Hybrid meetings

Hybrid meetings

A hybrid meeting is where some participants gather in a physical meeting room whilst others join remotely.

The same information is being relayed and presented online as it is in-person, and all participants have the same opportunities to interact and contribute to the meeting.
 

Hybrid meeting rooms

Hybrid meeting rooms are small-to-medium-sized spaces equipped for interactive meetings and are distinct from large spaces equipped for lecture capture.

Cisco Video Conferencing software will track active participants and output the best sound and picture quality - for example, by focusing on whoever is speaking and eliminating background noise. It is integrated with Microsoft Teams and supports WebEx and Zoom meetings (with a Zoom Conference Room Connector (CRC) licence). 
 

How to book a hybrid meeting room

You can book a room using Microsoft Exchange Online (using Microsoft Outlook). 

1. Create a calendar invitation adding the meeting details, attendees and selecting the Microsoft Teams option
2. Add the meeting room to the calendar invitation in the same way you would add attendees

You can check the availability of the meeting room in the calendar.

The meeting rooms are either: 

1. automatically approved  
2. moderated/authorised by the meeting room owner 
3. automatically declined (to those who do not have permission to book the resource which could be because they have been restricted to certain teams or departments). 

Once you have booked the meeting room, you will receive an email confirmation.

Adding a hybrid meeting room to your recurring meeting series

You can add a hybrid meeting room to your meeting series by changing the room in your calendar invitation. You will need to create a new meetings series if you set this up before July 2021.

Sensitive information in meeting titles

The meeting name will be displayed on the meeting room control panel and the Touch 10 interface, even if it is set as private in Outlook. You must ensure your meeting title does not contain any sensitive information, for example, the name of interviewees if you are setting up hybrid interviews. 

How to use a hybrid meeting room

Find guidance on:

• equipment, software, hosting and running a meeting
• using speakerphones for better quality audio
• effective hybrid meetings (Sharepoint)
• Touch 10 interface for Cisco Video Conferencing Unit. This will be updated with how to use the Microsoft Teams integration.

Find help

Contact the service desk if you have any questions:

• servicedesk@uis.cam.ac.uk
• uis.cam.ac.uk/self-service

Information for institutions and IT staff

Find out about the Cisco Video Conferencing UIS provided solution.