In an era where technology is transforming the way we live and work, the realm of video capture is no exception. Today, HuddleCamHD is offering two different auto-tracking cameras, that can not only record what’s happening but also intelligently follow the action. These auto-tracking cameras have become increasingly popular in many applications, from distance learning to lecture capture, live events, and educational settings. But not all auto-tracking cameras are created equal. The latest evolution in this field is the emergence of dual-sensor systems. These cameras offer a host of new features and capabilities that set them apart from their single-sensor counterparts. But what exactly are these differences, and what do they mean for users? In this blog post, we will explore single-sensor and dual sensor auto-tracking cameras, delving into their unique features, benefits, and ideal use cases.

Pictured above is the single-sensor SimplTrack Lite and the dual-sensor SimplTrack 2.

What is a dual-sensor auto-tracking camera?

You might ask yourself what a dual-sensor auto-tracking camera actually is, given that every camera must have at least one sensor in order to produce video. A dual-sensor camera has two cameras built into one intelligent system. A dual-sensor camera can perform intelligent tasks that automate the process of camera operation in ways that a single-sensor camera cannot. In most cases, one camera sensor is used to provide a wide-angle view of the area which provides intelligence to an optical zoom camera lens which can be steered based on what is happening in the room. Single-sensor cameras can perform auto-tracking capabilities but do not feature the ability to survey the entire room and make adjustments as necessary.

Feature comparison

Feature	Single Sensor	Dual Sensor
Smart Tracking	Yes	Yes
Group Tracking	Yes	Yes, superior
Zone Tracking	No	Yes
Selected Tracking	Yes	Yes, superior
Smart Blackboard Zones	No	Yes
Wide Angle Room View	No	Yes
Dynamic Framing	No	Yes

In the world of auto-tracking cameras, there’s been a lot of discussion about single-sensor versus dual-sensor systems. Both types of cameras have their strengths and offer a range of features that can enhance video capture in various settings. To better understand these two systems, let’s take a closer look at their key features:

Smart Tracking: This feature, present in both single and dual-sensor cameras, allows the camera to lock in on a single subject. Whether you’re recording a solo speaker at a conference or tracking a wildlife subject, this ability to maintain focus on one individual is critical.

Group Tracking: Both camera types also offer group tracking, but the dual-sensor camera has an edge. With its wide-angle lens, the dual-sensor camera is better equipped to frame a group of people, making it ideal for capturing classroom interactions or team sports.

Zone Tracking: This is where the dual-sensor camera really starts to shine. Unlike single-sensor cameras, the dual-sensor system has the ability to handle auto-tracking within specific zones of interest. This means it can focus on a particular area – like a stage at a concert or a designated area in a classroom – offering more flexibility in diverse filming environments.

Selected Tracking: While both camera types can identify all people in frame and select a target to track, the dual sensor camera performs superiorly. Its wide-angle lens provides a better overview of all people in the frame, making it easier to select the right target.

Smart Blackboard Zones: This is a feature unique to dual-sensor cameras, enabling them to properly frame a blackboard writing area. This is particularly useful in an educational setting, where remote students need to clearly see what’s being written on the board.

Wide Angle Room View: Another advantage of the dual sensor camera is its ability to capture a wide-angle view along with the optical zoom view. This provides a broader perspective of the scene, which can be especially valuable in large spaces like lecture halls or auditoriums.

Dynamic Framing: Lastly, the dual-sensor camera offers dynamic framing. When a lecturer interacts with students, for example, the camera can automatically widen its frame to include the interaction. This creates a more engaging and inclusive viewing experience for remote learners.

What are the use cases?

Use Cases	Single Sensor Strengths	Dual Sensor Strengths
Education	Effective at tracking a single lecturer	Superior at capturing the lecturer and the whole classroom view. Zone tracking can focus on areas where the lecturer frequently moves to.
Conference	Can effectively track the speaker	Can capture both the speaker and the audience, providing a more immersive view for remote attendees.
Sports	Can effectively track a single player	Can provide a comprehensive view of the entire field, while also focusing on specific players or a group
Live Performances	Can follow a main performer effectively	Can capture the entire stage while also focusing on individual performers, enhancing the viewing experience

Auto-tracking cameras are revolutionizing the way we capture and experience events, from classroom lectures to live performances. But depending on the situation, a single-sensor or dual-sensor camera might be more effective. Let’s break down some common use cases to see where each camera type excels:

Lecture Capture: When it comes to capturing a single lecturer, single-sensor cameras are quite effective. They can track the lecturer as they move around the room, keeping them in focus. However, dual-sensor cameras offer a superior viewing experience. Not only can they capture the lecturer, but they also provide a comprehensive view of the entire classroom. Their zone tracking feature can focus on areas where the lecturer frequently moves, ensuring that all important visual information is captured.

Conferences: In a conference setting, single-sensor cameras can effectively track the speaker, maintaining focus on them throughout their presentation. But again, dual-sensor cameras offer an enhanced experience. They can capture both the speaker and the audience, providing a more immersive view for remote attendees. This can help recreate the feeling of being in the conference room, even for those who couldn’t attend in person.

Sports: In a sports context, single-sensor cameras can effectively track a single player, keeping them in focus during the game. Dual-sensor cameras, on the other hand, can provide a comprehensive view of the entire field. They can also focus on specific players or groups of players, offering a more dynamic and engaging viewing experience.

Live Performances: For live performances, a single-sensor camera can effectively follow the main performer. But a dual-sensor camera can enhance the viewing experience by capturing the entire stage while also focusing on individual performers. This can provide viewers with a more complete understanding of the performance, including both the main action and the broader context.

In conclusion, while single-sensor cameras offer effective tracking capabilities, dual-sensor cameras provide superior flexibility and performance in a wide range of situations. Whether it’s tracking a specific zone, framing a group of people, or automatically adjusting the frame based on the scene, the dual-sensor camera excels. So, when making your decision between single and dual sensor systems, consider your specific filming needs and the features that will most enhance your viewers’ experience.

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One prime example of lecture capture automation is the integration of hardware lecture capture solutions such as the Epiphan Pearl. The Epiphan Pearl is a lecture capture device that is able to capture audio and video and send it directly to lecture capture systems such as Panopto, Kaltura, and Yuja. This type of integration allows educators to focus on their instructions and trust that the automated system will have their lecturers delivered into the LMS system the students use on a daily basis. 

The Epiphan Pearl is just one of many lecture capture systems which can take video from sources such as an instructor’s laptop, a document camera, and even an auto-tracking camera. In many cases, it’s ideal to have an auto-tracking camera connected to the lecture capture system in order to provide a fully automated system. Auto-tracking cameras such as the SimplTrack Lite are able to be managed remotely on the network and set up for continual use without a camera operator. 

When you are setting up an auto-tracking camera in a classroom you should consider some of the auto-tracking system features which can be used to ensure flawless operation. For example, using the SimplTrack Lite you can set up a custom preset you would like to use to frame your subject. This is ideal for keeping a whiteboard in view at all times even as the camera tracks the presenter left and right during a lecture. Another feature that is great in a classroom setting is called blocking zones. The SimplTrack 2 has a feature that allows you to block certain areas in a classroom from being tracked such as a doorway or a large window. 

When you are choosing a PTZ camera with auto-tracking capabilities one of the most important features to look for is built-in tracking. Some PTZ cameras can now gain auto-tracking capabilities with the addition of software. For example, the PTZOptics Camera Management Platform (CMP) is capable of adding auto-tracking capabilities to any PTZOptics camera. While this is an awesome feature, it could be cumbersome to deploy in an educational setting because a computer would need to run the software for each classroom. Instead, many organizations look for auto-tracking cameras that have built-in auto-tracking capabilities which do not require additional computers and software running to work. 

If you are interested in setting up a live demonstration of the SimplTrack cameras you can email partners@HuddleCamHD.com.

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In this video, we will demonstrate how to give your HuddleCamHD webcam auto-tracking capabilities using Open Broadcaster Software (OBS), a free application available for Mac, PC, and Linux computers. Adding auto-tracking functionality to your camera can make your videos and live streams more interactive without being distracting to viewers.

Auto-Tracking is particularly useful when someone is moving around during a presentation. If you are using auto-tracking in a setting where speakers are sitting, the feature can still be useful, but we recommend tuning the tracking sensitivity to make subtler adjustments to your video.

Steps:

1. Download and Install OBS
2. Download and Install Face Tracker Plugin
3. Add Webcam Video Source to OBS
4. Add Face Tracker Filter to the Video Source
5. Configure the Face Tracker Filter Parameters

Step 1 – Download and Install OBS

To get started, download OBS at OBSProject.com. OBS is a great software for recording video and live streaming. It can also be used to send a virtual webcam output to any software which accepts a webcam such as Skype, Microsoft Teams or Zoom, so anything you produce inside the OBS software can easily be recorded directly to your computer, live streamed to social media, or sent directly as a webcam source to another video software in real time.

Step 2 – Download and Install Face Tracker Plugin

Download the Face Tracker plugin here. When the download is finished, open OBS.

Step 3 – Add Webcam Video Source to OBS

Use the “Sources” area of OBS to add your webcam. Click the “+” button and select “Video Capture Device.” Here, you can select your webcam from the dropdown menu. Once you have selected your source, click “okay” and you should see the webcam in your list of Sources. You can now right click the source in order to add the Auto Tracking feature as a Filter.

Step 4 – Add Face Tracker Filter to the Video Source

Right click the source and select “Filters.” Click the “+” button in the “Effect Filters” area and select “Face Tracker.” Face Tracker is designed to automatically identify a face and start tracking that face with the default parameters. If the software is working well with the default parameters, you are all set to use OBS as your auto-tracking camera engine. You can enhance your video further with additional filters and settings available in OBS. For example, you may want to do some basic color correction or image sharpening of your image in OBS.

Step 5 – Configure the Face Tracker Filter Parameters

If you need to customize the parameters of Face Tracker you should start with the “Tracking Target Location” and make sure your face is centered in frame at the zoom level you desire. Start by selecting the “Zoom” and the “Scale Max” options which will determine how much your camera will zoom in during auto tracking. A good starting place is to set Zoom to .7 and Scale Max to 2.0. The further you want the camera to zoom in the higher you can adjust the Zoom Max parameter. You can then adjust the X and Y parameters to adjust how much space you want around your tracking zoom.

Once you have the Tracking Target Location configured, you can adjust how quickly you want the tracking to happen by adjusting the parameters in the “Tracking Response” section. If you want the tracking movements to slow down, adjust the “Kp” setting from the default “.95” down to a lower setting such as “.5”. You can continue to adjust the tracking parameters to get the auto-tracking dialed in to fit your needs.

Once you are done, you should create a settings preset by entering the name of your preset at the top of the filter settings area. Click “Save Preset” and you will see that your preset is saved for future use. This is ideal for saving and recalling new presets for different presentation settings that you can use for auto-tracking.

What are you waiting for? Give it a try! To add auto-tracking to your HuddleCamHD camera, install the OBS PTZ plugin here and get started.

Questions? Reach out to support@huddlecamhd.com for assistance.

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Downingtown, PA, March 29, 2022 – PTZOptics, leading manufacturer of affordable broadcast-quality  robotic cameras, today announces an extension to their distribution partnership with the Midwich Group  into the UK and Ireland. Midwich (UK) and Square One (Ireland) will offer the full range of PTZOptics  products, including those from sister brands HuddleCamHD and TallyLights, starting April 1, 2022.

This partnership expands PTZOptics’s relationship with the Midwich Group, the global distributor of AV  products that includes Midwich, Square One, and Starin, a current distribution partner for PTZOptics in  North America. 

“It’s been amazing to see, in less than a decade, the growth of PTZOptics into a truly international  brand,” says Will Golde, Director of Channel Development for PTZOptics. “Midwich Group is the ideal  partner to help bring PTZOptics into new markets in the UK and Ireland. With their deep understanding  of customer needs in the broadcast space, technical savvy, and customer support capacity, they are  uniquely equipped to help dealers achieve project success with our product line.” 

Midwich and Square One will now offer customers access to PTZOptics’s award-winning lineup of  affordable cameras and accessories, including robotic PTZ cameras; stationary Z-Cams, ePTZ cameras,  and livestreaming webcams; auto-framing and auto-tracking cameras for video conferencing, lecture  capture, and live events capture; camera control joysticks; and tally light on-air indicator systems for  multi-camera shoots. All products offer a wide range of distribution and control options, ranging from SDI  to NDI®|HX. 

Global demand for video capture and livestreaming capabilities continues to increase across markets.  The Midwich Group’s reach across the UK, Ireland, European, and Asia-Pacific regions will allow  PTZOptics to scale access to their products to meet this need, with local customer consulting and  support provided by the Midwich Group’s 1000+ person team of professionals. 

“We’ve watched recognition of the PTZOptics brand and demand for their products surge over the  course of their partnership with Starin in North America, especially in recent years with the expansion of  IP and NDI® capabilities across their product lines,” says Ross Floyd, Divisional Director at Midwich. “We  are confident we can replicate that success in the UK and Ireland.” Learn more about the PTZOptics family of brands at ptzoptics.com, or contact the Midwich Group team  to learn more about incorporating these products into projects in the UK and Ireland.

About PTZOptics

PTZOptics is a manufacturer of robotic pan, tilt, zoom camera solutions for a variety of broadcast  applications, including both video production and live streaming. Established in 2014, PTZOptics  disrupted the professional audiovisual industry when a group of engineers from a highly respected  systems integration firm created the first in a portfolio of cameras that was a part of their vision to create  an innovative solution for the complex needs of broadcast landscapes. Headquartered in Downingtown,  Pa., the start-up quickly eclipsed some of the biggest brands in the growing PTZ camera category. With  global distribution in more than 50 countries, PTZOptics has produced industry leading resources,  including the StreamGeeks livestream series. PTZOptics is the sister-company to HuddleCamHD,  manufacturers of professional video conferencing cameras. Learn more at www.PTZOptics.com.

About Midwich Group

Midwich is a specialist AV distributor to the trade market, with operations in the UK and Ireland, EMEA,  Asia Pacific and North America. The Group’s long-standing relationships with over 600 vendors, including  blue-chip organizations, support a comprehensive product portfolio across major audio visual categories  such as large format displays, projectors, digital signage and professional audio. The Group operates as  the sole or largest in-country distributor for a number of its vendors in their respective product sets. 

The Directors attribute this position to the Group’s technical expertise, extensive product knowledge and  strong customer service offering built up over a number of years. The Group has a large and diverse base  of over 20,000 customers, most of which are professional AV integrators and IT resellers serving sectors  such as corporate, education, retail, residential and hospitality. Although the Group does not sell directly  to end users, it believes that the majority of its products are used by commercial and educational  establishments rather than consumers. 

Initially a UK only distributor, the Group now has around 1,000 employees across the UK and Ireland,  Continental Europe, Asia Pacific and North America. A core component of the Group’s growth strategy is  further expansion of its international operations and footprint into strategically targeted jurisdictions. 

For further information, please visit www.midwichgroupplc.com.

Media Contacts: 

PTZOptics 

Rachel Bradshaw, Caster Communications 

ptzoptics@castercomm.com 

+1.434.604.0304 

Midwich Group  

Ben Thompson, Communications & PR Manager at Midwich  

ben.thompson@midwich.com

The post PRESS RELEASE: PTZOptics and Midwich Group Expand Distribution Partnership appeared first on HuddleCamHD.

In this video, you can see how Shiloh Ministries in Mercer, Pennsylvania has set up and optimized the SimplTrack2 auto-tracking camera inside of their house of worship. The SimplTrack2 is an auto-tracking camera that is ideal for large spaces because it features a 20X optical zoom with the ability to automatically track a subject on stage. This allows you to mount the SimplTrack2 up to 55 feet away from the stage and still capture close up views of your pastor during live-streamed services.

When you are setting up a SimplTrack2, you have a couple video options to consider. First of all, you can connect the auto-tracking camera directly to any computer using a USB 3.0 port. This is ideal for Zoom meetings where your pastor wants to stay connected with an online audience. You can also use the USB connection for simple streams using a software like OBS for example, to live stream a sermon to Facebook. The SimplTrack2 also features an SDI connection which is better for long cable runs back to a video production area. SDI cables generally require a SDI to USB capture card or hardware video switcher to use with a live streaming software like OBS, Wirecast or vMix so that you can connect to Facebook Live, YouTube or Zoom. The camera also features a DVI/HDMI video output of the camera that can be used with HDMI based video switchers. Many churches like to use the HDMI output with a confidence monitor so that the pastor can see where the camera is at all times. The DVI output can easily be converted to HDMI and used with hardware video production systems like the ATEM which include a USB output that you can connect to your computer for live streaming and video recording.

Most churches wall mount the SimplTrack2 on a wall that is out of the way like this one here. The SimplTrack2 can be powered with the included power supply or a PoE injector, like this one from PoE Texas. Once installed, you should also connect the camera to ethernet. The ethernet connection allows you to control the camera remotely. Once everything is set up, you can easily setup the SimplTrack2 to work in your church so that you have a camera man 24/7 whenever you want to record a video to produce a live stream.

Back at your computer, you can run the HuddleCamHD SimplTrack2 software to set up the auto-tracking parameters. This is a once and done set up process, but it’s helpful to have your pastor present so you can tweak the tracking speeds to their presentation style. For example, if your pastor likes to walk around a lot, you may want to dial in the tracking sensitivity and pan speeds. When you first set up the SimplTrack2, you need to set up the tracking zone. This is used to tell the auto-tracking camera where your pastor will be walking around. If there is a projector or television on stage, you can use the blocking zones to remove those areas from the tracking area.

While you are in the software, consider the framing you would like for your camera. You can have the camera track your pastor with a close up head and shoulder shot or you can use a full body shot showing head to toes. To do this, you need to set preset 0 as your entire stage and preset 1 for your close up framing. Once this is all done, you can click the track button, and you’re all set.

Now your media volunteers can leverage an auto-tracking camera that will always follow the pastor during services. This makes video creation and live streaming easier to operate but also more engaging for viewers.

The post The SimplTrack2: An Auto-Tracking Camera for Your Church appeared first on HuddleCamHD.

On the first Friday of each month, my team and I host a live-streamed technology show to educate our viewers, while highlighting some of the interesting integrations we’ve been working on for our customers. Recently, we worked with our friends at Epiphan to showcase the Epiphan Pearl Nano, a video hardware encoder that integrates nicely with our HuddleCamHD SimplTrack2 auto-tracking camera. These two products provide valuable, easy-to-implement solutions for schools of all sizes.

Simple Solutions for Education

Today, as K-12 and higher education institutions throughout the world continue to rely on hybrid learning environments, this duo provides a simple, effective yet strong solution. For educators and hosts of live, virtual events, automation is possibly one of the most appealing selling points. These two products provide users with the ability to professionally live stream, record, schedule and deliver content. For hybrid events that will likely be here for the foreseeable future, these solutions will remain integral for production teams.

Let’s break down both and their ease of use for a variety of scenarios.

HuddleCamHD SimplTrack2

Designed to simplify lecture capture, town hall meetings, conference recordings or worship streaming, the SimplTrack2 is the most advanced and reliable auto-tracking camera on the market. SimplTrack2 is a pan, tilt, and zoom USB camera that provides robotic auto-tracking of a presenting subject. We know that solutions for the education market need to be simple, and this solution provides that simplicity. No camera operator is required for the SimplTack2 to track and follow a presenter from up to 55 feet away.

The SimplTrack2 uses 3G-SDI or IP streaming for crystal clear video. Equipped with 20X optical zoom, the camera was designed to reliably track subjects at distances up to 55 feet away. The SimplTrack2’s set-and-forget programming allows users to place and configure the camera once, and thereafter completely automates camera control. Users can easily set up zones that they don’t want the camera to track, such as entryways, televisions, or other areas where distracting motion occurs.

Offered at $2,999, the HuddleCamHD SimplTrack2 comes with a one-year warranty, an IR Remote, USB 3.0 cable, RS232 control cable, power supply and User Manual.

Epiphan Pearl Nano

The Epiphan Pearl Nano is a full HD encoder with professional audio support via dual XLR, RCA, and USB inputs. The Epiphan Pearl Nano, offered at $1,495, is the most compact of the Pearl family, providing:

• Professional video and audio inputs (HMDI, SDI) and (XLR, embedded audio)
• A two-inch touch screen on the device to use for confidence monitoring
• Flexible storage options for recording (SD slot: storage)
• Power over PoE Plus (power over Ethernet)

Record and stream with the Pearl Nano, while scheduling lecture capture through popular lecture capture systems, Panopto or Kaltura. This creates a nearly automated experience. Once configured, commands can be triggered, making it an easy set-and-forget solution. This provides professors with the best capabilities to deliver their lectures to either in-class or remote students.

To learn more about live streaming and recording classes, sign up for SimplTrack2 demo here.

The post Hybrid Learning Gets Leg Up with HuddleCamHD & Epiphan appeared first on HuddleCamHD.

In this video, we are going to set up an Epiphan Pearl Nano with a HuddleCamHD SimplTrack2 camera to show it can be used as a lecture capture solution. The Epiphan Pearl is the ideal lecture capture recording device that can be easily integrated into popular learning management systems such as Panopto and Kaltura. The HuddleCamHD SimplTrack2 is an auto-tracking camera that can automatically follow a presenter from up to 55’ away when installed in a classroom. By using the Pearl Nano with the SimplTrack2 we can schedule lecture recordings directly through Panopto or Kaltura while also recording and streaming with the Pearl Nano whenever a lecture is being given. We will also use the Pearl Nano to create a few different layouts to show presentations and camera video together.

To get started, we will plug in the Epiphan Pearl Nano to power. For today’s demo we will use the ethernet port, allowing us to power the Epiphan Pearl Nano over PoE (using our PoE+ networking equipment). Next, we will make sure our SimplTrack2 camera is set up and ready to track the lecturer. To do this we already have our SimplTrack2 camera on and connected to the network. Using the HuddleCamHD SimplTrack2 software we can check in on the auto-tracking camera parameters to ensure reliable subject tracking for our video recordings. Once we have confirmed the tracking areas, and fine-tuned the cameras auto-operation parameters everything should be set for 24/4 camera operations.

Next, we will plug in our video sources to the Epiphan Pearl. Let’s start with the HDMI port to connect our presentation laptop. Next, we can connect the SDI port to the SimplTrack2’s video output connection. Because we also have an LCD monitor to show our presentation in the room, we will also connect the HDMI loop through port from the Epiphan Pearl Nano into the display. This allows the Pearl Nano to capture the HDMI for recording and streaming, while also allowing us to display the video on a local monitor.

From here, we can configure the Pearl using the IP address found on the Nano display. We can type this IP address into a web-browser to start laying out our recordings. Let’s start by checking our HDMI input. Yup, it’s working and it’s set to 1920×1080. That’s fine for this video recording. Let’s label it “Presentation PC” and move on to our SDI input. Next let’s label our SDI input “SimplTrack2”. Let’s check to make sure it’s set to 1920×1080 as well. From here, let’s configure a channel to show the auto-tracking camera next to the HDMI presentation feed. You can click Channel the open up the layout area. Here we can crop the video feed and optimize the layout, even adding a picture. You can set up this channel with a variety of layouts to make sure you are always capturing the most important content for your recorded lecturers.

Once connected to the Epiphan Pearl Nano the HuddleCamHD SimplTrack2 does not require a camera operator to follow presenters. Similarly the Epiphan Pearl Nano can easily be used with learn management software to automatically schedule recordings through the learning management system you are already using. Together we believe these solutions will create affordable and easily manageable lecture capture solutions for many organizations.

This has been a quick video showing how easy it is to set up the Epiphan Pearl Nano with the SimplTrack2. By combining the hands-off auto-tracking capabilities of the SimplTrack2 with the powerful LMS integrations of the Pearl, we believe this is a lecture capture solution many organizations will enjoy. Until next time, don’t forget to subscribe.

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Enhancing the meeting experience from Paul Richards

Transformational experiences have been studied for many years, especially in the events industry where consumers regularly pay to attend experiential events. Joseph Pine, the author of The Experience Economy, writes about the process of capturing attention to cultivate a transformative. The highest level of meeting engagement invokes a transformational experience for attendees. While this may seem like an experience reserved for a weekend of inspirational seminars or a retreat, this chapter will encourage you to think about meetings as mini-transformational opportunities.

Focus on the Experience during Online Meetings

Online Meeting Experience Values

As meeting members spend time together, attention and focus are foundational to engagement. Perhaps the easiest way to conceptualize the idea of invoking engagement in an educational setting is a new term, Edutainment. Edutainment is a process of education that uses entertainment to engage audiences to educate them in the process. This magical intersection between education and entertainment is where meeting participants are inspired to make a change in their own lives. As meetings progress, a good host will encourage engagement and may tailor their approach depending on the type of education that is planned. A good meeting host will plan out simple, but engaging points that have the power to edutain. For example, a short quiz with a funny but relevant question can help to “edutain” an audience.

Most meetings will start with passive participation which can naturally evolve into active participation as the meeting progresses. For example, passive meeting engagement may start with a personal notepad in which attendees write down ideas about questions they may want to ask later in the meeting. Active participation involves asking questions about the content. New collaboration tools can push active engagement to the forefront of meetings with whiteboarding and annotation.

The Educational Process

As the educational process in a meeting naturally progresses, a reaction from meeting participants can take multiple forms. A positive reaction from meeting participants involves a feeling of connection and shared vision. Leaders can reinforce a sense of shared vision by the equity of voice inside a team conversation. Another positive reaction is a feeling of inspiration which could lead to an internal commitment to change for the better.

For example, houses of worship may deliver a Sunday service to a large group but afterward break out into smaller groups for spiritual sharing. Inside of these smaller groups meeting attendees can get to know one another better and feel more comfortable opening up. All transformations are personal experiences. Productive meetings can use personalized context to unveil positive reaction opportunities for meeting participants. If a transformation in meeting participants is reached, it will likely include the feeling of achievement and the sharing of aspirations for the future.

This could be described as the “AHA” moment that helps you turn a corner with the help of a new perspective that was shared during the meeting. In an upcoming chapter, you’ll learn how social facilitation can be used to share positive feelings and increase an individual’s responsibility to perform in a group setting.

Online meeting experience stages

While transformations are highly personal experiences, they are shareable. If meetings take place in a comfortable setting and context, personal experiences can have a significant impact on others when shared. Many people may not feel comfortable sharing their personal experiences in large groups. Consider the use of breakout sessions to break larger groups into smaller, more intimate gatherings.

online meeting experience stages

Structure meetings with a distinct beginning, middle, and end to facilitate the possibility of transformation. The beginning of a meeting starts long before everyone gets together for a video conference. The official beginning of a meeting starts with the meeting invitation to all participants. The invitation is your opportunity to entice meeting participants with an exciting agenda and set the tone for the meeting.

Virtual World Cafes

One exercise that’s used in many virtual events is called the “Virtual World Cafe” which breaks large meetings down into smaller groups of four people. The idea is to have one meeting host who can have three people join them in a set number of rounds. The idea is a little bit like speed dating in groups. Every 15 to 20 minutes three meeting attendees are rotated between new break out-groups. The host of each small group is responsible for sharing the most powerful ideas from their previous world cafe experience. This way, new people can meet in small groups, and the best ideas are continually shared from past meetings.

Open Space Collaboration Groups

Another popular collaboration meeting experience is called “Open Space Collaboration” which is an organization of multiple independent meeting spaces that attendees are encouraged to jump between. The idea of having multiple conversations going on at the same time allows participants to join each meeting like a social butterfly or dig into a meeting like a busy bee.

Both collaboration meeting concepts, Virtual World Cafe and Open Space Collaboration, are modeled off of in-person group experiences. As you will already know, reviewing the same weekly or monthly business-related presentation can naturally become boring over time. Trying out new innovative ways to stimulate collaboration is a great way to get groups to use the technology productively. In psychological studies, this is known as the Goldilocks effect.

Gamify it

Many traditionally boring aspects of a business are being reinvented to promote education through entertainment with a process called gamification, a highly effective way to promote active learning through the use of a game. Gamification takes the competitive elements of a play and applies content into a fun activity. For example, large meetings and conferences often utilize live trivia events to promote active learning. Live trivia is a great way to leverage a healthy level of competition during meetings.

Two companies that offer online trivia management systems are Crowdpurr and Kahoot. They can be used to host live voting, quizzes, competitions, and much more. Competition has a motivational influence on people by resetting the way they reference themselves against the larger group. Sales competitions, for example, are a proven tool for motivating sales employees to reach their goals using a reward system.

While gamification and sales competitions may motivate some, Jonah Berger, the author of Nudge, notes that “if not carefully designed, social comparisons can lead people to get disheartened, give up and quit.” The winner-take-all model can motivate people who have a chance of winning, but it can often leave the rest of the pack behind. Tweak your gamification efforts by breaking up groups of people into smaller breakout session meetings. This way, you can moderate and manage comparison sets that employees use to gauge themselves. The focus should be on healthy competition that encourages productive engagement. Bringing together specific sets of people in small groups helps motivate people to work harder without ostracizing anyone for staying at the bottom of the leaderboard. Peer pressure can be a tool used for good, but it needs to be managed.

Social facilitation

Social facilitation helps teams build commitment for shared projects and responsibility for showing up and getting the job done. Berger’s research clearly shows that peers can help motivate each other to work harder. The mere presence of peers can make it harder for someone to give up on a project. Managers can leverage the power of group presence with online communication to maintain social facilitation even with far-flung teams spread around the world.

Use a scorecard during meetings to keep teams accountable while keeping the process light and fun. Custom scorecards can be created for managers who work with their teams on specific projects. Managers can use scorecards with five to ten data points to keep track of team goals and organize progress reports that can be shared with online collaboration platforms.

For example, you may archive your meeting notes in a folder on Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive. Inside of your meeting notes you can include data from your meeting scorecards and reference historical data for learning purposes. Then, when you share your meeting notes using an online collaboration platform such as Google Chat, Discord, Microsoft Teams, or Slack, the information is already organized and ready for collaboration.

You can also streamline collaboration by organizing meeting notes and sharing information in team communication channels. Collaborating efficiently requires an upfront understanding of who may benefit from the collaborations and who may not. Information like meeting notes and scorecards should be shared with stakeholders’ managers deem essential to the collaboration process.

Once your meeting is coming to an end, it’s ideal to plan a memorable meeting exit. A well-planned “exit strategy” should support or reinforce the goals established by your meeting agenda. The end of the meeting is a great time to give co-workers validation for a job well done. If you have a compelling call to action that you are saving for the end of your presentation, consider revealing it within a specific unified collaboration channel. For example, perhaps you have a blog post that summarizes your thinking on a particular subject you’re meeting about. Consider posting a summary in a Slack channel with a link to the entire blog post right after your meeting. For example: “A summary of our findings will be posted in the ‘blank’ Slack channel. Please feel free to push the conversation forward there if you have additional thoughts over the next couple of days.”

Thinking through your exit strategy is a great way to conclude meetings with purpose. Consider promoting forward-thinking ideas that can be used to summarize your meeting’s purpose and encourage collaboration on priority projects.

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All businesses are in a constant state of change. In The Grid, author Matt Watkinson, explains why the traditional way of studying business as a static system is ineffective. Traditionally Watkinson says that businesses like to “break things down into small pieces, and then study them in isolation.” While your organization may see strong results from hosting many small meetings with dedicated teams, it’s often difficult for these small groups to see the bigger picture. In reality, all businesses are interconnected systems where one decision affects other areas of the system. Managers need to remain tapped into the collaboration efforts of their team members to look for overarching cause-and-effect scenarios that can result from small team decisions. This is why large “all hands” update meetings are also important for connecting departments under a common vision.

Organize the way you collaborate

No matter how big or small a meeting is, it’s an important exercise to consider the best possible outcome for all parties when you bring people together for a meeting. Once you have an idea of the best possible meeting outcomes you can attempt to crystallize the idea into a presentation slide. High-level presentation slides can prime meeting attendees for the desired meeting outcome. You may decide to display this type of slide at the beginning of a meeting, or toward the last moments of a meeting to share a call to action. You can always download a single slide from PowerPoint or Google Slides as an image. Or, insert a single meeting outcome slide as an attachment on calendar invitations to share a slide that primes attendees for your meeting.

As organizations continue to push the boundaries of collaboration, a sense of “digital saturation” can clutter our lives and reduce productivity. If you’ve already lost important ideas inside of your online collaboration suite, it’s time to organize your team’s digital strategy. In the Tipping Point, Gladwell reviews a concept in cognitive psychology known as “Channel Capacity” which explains the limit our brains have for categorizing specific channels of information. Tests were conducted using a variety of scenarios to test the ability of human memory to categorize and recall information.

“The Magical Number Seven”

HUMAN INTELLECTUAL CAPACITY.pptx

One example comes from Bell Laboratories as it decided how many numbers to include in a standard telephone number. Bell wanted to use more than seven digits but after it tested the memory of hundreds of people, the company found that they had a difficult time remembering number strings beyond seven digits. This famously became known as the “The Magical Number Seven” and it explains why telephone numbers are seven numbers long. Gladwell notes: “As human beings… we can only handle so much information at once. Once we pass a certain boundary, we become overwhelmed…[with] our ability to process raw information.” (Gladwell, 2000).

Gladwell also points out that the concept of human channel capacity also applies to social channel capacity. A British anthropologist named Robin Dunbar notes, “One hundred and fifty [people] seems to represent the maximum number of individuals with whom we can have a genuinely social relationship with knowing who they are and how they relate to us.”

Gladwell notes that the group size of 150 comes up in history repeatedly as the largest number of people in a group that can be organized and still maintain meaningful relationships.

An interesting example of this comes from a religious group called The Hutterites that has a policy in place to split the size of a colony as soon as it reaches 150. Since the publication of The Tipping Point, many businesses have adapted to this model and reduced the size of their organizations into smaller, more meaningful groups. Gore Associates is a company that has used this rule of 150 to manage their company, successfully dividing up divisions into groups of 150 even when their plants are right next door to each other.

Small group meetings and sympathy groups

While large organizations of people can become more efficient by working in smaller groups of 150 or less, small group meetings can also benefit from limiting group size. Human intellectual capacity, which limits our ability to interpret raw data, is different from our emotional capacity, which limits our ability to connect with others. Gladwell cites something psychologists call the “Sympathy Group” to help explain the number of people in our lives we can truly care deeply about.

The research shows that on average, people will list 12 people who they’re most connected to. Most people are only able to care deeply about a group of 10 to 15 individuals in their lives. This is similar to the “Magic Number Seven” idea where humans begin to overload their ability to distinguish between too many channels of unique information. Each member of a collaboration meeting is a channel of unique information that others in the meeting need mental space for. For this reason, creating small collaboration groups helps improve meeting efficiency.

These ideas support the need to streamline the way organizations collaborate by creating only as many unique collaboration channels as are necessary. Managers need to limit collaboration channels to those who can truly benefit from them. Managers should actively seek feedback on the relevancy of communication channels to keep channels productive for the team members who use them.

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There’s a process in psychology called “priming” that’s helpful in meeting scheduling. Priming is a powerful tool for meeting hosts because it helps to influence the way meeting participants will associate their role in association with the proposed meeting. Research shows that priming can influence someone to walk more slowly by having them read words such as “patient,” “polite,” or “respectful.” So, prime your meeting participants to be excited for an upcoming meeting using words such as “impressive” or “tremendous.” Depending on the type of presentation you’re planning, consider priming your meeting attendees with a catchy title or an associated image attached to the meeting invitation.

The idea behind priming

Take a moment to consider the type of priming that would be helpful for your next meeting. As a meeting host, you want to develop a reputation for scheduling engaging and useful meetings. As a meeting participant, you want to participate in thoughtful engagement that provides everyone value, but you also want to defend your own time from unproductive meetings.

The meeting agenda itself is a tool that can be used to prime attendees for a positive experience. The more time you put into the meeting agenda, the more likely your meeting attendees will come prepared to engage. You can brainstorm useful words by searching on Google. Consider searching for “exciting words” or “engaging words” that you can include helping better define the purpose of your next meeting.

Group Braining Storming

Set Yourself up for Meeting Success

Once you have set the stage for your next meeting it is time to make the magic happen. You have already prepared the agenda and your meeting attendees are aware of everyone who is attending. Depending on the type of meeting that you are hosting, you may want to prep key meeting participants with additional information.

Collaboration meetings are generally the easiest to host because the outcome is essentially based on a team sharing ideas to achieve a common goal. Presentation meetings often require more coordination between key subject matter experts and meeting attendees. Meetings that involve subject matter experts sharing content with audiences of more than twenty benefit from an attentive meeting moderator.

Moderators organize questions from an audience and curate audience engagement without disrupting the presenter’s train of thought. A simple check-in phone call before the meeting is often enough to prime a key meeting attendee for success. You can also post a poll in a relevant collaboration software channel before a meeting to gauge interest from various parties in your organization. A little research can go a long way toward steering your meeting’s agenda and engaging your meeting attendees’ interests.

Engaging large audiences is sometimes easier than small group audiences. Jonah Berger, the author of Invisible Influence, explores how social influence can affect everything from the products people buy to the satisfaction they feel for their jobs. Berger’s research notes that “people don’t think they’re influenced by others… but ninety-nine-point nine percent of all decisions are shaped by others.” Large audiences can be managed carefully using meeting moderation tools to have a positive impact on meeting productivity. For example, large meetings benefit from including questions voiced directly from meeting attendees. Yet, without moderation, most online meetings can be filled with people cutting each other off trying to determine who is supposed to speak next. A good moderator can control the audience’s ability to unmute their microphones using the raise hand feature.

Large audiences can enjoy the benefit of shared online spaces for engagement such as chat rooms and break out collaboration areas where positivity can thrive when properly moderated. An active chat room, for example, can spark creative ideas and encourage passive attendees to engage with the activity.

Facilitate positive engagement

Meeting moderators foster positive audience engagement while deterring potentially negative attention as well. One way to foster positive engagement is to come to the meeting prepared with a list of thought-provoking questions. These questions can be entered into the chat room throughout your meeting to encourage engagement throughout your meeting. Consider creating a list of questions that lead up to a climactic “turning point” question. A turning point question assumes your meeting attendees are familiar with the subject matter. Use a turning point question to apply educational subject matter to a real-world situation that applies context to your specific business.

Turning point questions can also be left open-ended. Open-ended questions are a great way to exit a meeting and leave your attendees thinking. Turning point questions that are funny can have a particularly positive effect. Popular memes are a great source for turning point media that can provoke laughter. Memes add entertainment value to make educational content more memorable. A 2019 study found that 74 percent of people send memes to make people smile or laugh and 53 percent send them to react to something. Your organization should have a collaboration system that can be used for communication before and after important meetings. You can recommend that follow-up discussions occur in specific channels on your communication platform. For example, at the end of your meeting, you can say, “let’s follow this up with your ideas in the “marketing’ channel.”

The Cliffhanger Exit

One strategy that encourages productivity after a meeting is a cliffhanger exit. What will surprise us most about this topic at next week’s meeting? There is no need to over-think your meeting exit. The Invisible Influence notes that “mere exposure [to other people] increases liking.” The more you meet with your peers, the stronger your relationships will become. The longer-term your relationship-building efforts are, the less important it is to prepare an amazing exit.

Instead, see if you can develop an inside joke with your team. Great running jokes are open-ended, and they can build team relationships with a simple connection point. Studies show that the more people see something, the more they will like it and familiarity leads to liking. Therefore, simply “Showing Face” and presenting your ideas on any subject should always be considered a benefit for relationship-building. Time is money to many people but perhaps, more importantly, time is an experience that can be shared.

Joseph Pine, the author of the Experience Economy, dissects the difference between “time well saved” and “time well spent” to explore the value of shared experiences. Time well saved, is generally associated with hiring someone to perform a service that takes a specialist less time than it would the person hiring them. Time well spent, is associated with more valuable experiences such as team building, events, and vacations that are shared with others. For example, time well saved could be helping someone through a tech support issue. Time well spent, would be collaborating on new use cases for technology that can be applied to business and building a lasting relationship with a coworker in the process.

An interesting aspect of social influence is the ability meeting hosts have to encourage people to perform better as they rally behind an idea. Norman Triplett, the scientist credited with the birth of social psychology, proved this theory by studying competitive cycling.

Triplett’s study, which came out in the 1800s, proved that cyclists cycled faster when they raced against a group of other people. His phenomenon is called “social facilitation” and it explains why people perform better in the presence of others. Applying social facilitation to meeting productivity requires an understanding of social influence. It turns out that the presence of others can have a positive or negative effect on performance depending on how complex the task is.

In the 1920s, Stanford professor Bob Zajonc proved that simple tasks like riding a bike generally see improved performance in the presence of others. But, more complex tasks like trigonometry performed in the presence of others will, on average, decrease performance.

The Goldilocks Effect

It is possible to increase your influence by simply meeting with people more frequently. The Goldilocks effect may explain why repeated exposure to other people and ideas can increase our affection for them. Repeated exposure to something can help people become more familiar with it. In his book the Invisible Influence, Jonah Berger explains how the Goldilocks effect often follows an “inverted U-shape trajectory.” This explains why something new is at first foreign, and therefore people initially feel negative toward it. Then, after increased exposure, when things become more familiar, people react positively. At the end of the U-shaped curve, if you have too much exposure to one thing, you may feel bored and again feel negatively toward it. This is the normal Goldilocks-inverted, U-shaped trajectory of affection.

The popular “Death by PowerPoint” saying sums up how many people feel about standard business meetings. Meetings with fresh ideas are more likely to engage an audience. Therefore, it becomes increasingly important to keep your meeting content fresh, the longer you continue to meet with the same audience over time, or you risk losing the interest of your meeting participants.

Extending the Goldilocks Effect

Goldilocks Extension

Think about the beginning stages of the Goldilocks effect of a new boss. At first, your new boss is unfamiliar to you and your experience is mediocre at best. Over time, your boss earns your trust and becomes a leader you look up to. It’s possible for great leaders to “buck the trend” and continue to inspire others over a long and successful career. I call this the Goldilocks Extension Process.

Conclusion

Passion and creativity are tools humans can use to extend the Goldilocks effect and plateau in a productive space. Human relationships are dynamic and online communications give us the ability to easily renew our relationships and collaborate to build deeper connections that can last a lifetime. When teams can overcome challenges together, their relationships grow stronger in a positive way. Extending the goldilocks plateau is when relationships turn in career partnerships that can turn into legacies of teamwork.

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