Using the Nuffield audio-visual equipment for Hybrid events

In several rooms in College, we have high quality cameras, microphones, speakers and screens which enable 'hybrid' events.  Hybrid events are where you have some speakers and audience physically in the room, and other participants who are remote, using technologies such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom.

Please contact IT if you would like to know more about the capabilities of the equipment and how to run hybrid events.  Book your room via the Conference and Events Team, who will reserve the space for your event, and will recommend a time to carry out your rehearsal, where necessary.

Smaller hybrid meetings (Teams and Zoom)

For meetings with a single screen, we have the following rooms in College available.

Feel free to bring your own device (laptop etc.) and connect that to the Lenovo ThinkSmart Hubs in the above rooms. 

  • If it’s a hybrid meeting and you want to present slides from a Mac
    • Join that Mac to the Wifi, and join in the meeting on that Mac (muted, sound off), share the screen
    • It will show on the main screen, and to the remote participant
  • If it’s a hybrid meeting and you want to present slides from a Windows device
    • You can use the provided multi connector adapter via the Lenovo
    • Alternatively, you could join as per the Mac instructions
  • If it isn’t a hybrid meeting, and you’re using a Mac via USB-C you could struggle (test first). Maybe bring your own lead and connect directly to the screen?

Book the Old Lodge, Octagon room 1 or 2, Brock and Chester Rooms via the Conference and Events Team.  (See the Library intranet page for information as to how to book the Cole Room).  All of these rooms may be 'invited' to the meeting so that you can start the meeting with a single touch of the screen.  Members of the University (with ox.ac.uk email addresses) can invite these rooms, but external organisers cannot.  If your meeting is externally-organised, just forward the calendar invitation to the room using the email address above.  How? See our guide to How to invite people (and rooms) to your hybrid event.

Not sure whether to use Teams or Zoom?  If your meeting is likely to address confidential matters, please use Teams.  Otherwise, it's merely personal preference.  Not sure whether to encourage people to use a web browser or the Teams software?  See our compatibility guide for web browsers and the Teams client software.

Single-person interviews or podcasting

See our page on the Broadcast Booth.  (N.B. This may be booked via the Conference and Events Team, but if you need it at very short notice, ask at the Lodge.)  Note that the Brock Room is simple to use for this purpose as well.

Seminars and larger events (dual screen)

Note that the dual-screen possibilities are limited to the Butler Room and the Lecture Theatre.

The Lecture Theatre instructions will be published shortly.

Using Zoom is slightly easier in the Butler Room, with Zoom software running on the PC.  However, if you must use Teams (e.g. if confidential matters are to be discussed), there are work-arounds which you could try: open a browser on the screen and log in to https://teams.microsoft.com with your Oxford single sign-on credentials (having your MFA method to hand). Please close the browser when you're finished, to sign out.  (We suggest that you rehearse this beforehand.)

When preparing for your event, our strongest advice is:

  • Please use the facilities and decide on Teams vs Zoom, given your audience and the capability of the room.
  • Think carefully as to how to invite everyone (both in-room and external participants) for the smoothest experience.  Please look at our guide to How to invite people (and rooms) to your hybrid event.
  • Always rehearse.  Teams, Zoom and the other technologies have minor quirks (and some have very useful features).  These quirks change over time as the software is frequently updated.
  • Appoint an 'in-room host' whose job it is to admit stragglers to the online meeting, and to address matters such as camera angles etc. in the room.  The 'in room host' should not have chairing and presenting responsibilities.

We have found that hosting hybrid meetings, seminars and other events is not very technical, but it is too challenging for the average person to have to address the room and worry about why someone is muted, or why the slides are appearing on the wrong screen.  Allow your in-room host to tackle such aspects.

Before you try to use the equipment, get an introduction from one of your friendly Nuffield IT staff and look through our Hybrid meetings 'cheat sheet'.  (We recommend having a paper copy of this before you begin your event, or rehearsal.)

Recording your event or meeting

See our separate page for guidance as to how best to record your event or meeting in Teams and Zoom.