Requesting a Zoom Webinar License

Who can request a Webinar license

Anyone within the UM System can request access to a shared Zoom Webinar license for events. These webinar licenses are assigned to a user for a specific date on a first-come, first-served basis. Webinar licenses allow up to 5,000 attendees and have additional audience moderation options. There is no charge for this service.

Access to a webinar is beneficial for users who:

• Expect an audience larger than 300 people.
• Only need to present information and not interact with attendees.
• Are in need of registration support.

See a comparison between Zoom Meetings and Webinars.

Prepare for your Webinar

Webinars can vary in format from simple presentations to a sophisticated production. Webinars can include one or multiple panelists, music, video, backgrounds or slides. Adding more components increases the complexity of the Webinar and the need to plan the session. 

Note: If you have created a meeting that needs to be converted to a webinar you can find those instructions here. Please note that the option to Convert the Meeting to a Webinar is located at the bottom of the page after you select the meeting name (See Fig. 1, below).

Some tips to delivering a successful Webinar:

• If the Webinar license is assigned to your account, you are the host. Assign an alternative host to the Webinar in case you cannot attend unexpectedly.
• Identify an individual to manage the logistics of the Webinar. You might be the right person to handle the behind-the-scenes tasks. If not, assign this person as a co-host or alternative host.
• Invite your presenters to be panelists in your Webinar.
• Schedule a separate Webinar as a dry run with everyone who is participating.
  • Practice queuing up and playing all audio or visual components.
  • Make sure all panelists can be heard and seen clearly.
• Decide if you will take questions or poll the audience and who will manage it.
• Decide if you want to collect attendee information.
• Decide as a group how you'll handle any internet connectivity issues.
• Ask the panelists, co-hosts and alternative hosts to join the Webinar 20–30 minutes prior to its start time.

Figure 1: Converting a meeting to a webinar