How do I start my Talks webinar?

Please note: You can access the webinar Presenter Screen at any time before your webinar in order to upload your slides, add attachments or test the presenter chat feature. You can only START your webinar on live day when the countdown timer reaches zero. The ability to dial in to your webinar becomes available 15 minutes prior to your webinar start time. You must finish adding attachments at least 15 minutes before your webinar begins. 

In order to access and start your webinar, you will need to create a BrightTALK user account. It is free and easy to do. 

To register for your BrightTALK account, go to brighttalk.com/join and enter your details. If you already have a BrightTALK user account, simply log in and follow the steps below.

*Note* In order to access your Talk, you must be using a Chrome or Edge browsers.

Once you have logged into your BrightTALK account, go to brighttalk.com/presenting.

You will be prompted to enter your 8-digit PIN.*

Once you have typed in your PIN and pressed “Enter,”, you will come to the presenting screen access page. On this page, you will see a large green button that says “Launch BrightTALK presenter screen.” Click this button and your Presenter Screen will be launched in a new window. Don’t worry, your webinar won’t go live, and your audience won’t be able to see or hear you just yet.

Once you have launched the Presenter Screen, you will be brought to a page where you can test your camera and microphone equipment prior to presenting.  

In order to test your equipment, you will need to allow Chrome/Edge to access your camera and microphone.

Do this by going into your browser bar and clicking the lock icon (see red arrow below)

In the menu that appears, select “Allow” from the drop down menus next to your Camera and Microphone.

If you still can not see yourself on the equipment testing screen, try clicking the camera icon on the right hand side of your browser bar. In the menu that appears, select “Continue allowing https://www.brighttalk.com to access your camera and microphone.”

If you are still not seeing your camera, visit the following link to review the relevant support article for suggestions: https://support.brighttalk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360025537554-Camera

If your issue is still not resolved, connect with a member of the BrightTALK Support team by emailing support@brighttalk.com.

Once you have verified that your camera and microphone are working, click the “Enter as presenter” button and you will be guided to the presenter screen.

The presenter screen includes buttons to help you mute your microphone or turn off your camera (1), see questions from the audience (2), chat with your fellow presenters (3), chat with a member of the BrightTALK Support Team (4), upload a presentation (5) or video (6), share your screen (7), and start your webinar (8).

The image on your screen will be the only thing the audience sees. They will not be able to see questions the audience asks or the presenter-to-presenter chat. 

If you want to use the screen share feature, click on “Share Screen,” then select whether you would like to share an entire screen, only one application window, or a specific Chrome browser tab.

Select your preferred arrangement, and you should observe your chosen content projected in the main webinar area of the Presenter Screen. 

Now that you have tested your  webcam and/or added your screen share, you are ready to begin your Talk. 

As your presentation time approaches, the clock on the bottom left will count down to the scheduled start time. You will not be able to start the presentation early. 

At the scheduled start time, a prompt box will pop up. If you are ready, click the “Start Presenting” button, only one presenter needs to click this button to begin the presentation.

If you need a minute, click “Cancel”.  This prompt will continue to pop up every 60 seconds. If you are ready to begin presenting before the next prompt cycle, simply click “Start Presenting” at any time after the countdown has reached 0. 

After you click “Start Presenting,” the interface give you a final confirmation prompt. Click “Yes, start talk now,” and the system will give you a 3-2-1 countdown. When the countdown is complete, you will see a red “Live Now” indicator. Your Talk is now live, and you can be seen and heard by your audience.