) Purpose- To organise a conference the purpose should be clear. The other planning, arrangements, participants and experts are to be arranged to meet the purpose of the conference.

3) Budget and Financial Support- While arranging the conference, tentative expenses should be taken into consideration. These expenses can be met from the registration charges, sponsors or the provision in the budget of an organisation.

4) Facilities to be Given- In the consideration of budget and expenses the organiser should clearly decide the facilities to be given during the conference to the participants and experts. It will help in actual planning and working out the budget.

5) Theme: The theme is a central idea around which all the activities during the conference are arranged. The theme of the conference should be in accordance to the need and purpose of the conference. It should not be too long or too short. It should give clear idea about the probable discussions during the conference.

6) Date and Time- An appropriate date, time and duration of the conference should be selected. While finalising dates, leave enough time for organising and making arrangements needed for conference and the attendees. While deciding the dates the availability of venues, halls also need to be considered.

7) Venue- The selection of venue for the conference should be made carefully. It should not be too far from the central place like railway station, airport, city etc. or in central place, as it may create disturbance during the conference. The capacity of the hall also needs to be considered in relation to the number of expected attendees. The hall should have sufficient facilities and infrastructure required for the arrangement of electronic and other equipments. The lights, ventilations and other physical necessities need to be considered before finalising the hall.

8) Brochure- A suitable brochure should be prepared with all details. The brochures should be posted or mailed to the delegates at the earliest, so they can plan further arrangements.

9) Making Arrangements- After replies are received, prepare a list of participants. Also make a list of the resource persons, guests along with their arrival date, time and mode of arrival. Accordingly, make arrangements for their transport, reception, board and lodging etc.

B] CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES

1) On the day of conference, the participants should be properly welcomed, registered and guided to the conference place.

2)  Some participants might be visiting the place for the first time. They should be made feel comfortable.

3) Name badges, conference kit, programme schedule, writing material etc. should be properly handed over to the participants.

4) To meet the maximum out come out of the conference, time management is important. So the sessions should be arranged taking into consideration the breaks and speakers available.

5) A feedback form needs to be filled up from the participants to find out to what extent the objectives of the conference are achieved. It may prove helpful in future planning or organisation.

6) The certificate of participants and appreciation must be given at the end of conference.

#SESSIONS AND SPEECHES AT A CONFERENCE:

A)    Inaugurate Session: The conference is inaugurated by the invited chief guest. A vote of thanks is proposed at the end of the session.

The following speeches are done in Inaugural session:

1)      Welcome Speech- A convener gives a welcome speech. It includes the need and purpose for organising the conference, expectations from the participants and introduction to the various aspects of the conference.

2)      Keynote Speech- Keynote speech is the soul of any conference. A keynote speaker is usually a notable personality, an expert or an authority in the particular subject or field. It sets the tone for the entire conference. The keynote speaker discusses different insights, thoughts, aspects, facts and possibilities on the theme and subject of the conference.

B)    Plannery Session: During the plannery session, speakers, experts, authorities share their views. It is an intellectual feast to the participants.

C)    Technical Session: In technical session participants give presentation. The chairperson is invited to take charge of the proceedings. He introduces the presenters, sets a time limit for their presentation, invites questions from the participants and provides insights into their presentations either at the end of each paper or at the end of the session.

D)    Valedictory Session: Valedictory is the last session in conference schedule. In this session another invited chief guest brings the proceedings of the conference to a formal end. The convener of the conference reads the conference report about the happenings of the day. Some of the participants are called to give feedback about the conference. With the vote of thanks, conference is declared to be over.

    C] POST-CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES

1)      Analysis of Feedback- The feedback forms and the feedback verbally given at valedictory session should be analysed to understand the strong points and shortcomings of the conference.

2)      Thank You Letters/E-mails- Thanks giving letters or e-mails should be sent to all the participants for presenting their intellectual ideas, research and discussion and for giving their time to attend the conference.

3)       Deliberation on the Outcome of Conference- After the conference is over, the conference committee should meet and discuss the outcome of the conference taking into consideration the objectives of the conference.  

4)      Building Strong Network between Professionals- Conference is a medium through which a number of like-minded professionals come together. The convener of the conference should maintain contact with all the participants to build a strong network so that a lot of interesting facts can be shared and academic discussions on important issues can be conducted.

5)      Action Plan for the Future- After drawing conclusion from the analysis, the solutions got from the conference should be implemented. Further research should started on the areas discussed in the conference.

CONFERENCE: ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

To ‘confer’ means to converse, to consult, to discuss. ‘Conference’ means ‘a meeting for the exchange of views and opinions’. Conference can be defined as a meeting of a formal nature of people to solve particular problems, take specific decisions or discuss specific matters’.

ADVANTAGES:

1)   Exchange of Ideas: Conference encourages exchange of ideas and opinions. Delegates bring together their points of view which help to solve problems.

2)  Solves Problems: In a conference, participants provide all the angles in analysing problems and various solutions are suggested from which a comprehensive one can be accepted.

3)   Improves Internal Communication: By involving a large number of participants from various levels within an organisation or from different organisations, it facilitates communication and networking.

4)   Motivates Participants: The motivational value of a conference can never be underestimated. The participants acquire valuable information and come to know other people’s points of view. This broadens the horizon of delegates regarding organisational needs and problems.

5)   Promotes Goodwill: Conference helps to create goodwill among the participating organisations. It also helps to enhance the reputation of the organisation convening the conference.

DISADVANTAGES:

1)    Lack of Seriousness: Often conferences are not taken seriously. The participants do not take interest in the proceeding but consider it a pleasure trip.

2)    Ineffective Leadership: If the convener of the conference is not competent or if the conference is not properly organised, or if the delegates are non-cooperative, it creates confusion and the whole exercise will turn into an unsuccessful activity.

3)     Poor Opinion about Management: In an internal conference held with subordinates, the employees might start feeling that the management is incapable of arriving at decisions on its own. They might think that the authorities are weak in decision-making process.

4)  Domination by a few Participants: Often a few participants dominate the entire proceedings defeating the very purpose of calling the conference.

5)    Lack of Concrete Action: Since a conference can make only recommendations, it often becomes an exercise in futility. It is rarely that any concrete action is taken on these recommendations.

6)   Expenditure: Extravagant planning may often prove to be irrelevant yet expensive and a source of distraction in a conference. The main focus of the conference is lost in this process.

CONFERENCE: MEANING AND IMPORTANCE

Meaning: To ‘confer’ means to converse, to consult, to discuss. ‘Conference’ means ‘a meeting for the exchange of views and opinions’. Conference can be defined as a meeting of a formal nature of people to solve particular problems, take specific decisions or discuss specific matters’.

Importance: 1) Conference is held to give training to new employees. In such conference employees get information about the organisation.

2) Conference is held by a particular organisation by inviting delegates from other similar concerns, to discuss problems of mutual interest and to exchange views regarding certain policy matters.

3)  Conference brings together specialists, agents and staff for programme planning, informal networking.

4) Conference provides a joint platform for the researchers.

5) Conferences let participants to share their progress, obstacles they face and methods employ to solve them.

6) Conference makes aware students about recent developments not covered in academics, events and obstacles faced on the path of researchers.

7) Conference helps in better performance of the crew as a whole, which boosts productivity, develops better understanding of their related fields and benefits the organisation as a whole.

TYPES OF COMMITTEES

 Organisations appoint small groups and entrust them with specific tasks to be completed within a stipulated time known as committees. Literally, the word ‘committee’ means those members to whom some matter is ‘committed’. A committee is a body of persons elected or appointed to meet on an organised basis for the discussion of matters brought before it. A committee is more or less a formal body, often with a definite structure. It meets to do a specific job, such as making plans or budgets, taking policy decisions or only making suggestions and recommendations.

There are several types of committees:

1)    Standing or Permanent Committee- Standing committee is also called as a permanent committee. It is permanent in nature. Standing committee is formed for a specific purpose through the rules, by laws or regulations of an organisation. The committee gives all types of advice and recommendations to the board. Usually, a standing committee has high powers and can implement its decisions. Example of standing committee is Finance Committee.

2)  Ad-hoc or Temporary Committee- The word ‘Ad-hoc’ has a Latin origin which means ‘for a specific purpose’. Ad-hoc committee is temporary in nature. It is formed for specific tasks or for dealing with specific situation. One the ad-hoc committee has completed its task and submitted its report, it is then dissolved. For example a committee formed to conduct a conference. One the conference is over, it gets dissolved.

3)   Formal Committee- Formal committee is usually a permanent committee in an organisation. It has certain duties and responsibilities. For example Finance Committee, Discipline Committee.

4)     Informal Committee- Informal committee is formed merely for the purpose of collective thinking. It has no fixed agenda, no formal authority. Its recommendations are not a formal decision; they are given more in the way of advice. Such committee can meet over a cup of tea and discuss some problems and issues.

5)    Executive Committee- Executive committee is a committee that is composed of people occupying top positions in a company who have the authorities to administer the everyday and routine affairs of the company. Executive committee is chiefly composed of senior management staff and just like any other committee in a business enterprise, the executive committee is given the permission to carry out special assignments or tasks.

6)    Advisory Committee- Advisory committee may be standing or ad-hoc. It consists of senior people or experts in the required group. An advisory committee has no say in decision making and also in the execution of the decisions. Its sole function is to give advice. For example College Advisory Committee.

7)    Sub-committee- A sub-committee as the name implies, is basically a supplementary committee. This means that it is connected with a larger committee that is more powerful and important than it. A sub-committee is said to be a child of a parent committee. A large committee can appoint one or more of its members to form another committee under it in the name of a sub-committee. The large committee under which the sub-committee is formed is the parent committee.

8)   Coordinating or Joint Committee- This is a type of committee that acts like a link between two committees and joins or coordinates their actions together. Such a committee would normally be composed of representatives from the other committees whose activities it is coordinating.

COMMITTEE: IMPORTANCE

Organisations appoint small groups and entrust them with specific tasks to be completed within a stipulated time known as committees. Literally, the word ‘committee’ means those members to whom some matter is ‘committed’. A committee is a body of persons elected or appointed to meet on an organised basis for the discussion of matters brought before it. A committee is more or less a formal body, often with a definite structure. It meets to do a specific job, such as making plans or budgets, taking policy decisions or only making suggestions and recommendations.

Importance of Committee:  

1) Committee formulates new policies, coordinates plans and implementations and review the old ones.

2)  Committee gives relevant and current information to their staff.

3) Committee helps in the conduct of some specific functions like fund raising, audit or elections.

4) Committee investigates situations and suggest recommendations.

5) Committee helps to solve the internal and external problems of the organisation.

6) Committee is important to maintain order within the organisation.

7) Committee helps to secure cooperation between different departments.

8) Committee helps in the process of public relations by representing the organisation to the community.