Help
If you need assistance, please use the Help button located on the middle right-hand side of the ExoticsCon Virtual Portal page. Selecting the Help button will start a live text session with a staff member. When support staff are not available, selecting the Help button will provide a form where you can report your problem via email.
Join the Webinar
From the ExoticsCon Virtual Portal main page, select Front Matter – Program from the menu located on the left-hand side of the page.
On the Programme page, click the "Attend this stream" button that corresponds to the session you wish to attend.
Follow the prompts to download and run Zoom.
The Zoom webinars will be open each day, approximately 15 minutes prior to the first presentation continuously through the last session of the day. You may enter, exit, return, switch between streams as often as you like during the day.
If you attempt to join the webinar before it has started or after it is finished, you will get a message saying the webinar is not in session. If you attempt to join the webinar after it has started but before participants are allowed to join, you will be placed in a temporary waiting room. Once the webinar is open to the participants, you will be added to the webinar.
Select ‘Join Audio by Computer’ to listen in using your computer headset or speakers.
Need more help with the audio? View the Zoom support article.
Zoom
The majority of the Zoom window will show the speaker’s presentation.
At the top of the Zoom window, you will see the View Options menu. You can use the View Options menu to switch between a full-screen display and the original window size.
The bottom of the Zoom window shows a toolbar.
Zoom Toolbar
The toolbar will display one or more of the following tools: Chat, Raise Hand, and Q&A. If any of the entries on the toolbar turn orange, that means there is activity in the highlighted tool, and you should click on it to see what is happening.
Toolbar—Audio Settings
Participant microphones will be automatically muted at the start of the real-time session. For most sessions, everyone except the speaker and moderator should remain muted at all times. You’ll be able to hear everything while muted, but your barking dogs won’t disturb others. If participants are to engage in the session verbally, the moderator will be responsible for unmuting the participants.
Toolbar—Q&A
Q&A provides a small pop-up window where you can send in questions for the speaker to answer. Just type your question in the bottom field where it says “Please input your question...” and select the “Send” button (see image below).
If the speaker decides to answer the question with text, the answer will appear in the Q&A window.
In the example below, the first question was answered with text by CE VIN. This question and answer will be seen by everyone.
The second question was answered privately by Ciara and will be seen only by the person asking the question.
If the “Send Anonymously” checkbox at the bottom of the form is checked, the question will be sent without your identifying information.
If the speaker answers with audio, you’ll see the question followed by “[Name] has answered this question live.” See below:
Toolbar—Chat
The Chat window allows participants to send a text to everyone in the webinar or just to the speakers and VIN CE staff. Unless it is a very interactive session with a small number of attendees, the Chat feature will be disabled. Participants should send their questions and comments using the Q&A tool.
To send a text when the Chat window is enabled:
- Select the target audience from the drop-down list at the bottom of the Zoom Webinar Chat window (either All panelists or All panelists and attendees).
- Type in your comment.
- Select the Enter key on your keyboard to share the text.
Toolbar—Raise Hand
For small audiences where there is open discussion whether through audio or a shared Chat window, the Raise Hand function can be used to let the speakers know you want to contribute to the conversation. Once acknowledged by the speaker, you can proceed with your question/comment.
For most real-time sessions, you should just use the Q&A tool to send in your question/comment without bothering to Raise Hand.
Polls
When a speaker asks the audience to answer a poll question, a small poll window will appear.
Select your answer(s) and click the “Submit” button (image on the left).
Some polls will allow for multiple correct answers as indicated by a checkbox (see poll question 1. below), while others will only allow one correct answer, as indicated by a radio button (see poll question 2. below).
Some polls will have only one poll question, while others may have multiple poll questions, so be sure to check for a scroll bar in case there are more questions farther down the polling window.
Once the majority have responded, the moderator will close the poll and display the poll results in your polling window (image on the right).
After a few moments, the moderator will stop sharing the poll results, and the polling window will close. You can select the “Close” button and close your polling window early if you prefer. Or swipe left/right if you are using a mobile device.
Leaving a Meeting
If you need to leave the real-time session early, just close the Zoom window or click “Leave Meeting” at the bottom right of the Zoom window. You will be able to re-enter the webinar using your webinar link.
Zoom Webinar Participant Tool Bar
At the end of the day, once all the speakers are finished, the moderator will end the meeting for everyone, and the Zoom window will close automatically.
Session Recordings
Recordings will be available in the corresponding proceedings article within a few days after the webinar.
Documentation of CE Credit
ExoticsCon, NOT VIN, will be providing you the CE Certificates after the last Association (AEMV) concludes their sessions on October 3, 2020. CE Certificates will be emailed to the email address on file with ExoticsCon. Please make sure you check your inbox AND your spam folder for that email.