Interactivity and engagement are key elements for the success of any meeting, whether virtual or in-person. As remote work and hybrid work models have become a normal part of our work lives, video conferencing solutions have become commonplace in the business world. In some cases, they’ve taken over the role of traditional meeting rooms.
The best-known of these invaluable tools for facilitating remote collaboration are Google Meet and Microsoft Teams. They enable teams to collaborate effectively through audio calls, video calls, document sharing, screen sharing and instant messaging.
Of course, these tools really took off with the start of lockdowns caused by the covid-19 pandemic. They’ve proved essential in getting businesses through this difficult time, and offer a number of advantages – including the ability to travel less for work.
Thanks to these tools, businesses can now hold meetings without all participants needing to be present in the same office, the same city, or even the same country (for larger organisations).
The best collaborative platforms combine multiple features and facilitate teamwork, offering a complete collaborative toolbox.
Although they make it easier to collaborate and exchange ideas, these tools also have certain disadvantages. One major issue is the lack of personal interaction. Many people felt isolated during the lockdown period.
In addition, users sometimes experience technical problems related to the connection, but also to the larger digital divide. Not everyone is equally enthusiastic about using digital tools.
Having looked at the context, the advantages and disadvantages associated with video conferencing tools, let’s now focus on one software tool in particular: Google Meet.
1) Google Meet
Google Meet replaced Google Hangouts in the Google Workspace productivity suite. This Google video conferencing tool is accessible to anyone with a Google account (for the free version).
The free service can accommodate up to 100 participants per meeting for a maximum duration of one hour. One of the advantages of this platform is that it is available on both desktop computers and smartphones.
To create a meeting, simply schedule an appointment in Google Agenda, then add a Google Meet video conference to it. The participants will receive an invitation in their inbox, or you can share a login link that they can use to connect to the meeting. Another interesting feature is that participants can take part in a meeting on Google Meet by using their phone number.
2) Increase interaction and engagement in your Google Meet video conferences with Beekast
If your meetings are organised online with Google Meet, all it takes is a single click to install the Beekast extension in your browser (Bêta). Then simply open the application to create your session.
After that, all that’s left is to get your team together in your session and activate the video conference at the same time. Google Meet is a perfect choice to use with Beekast meetings. This combination facilitates interaction in brainstorming sessions, creates connections and lets participants exchange ideas as though they were in the same room.
The Beekast platform is very easy to use, and helps make organising remote meetings a lot easier. Just generate a beekast.live link and share it with your participants to give them access to your session.
The platform is also highly responsive. Participants in your meeting, event or training can join your session from their smartphone, tablet or PC.
By offering brainstorming activities (with integrated templates), MCQs, icebreakers and “whiteboard” activities, Beekast increases your team’s engagement, gets people talking and makes your meetings more productive.
Using Beekast gives your team a wider range of different ways to interact during meetings, from verbal discussions to interactive activities, and strengthens connections within and between your teams. The platform is compatible with Google Meet or any other video conferencing tool.
