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March 11, 2008
 Imagine
Indiana Sunday, March 30 Web cast presentation information sheet for
congregations hosting the report presentation
By Dan Gangler,
director of communication,
Indiana Area UMC
e-mail
Dan Gangler
OVERVIEW
THANK YOU for hosting the Imagine Indiana Design Team Web cast on
March 30. The team appreciates the service and hospitality you are
providing in getting the message out about this important report coming
to your annual conference for approval this spring.
The Imagine Indiana Design Team will provide a Web cast video
presentation of their report on Sunday, March 30 from 7 to 8 p.m. EDST
over the Indiana Area Web site at
www.inareaumc.org.
The team will be presenting this report to both the North Indiana
Annual Conference and the South Indiana Conference sessions later this
spring for their approval.
The full 50-page report is available online at
www.inareaumc.org, click on the
Imagine Indiana logo. A two-page summary is available online at the same
location. A summary story of the Imagine Indiana Design Team report also
is available in the March issue of Hoosier United Methodists Together
newspaper. That story is available online at
www.inareaumc.org, click on
Together go to Table of Contents for March issue and click on page 6 for
the story.
WEB CAST TECHNICAL INFORMATION
The Web cast will be provided by the OMNI Centre, a Web casting firm
located in Carmel, Ind.
The OMNI Centre is excited about participating in this Imagine
Indiana Web cast on March 30. According to OMNI’s Winston Long, the only
thing that it takes for one to receive the Web cast is Windows Media™
Player software on the receiving computer plus a broadband Internet
connection. If your computer does not have Windows Media Player
software, this free software can be downloaded from
www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/default.mspx for either
Windows XP or the new Windows Vista operating systems.
The Web cast will include some “intelligence” as it will detect the
individual Internet connection and adjust to give each user the best
possible viewing experience. Of course, for the locations that will be
using large screen projection, they will need to consider the
environment and the location’s ability to provide for good video and
sound to the audience. Winston Long is available to assist host
congregations at the various locations in answering any questions that
might arise. Contact the OMNI Centre at 317-845-2345 or by e-mail at
wlong@omniproductions.com.
The OMNI Centre recommends setting up equipment several days in
advance so if any technical difficulties are encountered, they may be
worked through days before the Web cast.
Here is a link that hosts may use to assure good video and sound.
This presentation is being streamed at the same bit rate as the Web cast
will be streamed. To obtain this trial video, log on to
mms://sms7.omniproductions.net/WellnessChallengeStrength1a.wmv.
This is a demonstration video supplied by OMNI to check out your
system for picture and sound.
Remember to reset VIEW on the top toll bar to full screen of theater
mode once the program is running. The picture will not be the same
quality of picture you are used to seeing on a regular broadcast or
cable TV program.
On Sunday, March 30 the signal will come on at least 30 minutes
before the presentation at 7 p.m. EDST, to make final last-minute
adjustments. Look for a signal on the URL posted on the Indiana Area Web
site at www.inareaumc.org click
on Imagine Indiana.
The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. with a 15-minute presentation
of the Imagine Indiana Design Team report. The full 50-page report is
available on the area Web site, click on Imagine Indiana and then click
on the report which is downloadable as a PDF document. Accompanying the
report is a two-page summary on a downloadable PDF document. This would
be a good document to duplicate and distribute at congregational sites.
The summary presentation will be followed by a question and answer
session. All presenters for both segments are members of the Imagine
Indiana Design Team.
ROOM SET UP
If you are using a large screen projected image and sound through a
PA system, check out your video and sound systems using the sample link
above.
If you are using a TV monitor connected to a computer connected to
broadband Internet, remember that the size of the screen in inches is
the same number as the people that can see that screen. For example, if
your monitor has a 19-inch screen, up to 19 to 20 people can view that
screen. If your group is larger than 20 people, you will need to link
additional monitors with cables. For instance, two 19-inch monitors will
accommodate up to 40 viewers. This linking will be possible with most
late-model TV monitors.
Place the TV monitors high enough so all can see. Staggering the
chairs every other row also helps viewing.
HOSPITALITY
If you are a host congregation, you are requested to provide
hospitality for guests coming to your church. Here are some
responsibilities that the team thanks you for performing.
BEFORE THE PRESENTATION
- Duplicate several copies of the Imagine Indiana Design Team
summary statement and distribute them as guests arrive to your
viewing room. The summary statement is available on the Indiana
Area Web site or by click on to
http://www.inareaumc.org/Imagine-Indiana/IIDT%20Executive%20Summary.pdf.
- Have index cards ready for guests to use if they would like
to ask a question. These can be handed out as guests arrive in
the room or just before the presentation.
- If you plan to ask these questions during the live
presentation, assign someone to keystroke the questions and
e-mail to
ImagineIndiana@InAreaUMC.org.
- Place temporary signage pointing the way from the entrance
to the room being used for the presentation. If you wish to use
the Imagine Indiana logo, it’s available on the Imagine Indiana
page of the area Web site or by clicking on to
www.inareaumc.org/Imagine-Indiana/ImagineINmap.jpg.
- Check out all equipment again one hour before the 7 p.m.
presentation and be ready to receive the signal 30-minutes
before the presentation. This will give ample time for
troubleshooting problems with the equipment before the
presentation.
- Provide one or two greeters at the entrances to guide guests
to the presentation room.
- Prepare a coffee-tea hospitality table and coffee, tea and
water ready as guests arrive.
DURING THE PRESENTATION
- Five minutes before the presentation, the host pastor or lay
leader needs to
- Ask guests to be seated,
- Welcome them to your church,
- Inform them of where the restrooms are located and
- Let them know a question-and-answer sessions will be
part of the presentation.
- Distribute index cards just before the presentation or
with the summary statement.
- If you plan to e-mail those questions to the area office
at
ImagineIndiana@InAreaUMC.org
during the Q&A session following the summary presentation,
make arrangements several days in advance of Web cast for
this e-mail service for a volunteer to be ready to enter and
send the questions. Unless your church has a wireless
Internet connection available in the viewing room, this will
probably be done from the church office.
FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATION
- Following the presentation, remind guests that a full copy
of the Imagine Indiana Design Team report is available online at
www.inareaumc.org, click
on Imagine Indiana and click on to the report document for
downloading. Also remind guests that comments and questions can
be e-mailed to
ImagineIndiana@InAreaUMC.org.
- Thank your guests for attending this presentation.
JUST IN CASE
- In case of equipment failure, a backup presentation may be
given by the host pastor, lay leader or other person hosting the
event. A script is in process of being written, and will be
available on the Indiana Area Web site (www.inareaumc.org)
at least one-week before the March 30 presentation. Questions
about the report can be e-mailed to
ImagineIndiana@InAreaUMC.org.
Questions about technology can be e-mailed to
wlong@omniproductions.com before March 30.
- If you have questions about hosting this presentation,
e-mail
ImagineIndiana@InAreaUMC.org.
- This entire Web cast presentation will be archived online on
the Indiana Area Web site. Click on the Imagine Indiana logo to
the left side of the screen.
Again, on behalf of the Imagine Indiana Design Team, thank you for
hosting this important event in the life of our United Methodist Church
here in Indiana.
-- Dan Gangler,
director of communication,
Indiana Area of The United Methodist Church.
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