More Reasons to Be Thankful for Conferencing Services

It’s that magical time of year again! Now that the holidays are upon us, it’s time to remind ourselves what it is we are thankful for. This past Thanksgiving I did just that and came up with a quick list of what it is I am thankful for: my friends, my family, food on the table, a roof over my head, work, and conferencing services.

Yes, I realize that last one might seem a bit silly, but if it weren’t for conferencing services I would be spending a lot less time enjoying everything else that I had put on my list. And while some of you might cringe at the idea of a conference call, you can rest assured they have evolved greatly since their pioneer days. Today’s audio conferencing and web conferencing solutions offer much more interaction with your participants, enhanced audio controls, improved presentation sharing and videos, and are even available on multiple devices – including smartphones and tablets – all of which provide incredible flexibility in the workplace.

By meeting virtually with my co-workers and clients I was able to spend the majority of my Thanksgiving holiday weekend at home with those I love and do not get to see often. Not only that, but I also avoided the hassle of sitting in traffic, waiting in long lines, squeezing myself into bothersome cramped seating, worrying if my flight would be delayed due to weather issues, finding a hotel, etc. – things that are all too familiar with business travel (and the high prices that come with it).

It is also important to note that, although they might be more apparent during these times, the benefits you receive from employing an audio conferencing or web conferencing service are not limited to the holiday season, but available 24/7/365. Here are a few more reasons to be thankful for conferencing:

• Flexibility – conferencing allows you and your participants to meet anywhere, anytime
• Decreased carbon footprint – conferencing cuts back carbon emissions from all types of business travel (plane, train, car, etc.)
• Improved job satisfaction – according to the International Telework Assoc. and Council, tele-working creates a 20% decrease in staff turnover
• Increased employee productivity – CompTIA conducted a survey wherein almost 70% of respondents reported their organization experiencing greater employee productivity as a result of workers tele-commuting either part-time or full-time

For more information on audio conferencing and web conferencing services, give us a call today!

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Source: http://www.conferenceshopper.com/reasons-to-be-thankful-for-conferencing-services

PGi Global Conferencing Solutions

Whether your company employs the most expensive, state-of-the-art conferencing service or a standard solution, it will only benefit your company if it truly engages your participants. In order for you to receive the best ROI on your conferencing service investment, your solution should be simple, straightforward, seamless, and focused on the participant. Not only will it allow your participants to work together more easily, but also inspire each other and ultimately increase your business’s productivity. After all, isn’t that the point of collaboration in the first place?

For almost two decades, PGi has been connecting individuals all over the globe, and currently serves 50,000 companies – including 90% of the Fortune 500 and 75% of the Fortune 100.

By focusing on the participant, PGi’s conferencing solutions provide a comprehensive approach to working together and bridge the gap between the benefits of collaboration and technology. In the end, participants reap an effective, unified experience that ultimately results in significant cost savings and increased productivity for your business.

PGi’s global audio conferencing, web conferencing and video conferencing solutions make collaborating with your partners, customers and employees simple and hassle-free and can be tailored to fit your exact needs and budget. Use them alone, or integrated for even faster decision making and increased engagement.

Audio Conferencing

PGi’s audio conferencing solutions come with a comprehensive list of standard features, including 24/7 operator assistance, the ability to meet with up to 125 participants without making prior reservations, mobile integration with iPhone® and BlackBerry®, more than 100 local and international toll-free access points, unique leader and participant passcodes, online reporting, one-click scheduling via their toolbar for Outlook®, and the ability to record your conference for future playback.

Web Conferencing

PGi’s web conferencing solutions allow you to bring your conferences to the next level. For example, PGi’s GlobalMeet solution is a powerful, easy to use solution that blends web and audio conferencing. Participants do not have to download any software to join in your conference – all that is required is a web browser. The solution’s screen sharing feature supports partial screen views, multiple monitors, as well as shared annotation and note taking.

Many of today’s most successful companies trust PGi to equip their customers and staff with conferencing solutions that dramatically cut costs while enhancing productivity. If you’re interested in learning more, give one of our representatives a call today to see what PGi global conferencing solutions can do to improve your business.

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Source: http://www.conferenceshopper.com/pgi-global-conferencing-solutions

Good Tips for Audio, Web and Video Conferencing Meetings Continued

In our previous post we began to our list of good tips for great meetings. As we’ve said before, it’s easy to get lost in traditional introductions and complex PowerPoint slides and spreadsheets. But when that happens, you run the risk of losing the art of “hosting” to business formalities and miss out on the chance to meet your participants in an impactful way.

So, back to our list of event best-practices that will help to keep your participants engaged and eager to come back for more (including a quick recap of 1-4):

• Practice makes perfect
• Eliminate the guess work for your participants
• Cut out unnecessary downloads for participants
• Organization is essential for an effective and engaging conference
• Equal participation for all attendees – every group has a microphone hog, and for each hog there are an equal – if not greater – number of participants waiting for a chance to speak. Each participant’s time is valuable, and for that reason, part of your job as a host is to ensure each of your participants has the opportunity to contribute. If you feel someone in your group hasn’t had an opportunity to speak, try bringing them into the conversation directly, leading with a short statement about their strengths and/or expertise
• Engage your participants with pertinent information – in the event that you find yourself hosting a meeting on a topic you are, to put it politely, less than thrilled about, set aside time to find an interesting aspect of your topic and bring it to life with a photo, relevant media story or short video case study
• Leave on a high note – start collecting your thoughts about 15 minutes prior to the end of your audio, web or video conference and provide your participants with a brief recap. Cover the decisions that were made, brainstorm conclusions, edited documents, etc. and go over any follow-up tasks. Ending a meeting on time, or better yet early, can significantly affect the way your participants feel about the event and you as a host
• Don’t forget the “thank you” – your participants’ time is valuable, so be sure to thank them for taking time out of their day to take part in your conference. Send them a quick follow-up email that also offers a more detailed recap of what decisions were made, goals were reached, etc. during the conference as well as any follow-up tasks for participants

Audio, Web, Video Conferencing Meeting

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Good Tips for Audio, Web and Video Conferencing Meetings

When I was a kid, my dad would always stress the importance of forming “good habits,” because, as he would say, the bad ones only get harder to break as you get older. And while I didn’t put much thought into it at the time, now I see how right he was (and still is).

Today’s technology is ever-evolving. Often it seems as though once you’ve managed to master one product or service, it’s being replaced by something else. Audio, web, and video conferencing is no different. Sure, modern conferencing services are more user-friendly than ever before, but hosting a conference is no easy feat; it’s easy to get lost in traditional introductions and complex PowerPoint slides and spreadsheets. When that happens, you run the risk of losing the art of “hosting” to business formalities and miss out on the chance to meet your participants in an impactful way.

So, with the help of our friends at PGi, we have compiled a list of event best-practices that will help to keep your participants engaged and eager to come back for more:

• Practice – the saying “practice makes perfect” is still used today because it’s true. Nothing slows down a meeting faster than a host fumbling over the technology. Not only will it cause your participants to lose focus, but many will view it as a waste of their valuable time, making them less likely to attend your future conferences. Today’s audio conferencing and web conferencing solutions offer a robust, comprehensive list of features to improve communication and collaboration that, although user-friendly, require practice to navigate and execute properly.
• Eliminate the guess work for your participants – as the conference host you should leave little to the imagination when it comes to what your participants should expect from attending your conference. This includes everything from why they were invited to participate and how your participants will join the conference, to the agenda, meeting goals, dress code (for web and video conferences), etc.
• Cut out unnecessary downloads – opt for and video conferencing, audio or web conferencing service that does not require specific browsers or special downloads for participants to join. That way you can ensure all of your attendees will arrive on time and without any hassle
• Organization is key – even in a virtual conference, disorganization will lead to distraction, confusion, and ultimately a lack of participant engagement. Before the start of your meeting preload your PowerPoint slides and presentation materials into your conference so they are readily accessible as soon as you begin

Audio, Video or Web Conferencing Services

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Audio, Web and Video Conferencing Etiquette for Your Next Conference

Audio conferencing, web conferencing and video conferencing services are a powerful and cost-efficient alternative to in-person meetings. All conferencing services offer a vast array of benefits, ranging from significant cost savings to a smaller carbon footprint for your business. That being said, in order to ensure you get the best return on your conferencing investment, it is imperative that you and your team practice good conferencing etiquette.

• Prepare – As the saying goes, failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Ample preparation is essential to holding an effective meeting. Create an outline you can share with participants either prior to, or at the start of your meeting that lists the topics you will cover as well as your objective(s)

• Practice – Whether you’re new to conferencing or a veteran, performing a few dry-runs before the actual meeting is a smart move, as you don’t want to risk losing your participant’s interest by shuffling through paperwork while on the call. Moreover, if you’re dealing with a new or unfamiliar service, dry-runs will allow you to test all of the available features that aid in conducting a more engaging and collaborative web, video and audio conferencing services experience

• Start on time – Respect your participants that arrive early or on time and begin the conference at the appointed time noted on the invite

• Don’t eat anything – Aside from a glass of water, avoid snaking or drinking during your meeting. This might seem like an obvious one, but you’d be amazed at the things some participants will do while on a conference call. One of the many ways to ensure your participants stay on their best behavior is to add real-time video to your conference. Many of today’s providers offer video via web conferencing (for more information on this service, contact one of our professional account managers)

• Avoid primping – Following up on our last point, in addition to no eating or drinking, participants and hosts should refrain from adjusting their hair, makeup, clothing or anything else that could be distracting to others. Your hosts and the other participants deserve the same respect that you would show them in an in-person meeting

• When it doubt, mute it out – A good rule of thumb is to put your line on mute while a presenter is speaking. This eliminates the chance something you do (such as cough or adjust your seat) will disrupt the call

For a few more tips on what to avoid during your next conference, check out this video from Step Ahead:

For more information please visit: Audio Conference, Conferencing Services

Audio and Web Conferencing | An Ideal Conferencing Solution

Regardless of the industry your business is in, having the ability to keep pace with your partners, customers and employees is essential to your success. However in these tough economic times, many companies are forced to cut their budgets, and as a result, travel expenses are often one of the first items to be scratched off the list.

Thankfully, there is a reliable, easy-to-use and cost-efficient solution: conferencing!


Conferencing services – be it audio conferencing or web conferencing – allow you to reach out, communicate, and interact with your partners, customers and employees anywhere in the world, for significantly less than standard business travel. Like it or not, there are certain times when conducting a traditional face-to-face meeting just isn’t possible; whether it is due to time zone or scheduling issues, sick or injured employees or any other number of reasons. Luckily, with the advancements that have been made in modern conferencing technology, you can now have the ability to conduct a conference without the inconvenience of requiring everyone to be at the same table.

By bringing your team together for an audio conference or a web conference, you not only eliminate the costs and time associated with business travel, but you also help your company become more “eco-conscious” by shrinking your business’s carbon footprint.

Audio conferencing provides a quick and easy way to connect with any number of people using either a telephone or smartphone. No matter what size your business is, there are a number of top conferencing providers – such as InterCall, the largest conferencing provider in the world – who offer a robust, comprehensive collection of services with valuable and effective features. For example, some audio conferencing services provide one or more toll-free numbers and passcodes for your participants to call and join your meetings. But what if one of your participants is unable to make the conference? Well, some audio conferencing solutions allow you to record your conference and store it for future playback.

From simple, two or three person meetings to large, operator-assisted audio conferences, there is a solution available to meet your business’s unique requirements. And here at ConferenceShopper, our wealth of expertise and established industry relationships with the leading audio and web conferencing providers allow us to off you unbiased, carrier neutral advice on services from the finest providers of audio and web conferencing.

Source: Conferencing Solution