Hosting a Webinar

Webinars are similar to meeting events, but allow you to stream live natively in Gradual and bring attendees on screen as panelists. This resource walks through the assigned roles in a webinar, and actions a host can take within the event to go live, bring attendees on and off screen, and end the webinar for their viewers.

Assigned Roles

The assigned roles in the webinar are similar to those in a Meeting room but vary slightly with who is on screen and live. These roles are assigned from the event dashboard in the Webinar Room tab or live during the event by the host.

Hosts

Hosts can be on video and audio in the event, and have the most elevated controls during the live event:

  • Hosts can 'Go Live' and start the webinar and end the webinar for attendees
  • Hosts can promote attendees to 'panelist' to bring them on screen, live in the event
  • Hosts can control audio, moderate chat/Q&A, record the event, spotlight panelists, and assign breakout rooms [Learn more about host controls here.]
  • Hosts can screen share during the event

Panelists

Panelists can be on video and audio in the event, but have limited controls during the live event:

  • Panelists can screen share during the event

Staff

Staff members are NOT on video and audio in the event, but have elevated controls during the live event:

  • Staff can 'Go Live' and start the webinar and end the webinar for attendees
  • Staff can promote attendees to 'panelist' to bring them on screen, live in the event
  • Staff can control audio, moderate chat/Q&A, record the event, spotlight panelists, and assign breakout rooms [Learn more about staff controls here.]

Attendees

All other registrants are assigned attendees. Attendees are NOT on video and audio in the event but can be promoted to panelists to come on video and audio by hosts or staff.


Log into Webinar

Hosts, staff, and panelists can log into the webinar ahead of attendees, set up & test their cameras and microphones, and prepare to go live to the general audience using the Live Event Environment link.

The audience of attendees will not be able to see or hear the hosts and panelists until the 'Go Live' button is pressed. If you want to allow your attendees to join early, before the start time, adjust the admin attendees time in the event dashboard.


Go Live

The 'Go Live' button will admit attendees into the webinar and they will be able to see and hear the hosts and panelists. This button is only visible to hosts and staff and will appear once the event has begun.

If the webinar has begun, but the host has not gone 'live', attendees will see a waiting screen within the event. They can post in the chat, ask questions in Q&A, and explore the profiles of the hosts and panelists in the event as they wait for the event to begin.

💡 Pro Tip: Invite your panelists and fellow hosts to the event ahead of show time to run through the agenda, ensure their camera and mic are working, and wait to 'Go Live' until everyone is ready. Learn more about accessing an event early for testing here.

Attendees will not see or hear hosts and panelists until the 'Go Live' button is pressed.


Bring attendees on or off-screen

Bring attendee on screen: Promote Attendee to Panelist

To bring an attendee on-screen during the webinar, they must be promoted to 'panelist'. This can be done in the dashboard by an admin in the Webinar Room tab, or live during the event.

Live during the event (Hosts or Staff):

1
Hover over the attendees' profile on the right-hand side and select 'Promote to Panelist'

2
Or, attendees can raise their hand, and from within the Raised Hand pop up, select 'Promote to Panelist'

Once an attendee is promoted to panelist, they will receive a notification pop-up where they will be prompted to allow access and configure their camera and microphone to come on screen.

From the Dashboard:

1
Navigate to the Webinar Room tab in the event dashboard
2
Add the attendee as a Panelist

Once an attendee is added as a panelist, they will receive a notification pop-up where they will be prompted to allow access and configure their camera and microphone to come on screen.


Take attendee off screen: Demote Panelist to Attendee

To take an attendee off-screen during the webinar, they must be demoted to an attendee. This can be done in the dashboard by an admin in the Webinar Room tab, or live during the event.

Live during the event (Hosts or Staff):

1
Hover over the attendees' profile on the right-hand side and select 'Demote to attendee'
2
Or, hover over the attendees' video feed, select the three dot menu and select 'Demote to attendee'

Once an attendee is demoted from panelist to attendee, they will receive a notification pop-up, and will drop from the video feeds.

From the Dashboard:

1
Navigate to the Webinar Room tab in the event dashboard
2
Remove the attendee as a Panelist

Once an attendee is removed from the panelist list in the dashboard, they will receive a notification pop-up and they will drop from the video feeds.


End Webinar

Assigned hosts and staff can end the webinar for everyone, or just for attendees.

1
Select the 'Leave' button from the bottom left hand side
2
Select 'End Webinar' if you'd like to end the event.

Select 'End for all' if you'd like to kick out all attendees and end it for everyone in the webinar - including other hosts, panelistst, staff and attendees,

Select 'End for Attendees only' if you'd like to kick out only atttendees - hosts, panelists and staff will remain in the webinar.

When the webinar ends for an attendee it will direct them to a 'Call Ended' screen.

💡 Pro Tip: End the webinar for 'attendees only' to keep your panelists and presenters back for a debrief of the event.

You cannot restart the webinar after a host has selected and confirmed the 'End Webinar' setting.

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