Virtual Events

A virtual event is an event that occurs entirely online or occurs in-person with the addition of an online presence. Virtual events will be considered within 2 categories:  

Complex Virtual Events are virtual events that require multiple campus support services.  Examples of complex events include town halls, orientations, fairs, and conferences.  These events usually have a large audience, multiple presenters, various types of presentation formats, and can include breakout sessions or focused tracks.  Event clients can work with a university event coordinator/manager to ensure resource requirements and support services are in place for a successful event.  

Client Run Virtual Events are virtual events that can be organized and managed within the requesting unit/organization with little to no campus support services. Examples of these events include virtual staff meetings, working group sessions, faculty drop-in sessions, etc. These types of events can be scheduled and managed using the self-service university supported platforms (MS Teams, Zoom, etc.).

A virtual event reservation is just like any other reservation in 25Live. The only difference is the Event Location you select will be one of the new Virtual Event Locations. You can find these locations by searching the keyword, Virtual, in the 25live event form. Please note, for hybrid events, please ensure you select the non-virtual meeting space and indicate in your request that you would like to offer a virtual component to your in–person meeting. This will allow the scheduler to ensure the meeting is categorized as a hybrid event.

Event Name: What you are calling your event for your reference (do not put links or other information here)

Event Title: This is the name that displays on the calendars (do not put links or other information here)

Event Description: Use this space  to post a description of the event and any links to the main event and registration page.   For security purposes please do not post access links to the virtual meeting in your event description.

Event Type: Select the event type that pertains to the organization you are representing. For example, a Mason department would be Faculty/Staff Organized and a Registered Student Organization would be Student Organized.

Event Date and Time: This should be accurate even in the virtual space. If your event is “all day” you can select 12am-11:59pm.

We have new Mason supported virtual event locations to choose from. In 25Live, a Location search for the keyword “virtual” will yield all virtual location options.  Please make sure to select at least one option. If you are hosting a hybrid event (an event that has an in-person component as well as a virtual presence) please also make sure to select the in-person location on this reservation as well.

Mason Supported platforms:

• • VIRTUAL EVENT
  • VIRTUAL EVENT BLACKBOARD COLLAB ULTRA
  • VIRTUAL EVENT MS LIVE EVENT
  • VIRTUAL EVENT MS TEAMS
  • VIRTUAL EVENT ZOOM
  • VIRTUAL EVENT ZOOM LG MEETING
  • VIRTUAL EVENT ZOOM WEBINAR

 Other platforms that you may choose to use without Mason support may include:

• • Instagram Live
  • Youtube Live
  • Facebook Live

Virtual Location (This is a catch all for an event not held on one of the previously listed or if the client doesn’t know what platform is best for their event)

25live.gmu.edu

Under the Categories section, select a category labeled Today@Mason. Based on the audience you select, your event will be added to that Today@Mason calendar.  If you do not wish for your event to be published on a public calendar, click the Category, DO NOT PUBLISH.  

For non-Today@Mason calendars, please specify in the comments section which calendar you are requesting.  

Once confirmed, your listing should populate to the appropriate calendar.  

To ensure the most success for a virtual event, please consider the following tips and considerations:

Allow for Enough Lead Time – to ensure availability of resources and proper planning time it is good to submit the initial virtual events request as soon as the event is known, no later than 3 weeks in advance.  This allows for time to coordinate, assign all resources and complete a test/walk through prior to the event.

Good Internet Connection – its best for the host and presenter of the virtual event to be located with good internet connection, which will help prevent interruptions or delays throughout the session due to bandwidth issues or loss of internet connectivity.

As events are held virtually there are more potential threats with outside entities hijacking a meeting or attending without an invitation. Please review George Mason University ITS guidance for secure virtual meetings.

Remember that you are in a meeting; give participants your full attention as if you were in the same room.  Here are some key dos/don’ts:

The 8 Do’s of Video Conferencing Etiquette

• Do be courteous to other participants
• Do speak clearly
• Do keep body movements minimal
• Do move and gesture slowly and naturally
• Do maintain eye contact by looking into the camera
• Do dress appropriately
• Do make the session animated
• Do be yourself and have fun!

The 7 Don’ts of Video Conferencing Etiquette

• Don’t make distracting sounds
• Don’t shout
• Don’t make distracting movements
• Don’t interrupt other speakers
• Don’t carry on side conversations
• Don’t wear “noisy” jewelry
• Don’t mute your video