This user guide details how Presenters, Producers, and Q&A moderators can effectively use ON24 Forums. It covers system requirements, troubleshooting, user roles, and tools for both presenter interfaces: Elite Studio and Audience Console (depending on how the event was setup). Key features include video/audio controls, screen sharing, Q&A, chat, and event start/stop procedures.
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For presenters that don't have an ON24 platform login, review our free course on running a Forums event. |
Presenting from Elite Studio
Click on the tabs below to find more information for each topic.
Things to Know
This mode is the standard presentation format available to all Forum users. You'll know your presenting from Elite Studio if your login screen looks like this.
- Forums accommodates up to 50 video participants and 200 additional audio-only participants.
- Presenters will appear once they have joined Elite Studio and will have a badge next to their names. Attendees will appear once the event has been started.
- To maintain audio and interactivity functionality, users will have video quality automatically reduced or disabled as necessary when their computer resources are stressed.
- All Forums will be recorded. By joining the event, both the presenting team and the attendees consent to being recorded. You can add an additional checkbox for attendees to confirm recording consent before joining the room if you'd like.
- Participants who have not allowed their browser to have access to their microphone will not be able to speak during the live event
- A red icon will appear next to their name with a message that their mic is blocked. The participant will need to allow access via their browser settings.
- Presenters can mute all attendees and enable their microphones (provided the attendee has granted their browser permission). However, due to privacy restrictions, presenters cannot unmute attendees. If a presenter enables an attendee’s microphone, the attendee must still manually unmute themselves in order to speak.
- Attendees will receive a notification when a presenter or moderator enables/disables or mutes their microphone or camera, or pins/unpins them. These notifications do not mean the attendee has been unmuted — they still control when they unmute themselves.
Logging In and Connecting
A maximum of 10 presenters can connect to the event through Elite Studio. Elite Studio users can join the event in listen-only mode if the max number of video presenters has been reached.
At least one member of the presenting team must be on webcam.
Use the Presenter Link or the Launch Elite Studio link from the event Overview page to pull up Elite Studio. If you do not have ON24 account access, the Presenter Link will need to be shared by someone who has an ON24 platform login.
From the login screen, enter your name and other details, choose your role under Join As, then click Login.
Presenters may log in as a Producer, Presenter, or a Q&A moderator. Below is a breakdown of user permissions for each role.
Important: Every Forums event must have at least one Producer logged in to Elite Studio to start and stop the event. If you are running an event by yourself, log in as a Producer.
Once you've logged in, your browser may ask for permission to use your camera and microphone - you must click Allow in order to connect to the event.
Choose your camera, microphone, and virtual background, if desired.
Click Join Now to enter Elite Studio.
- User settings are saved per login and will remain as they were during the last login session.
- Presenters and Moderators will have a badge by their name to identify who is hosting the Forum.
- If your camera is off, the picture uploaded to the Speaker Bio tool on the console will be used instead (based on email address). If no picture was uploaded or the profile is not available, initials will show instead.
Elite Studio Interface
This is the Elite Studio interface for Forums events.
By default, the interface will show all those connected to Elite Studio in the Main Stage view. If the webcam is not connected, the presenter's initials will show.
The Right Panel will show all the tools you've selected from the Right Panel Toolbar, such as Q&A and Team Chat.
Top Toolbar
The Toolbar at the top of Elite Studio will have the following tools:
- Video and Audio - click to update your camera or microphone
- Backgrounds - change your virtual background
- Screen Share - click here to share your screen, see the Screen Share tab for more info
- Setup - available for Producers so they can upload slides, video clips, poll questions, etc. Find more information in the Set Up a Forums article.
- Light/Dark Mode - change between light and dark mode
Main Stage
By default, the Main Stage will show a filmstrip showing all presenters connected to the event. You'll also be able to see the Live View tool (if you've uploaded slides) and a toolbar.
The Live View tool is where you can see and move through the presentation in setup in the Storyboard. This tool corresponds to the Slides tool on the Audience Console.
- Use the Previous and Next arrows to move through the Storyboard. An element counter will show, so you know which element of the Storyboard is currently being shown. If the slide has animations, you will also seen an animation counter.
- Use the toggles to open the Storyboard or see slide notes. Click on the kebab menu to draw with a pen or use the pointer or see animated Reactions (if the Reactions tool was added to the Console).
- You can resize the Live View window using the handlebars next to the Right Panel. If you have the Storyboard and/or Slide Notes open, you can also resize these sections.
- Click on an element in the Storyboard to preview it. Click Push to immediately show that element. The element that is live will be highlighted.
Main Stage Tools
The Main Stage tools let you change the view, fix your volume, and see a list of those connected to the event.
By default, all those connected to Elite Studio will show in a filmstrip at the top of the screen with the Live View tool showing the presentation underneath.
Click Full Grid to move the Live View window to the Right Panel and display all webcam feeds in the Main Stage.
Change your view back at any time by clicking Display Slides.
Changing this will only impact your view of Elite Studio - others connected will be able to change their view independently and this will not impact the audience view. It's an option for you to monitor and present in whatever view is best for you.
You can adjust the number of presenters in the video grid to prioritize key speakers and produce a more organized event layout.
Adjustments can be made on-the-fly during the event. The tiles live to the audience will be outlined.
Click People to see a list of presenters of both presenters and attendees (once the event is live).
Hover over All Participants or the individual's name and click the three dot menu to mute, turn off cameras, disable mics, or lower hands.
For individuals, you'll be able to allow attendee screen share, if enabled for the event.
You can also pin a presenter - once pinned, you will also be able to spotlight them. Only Producers can pin and spotlight.
You can find these same actions by clicking on an individual's tile.
Raise your hand by clicking the small hand button. To lower your hand, click the same button again.
When another participant raises a hand, their border will momentarily flash yellow, and a yellow hand icon will appear in the panel for that participant. The raise-hand count will also increase by one, and a hand icon will appear next to their name in the Participant List.
To lower another participant's hand, hover over the individual in People, click the ellipsis, and choose Lower Hand or click on their tile and select Lower Hand.
Note: If you would like to use this feature, please reach out to your CSM.
If this was enabled during the event setup, attendees can be promoted to use their microphone during the live event.
- The event will start with only Presenters on camera - all attendees will join in listen-only mode and need to select Request Mic to be promoted to speak.
- Click on the Mic Queue to Connect or Reject.
When playing a video clip during a live Forums event, presenters in Elite Studio can pause, restart, and seek the video. Hover over the video in the Live View window to access the video controls.
Note: If using a Mac device, this feature is supported with macOS Sequoia (and future operating systems) only.
Right Panel Tools
These tools will display in the Right Panel. The Right Panel can be resized using the handlebar.
Depending on how the event was set up, not all of these tools may be available in the Console.
- Q&A - corresponds to the Ask Question tool on the Console and allows the presenting team to answer questions. This tool can also be moved to the Main Stage by clicking on the arrow.
- Team Chat - internal chat for those logged into Elite Studio
- Attendees List - list of current event attendees
- Attendee Chat - available if this was added to the Console and let's the presenting team chat with attendee
- Preview - let's you preview the next element in the Storyboard. This is useful to use when a poll is live with attendees, so you can see the poll results as they come in real-time.
- Engagement Tools - let's you highlight tools that have been added to the Console
Screen Share
To share your screen, click the Screen Share button from the top Toolbar. Choose which tab, window, or screen you'd like to share, then click Share.
You can also choose to share audio, using the toggle at the bottom. The following are best practices when using screen share with audio:
- Use Chrome or Edge - Safari does not support audio sharing
- When using a Mac, screen share with audio is only available when sharing a single tab
- Muting the tab will not mute the shared audio for attendees - it will only mute for you
- Do not share the tab you are presenting from, as it will share your Elite Studio experience
The screen share will show in the Main Stage and will automatically change your view to Full Grid, if you're not using it already. Although you can change the view when screen sharing, we recommend staying in Full Grid view for maximum visibility.
When a screen is being shared, attendees will see the feed in their Media Player. The video feed of the presenter who is sharing will also be visible, similar to picture-in-picture.
And if enabled, Presenters can grant permission to Attendees to share their screens. All attendees have screen share initially disabled. Attendees that have been given permission will see the screen share icon at the top of their screen.
Note: Beta screen share is available for iPads. This feature will be enabled by request only. Please contact Support for details. The ON24 Screen Share app will need to be downloaded from the app store. Screen share is not available on Safari browsers v15 and older.
Starting and Stopping an Event
Start a Forum
When joining before the event has been started, all presenters in Elite Studio will be in a private video conference and can speak with one another "backstage."
The audience will not hear or see the presenters until Start Forum is clicked.
Fifteen minutes before the live start time, the Start Forum button will appear, alerting presenters the audience console is open.
During this time, the audience will be able to see what is in the Live View window via their Slides tool. We suggest pushing a title or opening slide for the audience to see while waiting for the event to begin. Attendees will also see a Waiting for presenter message in the Media Player.
Click Start Forum to begin the Forum, then Start Forum in the pop-up window. There will be a countdown from 5 on the screen and the event will start. This will admit all attendees into the video session and start the recording.
End a Forum
Once the webinar has reached its conclusion, click the End Forum button. Once End Forum is clicked, a confirmation window appears - clicking End Forum will disconnect the presenters from the live audience and stop the recording.
Note: Stopping the event permanently ends the Forum. Once a Forum has been stopped (even if it has been accidentally or prematurely stopped), it cannot be restarted.
Elite Studio will stay open 10 minutes after the event has been stopped. The audience will no longer see or hear the presenting team, but the team can stay connected to debrief.
Presenting from Audience Console
Click on the tabs below to find more information for each topic.
Things to Know
You will know you are presenting from the audience console if you see the registration page when you go to login.
Watch this video to learn how to present using both the Present from the Console and the Everyone is a Presenter configurations.
- This guide covers the following two forum configuration options; Presenting from Audience Console and Everyone as Presenter. See Setting Up a New Forums Event for more information on the configuration of your event.
- Presenting from Audience Console and Everyone as Presenter is not compatible with SSO/SAML accounts.
- If you want a recording/archive of the event, you must manually start and end the recording.
- Presenters will appear once they have joined.
- Attendees will appear once the event has been started and they have entered via the Audience Console.
- Participants who have not allowed their browser to have access to their microphone will not be able to speak during the live event
- A red icon will appear next to their name with a message that their mic is blocked. The participant will need to allow access via their browser settings.
- Note: Presenters can mute all attendees and enable the microphones for all attendees (if the attendee has allowed their browser access to their mic), but due to privacy issues, presenters CANNOT unmute attendees. If a Presenter enables an attendee's mic, the attendee must then unmute themselves to speak.
Logging in and Connecting
When you click on the link, you will be taken to the registration page. Once registered, you will see either the lobby page or the audience console if it is within 15 minutes of the event start time.
When it is time for your event, select your connection options for Camera and Mic. Make sure your browser has access to your camera and microphone. You can also toggle on or off Display Name and select your Virtual Background, if desired.
Click Join to enter the event.
Forums Presenter Tools
These tools are available for Presenters only. If everyone is a presenter, everyone will have access to these options. Select More to access the available tools.
Click on the Participant icon to open a list of participants.
Bulk actions allow you to update all presenters and attendees at once. Hover over All Participants and click the ellipsis.
You can also update individual attendees. Hover over the individual you'd like to update and click the ellipsis.
- Mute All participants - both the presenting team and attendees
- Turn Off All Cameras
- Disable Attendee Mics
- Lower Hands
- Allow Screen Share
- Remove From Meeting
- Pin
Participants can raise a hand by clicking the small hand button. To lower your hand, click the same button again.
When another participant raises a hand, their border will momentarily flash yellow, and a yellow hand icon will appear in the panel for that participant. The raise-hand count will also increase by one, and a hand icon will appear next to their name in the Participant List.
To lower another participant's hand, hover over the individual, click the ellipsis, and choose Lower Hand.
When playing a video clip during a live Forums event, presenters can pause, restart, and seek the video. Hover over the video to access the video controls.
Starting and Stopping the Event
Once in the event, presenters have the ability to Start the session directly from the Audience Console.
When everyone is a presenter, the event will start automatically.
Settings and Start Recording/End Recording can be accessed from the three dots menu. Settings will display Connection options.
Note: If you want an archive of the event, manually Start Recording to create an archive.
End Event and Leave will display once the event has been started.
When the event has concluded, select End Event and a confirmation message will display.
Once an event has been ended, it cannot be restarted.
All Present Types
As a general best practice, close all unnecessary applications and clear your cache before logging into each event. This will improve browser performance while ensuring all recent uploads and changes are visible.
| Operating System |
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| Browser |
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| Browser Configuration | Must accept cookies and have JavaScript enabled |
| Connection | A stable, high-speed internet connection is required |
| Connection Speed | 1Mbps or faster |
- Confirm all presenters are using a supported browser (Chrome or Edge)
- Note: The Firefox browser is not supported for Forums. To ensure full functionality and platform reliability, please use the latest version of Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge
- Make sure ON24 has access to your microphone and camera within the browser - review troubleshooting for connecting to a live event.
- Try connecting with a Virtual Private Network (VPN). If the issue persists after troubleshooting, it is usually related to network configurations such as VPN or firewalls.
- All presenters should have a stable, high-speed internet connection.
- Refresh the page by pressing F5 (Command + R for Macs) or try another browser. Refreshing the page will not end the webinar.
- Clear cache/cookies to optimize browser performance.
- Close all unused applications and browser tabs. This is especially true of collaboration apps (Zoom, WebEx, Teams) because they will use all of the available Central Processing Unit (CPU) resources.
- Reboot the computer if time permits.
- Find more help in the Forums Troubleshooting article.
- If these tips do not resolve the issue, please contact Support so our team can work with you and your internal IT department to find a resolution.
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