Arrange a webinar
A webinar is an online seminar or lecture. There are different tools you can choose from, depending on the features you need to have access to.
What is a webinar?
A webinar is an online seminar, talk or panel discussion with a large audience. The audience usually doesn’t have to interact with one another.
Webinar tools
You can choose from different tools, depending on which features you need to have access to. In many cases, such as public defences, a regular Teams or Zoom meeting is sufficient.
Different types of webinars in Teams
In Microsoft Teams, you can set up different types of webinars called "Webinars" and "Town Halls". These options are included in Microsoft Teams, which KI employees have access to through the Microsoft 365 account.
Which Type Should I Choose?
The format and available features differ somewhat between Webinars and Town Halls – which option is most suitable depends on your specific needs.
Microsoft has published extensive support material for each meeting type. The table below summarises participant limits and available features for each format.
Tips for setting up large meetings and events in Teams
Get started with Teams webinars
Features and participant limits in Teams
| Feature | Meeting | Webinar | Town Hall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participant capacity | Up to 1,000 interactive, +10,000 view-only | Up to 1,000 interactive | Large-scale broadcast scenarios, up to 20,000 |
| Interaction | Fully interactive | Limited attendee controls | Large-scale broadcast |
| Registration required | No | Yes | Optional (often yes) |
| Custom branding | Basic | Advanced (Premium) | Advanced (Premium) |
| Q&A and polls | Basic chat | Full Q&A/polls | Moderated Q&A |
Additional Features with Teams Premium
If you frequently arrange different types of webinars, there is an additional licence called Teams Premium. It provides access to more settings and options to enhance the participant experience.
Learn more about Teams Premium
The Teams Premium licence costs 20 SEK/month per user and can be ordered through Wisum.
Zoom
For meetings with up to 500 attendees, a Zoom meeting or webinar might fit your need. For a public defence, you can change the settings to reduce the risk of distractions.
Tips for safer thesis defences in Zoom
- Mute all participants upon entry by default.
- Activate the waiting room to be able to approve who can join the meeting.
- Make yourself the only one to be able to share the screen.
- Lock the meeting when it has started and no further participants should be able to join. You will find this setting once the meeting has started.
- Have a co-host who can manage the administration in Zoom during your meeting. The co-host can for example accept people from the waiting room, remove participants or un-mute participants.