PROS AND CONS
There are many things which can be said in favour of virtual conferencing / video conferencing:• It saves time and money
• It provides opportunities for professional development from any computer connected to the Internet
• It allows you to access archived content
• It eliminates worries about creating backloads of work while conference participants take time to travel for learning
• Virtual conferences can provide better active participation opportunities through chat and voice communication. This allows attendees to remain anonymous which means there are no public speaking pressures so that those who might otherwise stay silent regular conferences will be more likely to share their thoughts or debate with other participants
Equally, there are some clear disadvantages:
• There is no audience with whom to make eye contact - normal public speaking techniques such as body language and hand gestures used for emphasis, or to connect with the audience cannot be used
• A virtual presenter may have no idea whether he or she is reaching the audience
• Attendees are often late or fail to attend due to a failure to properly check software and sort out any technical issues ahead of time
• Participants can easily fall prey to routine work distractions such as the temptations to answer phone calls, check email, or deal with people.
• And of course, you don’t get to skive off at a sunny beach resort once the session is over!