Not just a pretty face Video conferencing a clever tool made easy

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1 Not just a pretty face Video conferencing a clever tool made easy

2 Why use video conferencing? Video conferencing is a great way to run team briefings or hold regular client updates, and it saves time and money. You get all the interaction without the inconvenience and down time of travelling. With the rise of video calls by phone or computer, people the world over are much more familiar than they used to be with remote face to face contact. And video conferencing technology has improved, too. It s now much more reliable and can combine video and presentations. It s true that video conferencing isn t the answer in every situation, for example the first sales pitch, complex negotiations or networking. But it s perfect for everyday situations such as briefing engagement teams, discussing or exchanging information and working together to review documents. It can also be an effective way to keep in touch with clients, especially during busy periods, when you may not have the time to travel. In 2009 an Economist Intelligence Unit survey found 64% of large firms have virtual teams using video conferencing on a regular basis. Most of our PwC offices and many of our clients now have video conferencing facilities, making both internal and external calls possible.

3 Making a booking Booking a video conference call only takes a few minutes. Start by booking a meeting room, either by phoning if you re in a London office, or by calling your local welcome team there is a list of numbers on the back page of this leaflet. These teams work from 8am 6pm. You will then be asked for details on who will be taking part in the call. When you book, you ll need to give: Your staff number and contact details. The meeting host s name. The date, time, approximate duration and title of the meeting. The locations involved (country and city). If we haven t connected to the site before, we ll need to register it and test it. The name and telephone number of the host at each site. If a client s office is taking part in your meeting, you ll need to get some basic details from them. They should be able to get this information from their technical support team. If you have the information, the number and locations of people who would have travelled had it been a physical meeting rather than a video conference. This helps us to monitor how our working practices are changing, and helps us with our reporting.

4 Tips and etiquette Preparing for and chairing a video conference is much like running a regular meeting. But certain aspects are different. The specialist audio equipment will amplify some sounds, for example, and it s easy to forget people who are not visible. So a checklist can be helpful to ensure everyone on the call is comfortable and you have a smooth and successful experience. Before the call Distribute documents for the meeting to all participants ahead of the call. Allow an extra 10 minutes to get set up before the meeting starts. Like news presenters, avoid wearing clothes with close stripes or checks, which can strobe and be distracting. Setting up the call The call should have been set up when you arrive at the meeting room and the conference phone should be muted. You will need to remember to take it off mute when you are ready to start the meeting. If anyone taking part in the meeting does not have access to video conferencing facilities, you will need to set up an audio conference for those participants and dial in it using the conference dish in the meeting room. You can set up an audio conference on the portal at

5 During the meeting Make sure participants sit at least four feet from the camera so they re visible. Look at the video conferencing camera when talking to other sites, as it helps to build the relationship between you and the remote participants. Bear in mind that there may be some people out of shot of the video conferencing camera. Avoid tapping pens or pencils, stirring drinks, pouring water or coughing near the microphone as background noise is much more noticeable to people on the call than people in the room. Avoid side conversations, as the audio equipment is highly sensitive. Closing the meeting Close out the meeting more explicitly than in a physical meeting to signal it s coming to an end, thanking all locations and participants for attending. For help booking a video conference, contact the VC support team on or [email protected]

6 Your dedicated team Aberdeen Moira Munro & Jennifer Gillespie Belfast Reception Birmingham Service solutions Bristol John Kemp & Danielle Plant Cambridge Damien Edgeley & Audrey Smith Cardiff Deborah Thomas & Vicky Pinnell East Midlands Julie Tranter & Gill Clayton Edinburgh Mark Teske & Clare Sullivan Gatwick Nicola Lynch & Cathy Larkin Glasgow Gordon McIntosh Hull Donna Lomotey & Heather Duckwith Leeds Julie Sherwin & Lisa Kendall Liverpool Chris Francis London London Meeting Room Bookings Manchester Abacus Court Henry Harrison Manchester Barbirolli Square Vivienne Metcalfe & Anna Marino Milton Keynes Jacqueline Mensah & Reception Newcastle Alison Youmans & Beverly Ilderton Norwich Sue Mackay Plymouth Teresa Ricketts Reading Jacqui Farmer & Phil Collins Sheffield Nadia Usman Southampton Joanne Firth / Liz Norris / Beverley Thompson St Albans Susan Smith Swansea Felicity Heard Uxbridge Welcome desk