Zoom Meeting vs Zoom Webinar
Zoom offers both a Meeting option and a Webinar option. Each one has its advantages and should be considered based upon what your meeting needs will be.
Zoom Meetings Pros/Cons
Pros
- Audio: All participants can mute/unmute their own audio. The host of the Zoom meeting can force mute everyone and then choose who to unmute based upon either a hand raise or by simply unmuting their mic.
- Chat: Chat can be configured so that attendees can only communicate to the host and not other attendees.
- Share: The share option can be set to only allow the Host to share their screen.
- Breakout Rooms: Zoom Meetings offers a Breakout Room feature that makes it very easy to have the board go into executive session during the meeting. The governance team, staff, and public can all be in the main meeting but then if the governance team needs to go into executive session then they can enter into the private breakout room while the other attendees stay in the main room. Once the work is completed in executive session, i.e. the breakout room, the governance team can return to the main room to conclude their business in open session.
Cons
- Video: The host cannot force all non-governance team members to turn off their videos. They can only request individuals to turn off their video.
- Participants List: Visible to all participants.
Zoom Webinars Pros/Cons
Pros
- Audio: Audio can be set so that only the board members and superintendent are audible during the meeting unless the host chooses to unmute another participant.
- Video: Video can be configured so that only the board members and superintendent have their video on and other attendees cannot share their video.
- Share: By default, only the host and panelists can share their screen. Other attendees cannot.
- Chat: Chat can be configured so that attendees can only communicate to the host and not other attendees.
- Participants List: Only visible to hosts and panelists.
Cons
- Breakout Rooms: There is not a breakout room functionality for Zoom Webinar. Thus, if a board needed to go into executive session, they would need to leave the Zoom Webinar and join via another linked meeting to participate in the executive session. They would then need to figure out how to come back and join the original meeting to report out from executive session and close the meeting in an open session.
View Zoom's website for a complete comparison of Zoom Meeting and Webinar.
