Spotlight Trust™’s Guide for Our Live Events

Community Agreement

Creating a successful live event is a shared responsibility of all those involved.

Spotlight Trust™’s Community Agreements offer requests to help all involved in a live event understand what is expected of each of us so we can more effectively co-create, implement, and ensure inclusive and respectful spaces.

Requests for all event participants:

  • Participants, not passengers – Success depends on participation. Show up on time and come prepared to actively participate and treat everyone with dignity and respect. Be clear and brief in sharing ideas to allow for more voices to be heard. Be accountable for the impact of your actions and words.
  • Let’s learn together – We are all coming into our interactions with different sets of experiences and knowledge. Everyone knows a little and together we know a lot. We encourage everyone to approach conversations, problems, and challenges with good intent, curiosity, and an openness to learn and grow. 
  • Please remember Rule #6 – We don’t take ourselves so seriously. This is an invitation to show up as our best and true selves to a space that encourages bravery, and to see and connect with others as they are – even when things feel tense.
  • Confidentiality – You’re welcome to share your lessons learned from your event experience, however please refrain from sharing names and identifiers of your fellow participants.  
  • Zero tolerance for harassment and discrimination – We will not tolerate anyone intimidating, humiliating, or sabotaging others in our events. We also prohibit wilful discrimination based on age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, racial, religion, and/or disability. We can’t create an exhaustive list, but harassment includes bullying, intimidation, direct insults, malicious gossip and victimization. 

Tech Guide

How to download Zoom and join the call:

  1. Visit https://zoom.us/download to download Zoom onto your computer. It’s free. You will not be able to use a phone or the web browser version of Zoom for this conference due to some of the special features we’ll need. You will need to download the app onto a computer/laptop.
  2. Click “Zoom Client for Meetings” and start the download. This should take a few minutes.  You may need your computer password handy.
  3. Once you’ve downloaded it, open up the Zoom app (it’s a blue icon with a white video camera logo on it). Sign up. Create a username and password and be sure to store it in a safe place.
  4. You’re all set!  On the day of the event, check your email and you’ll have a clickable link in the last email we sent you.  We’ll see you on Zoom!

Which Zoom features will we be using?

Throughout the event, you’ll be mainly connecting with everyone in a group setting led by your hosts.  In order to create the most impactful experience, we may use any of the following features.

Chat

This is simply a chat window. It is a space for you to reflect and submit your thoughts.

You can open up chat by either clicking the chat button on the bottom of your screen (see below), or also using the shortcut ‘Alt + H’ to open the chat window. 

A photo of the chat icon in the Zoom navigation

Generally, we use chat the most to get input from you.  If one of us asks you something like, “What’s your favorite frozen treat?”  you can just click the chat icon and answer.

When there are a lot of people submitted chat answers at once, it can seem overwhelming. Don’t feel like you have to keep up with them. 

Breakout rooms

This is a feature that we might use, especially in events with large attendance numbers.  We will put you into a small group (most often 3-5 participants) where together you’ll discuss a topic provided for a given amount of time.

  • When it’s time for a breakout room to start, we will let you know verbally.  You’ll then get an invitation on your screen. Click “join”.
  • People have described breakouts as “time travel” you get to spend time with a small group and then are automatically brought back to the big group when time is up.
  • While in these small groups, be curious, be open, ask questions, listen.
  • These are meant to be quick. They’re often about 5 minutes and each participant gets about a minute to talk. Share the space.
  • If you find yourselves quiet at the end, ask each other “Tell me more?”

You’ll get an announcement when there’s about 1 minute left.  You’ll then be whisked back into the larger group.

Video call etiquette:

  • If you have a video camera, please turn it on!
  • Sit close to the camera with your face filling most of the screen.
  • If you can, use an external microphone or headset.
  • When you’re not talking, hit mute.
  • Try to eat before or after the event, but please not during.  Stay hydrated, though 🙂 
  • When you’re on mute on a video call, be present. We ask that you’re truly engaged. Nod your head. Listen. Focus on the other people in the room. Don’t start up a YouTube video in another browser window.
  • Avoid sitting with the window behind you. A little effort on lighting goes a very long way.
  • When you’re talking, try and look at the camera, not the screen. You’ll make more earnest and honest connections this way.
  • When you’re talking, go slow and speak clearly. And be brief and considerate of others in the room. We promise, no one is going to steal your slot.
  • Note: If you need to step off for a quick break, that’s okay. Please mute your microphone and turn the camera off (bottom left of Zoom tool bar). Keep in mind, the event will keep going and we’ll be moving quickly.

For groups: If you are going to physically be in the same location as someone else attending the event (like if you and your coworker from the same office are both attending) you must both plan to log into Zoom individually on separate computers.