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Set options for online meetings and conference calls

When scheduling online meetings, you can use the Meeting Options dialog box to help you determine who should wait in the lobby before being admitted to the meeting, who should have presenter privileges during the meeting, and the level of participation allowed for meeting attendees.

If you are scheduling an online meeting with people outside your organization or if it is expected for the meeting information to be shared with a large number of people, it is recommended that you change the “These people don’t have to wait in the lobby” option from “Anyone (no restrictions)” to “Anyone from my organization” in order for the presenter(s) to be able to moderate who is admitted to the meeting.

Note: These options apply to users joining an online meeting using Skype for Business or dialing in using their phones.

Where do I set online meeting options?

Start in Outlook

  1. From your Outlook calendar, click New Skype Meeting.

    Outlook New Skype Meeting button

  2. In the meeting window, click Meeting Options.

    Outlook Meeting Options button

These people don't have to wait in the lobby

The lobby is a virtual place where attendees wait to be admitted to your meeting. Options are:

Who gets in directly?

What happens?

Recommended when…

Only me, the meeting organizer

You are the only one who gets into the meeting directly. Everyone else has to wait until admitted.

You have a high security meeting and confidential information.

People I invite from my company

Only people who were invited can join the meeting directly. Everyone else has to wait until admitted.

You’re discussing confidential information, and want to only allow specific people to join.

Anyone from my organization

Anyone from your company can get in to the meeting directly, even if not invited.

You don’t have external participants and you are not discussing confidential information.

Anyone (no restrictions)

(Default option)

Anyone who has access to the meeting link gets in to the meeting directly.

You’re inviting outside participants and you’re not discussing confidential information.

Resource accounts such as meeting rooms, conference rooms, and system accounts have a slightly different behavior for lobby options.

Option

What happens

Only me, the meeting organizer

Resource accounts have to wait in lobby until admitted.

People I invite from my company

Resource accounts have to wait in lobby until admitted.

Anyone from my organization

Resource accounts have to wait in lobby until admitted.

Anyone (no restrictions)

Resource accounts get in to the meeting directly.

Who's a presenter?

Presenter options control which participants are automatically given presenter privileges when you schedule the meeting. Presenters can also let people who are waiting in the lobby into the meeting. The following table describes each of these options in detail.

Presenter option

Who is a presenter?

When to choose this option

Only me, the meeting organizer

Only the person who schedules the meetings

For presentations where the participants don’t have to interact with the meeting content. (You can designate additional presenters during the meeting.)

People I choose

You and the participants you choose

For presentations with more than one presenter.

Anyone from my organization

(Default option)

Everyone you invite who has an account on your network

For group work sessions, where all participants work at your organization and can share and modify meeting content.

Anyone (no restrictions)

Everyone you invite

For group work sessions with people who don’t have an account on your network.

Click Choose presenters to determine who among your invitees will be an attendee or presenter. You must have already added invitees to your meeting request in order to see names in this list.

Do you want to limit participation?

Participation in a Skype for Business meeting includes sending and receiving instant messages, talking, or watching video. Participation options affect attendees only; you can't allow some attendees to participate and not others. If you want someone to participate in the meeting, make them a presenter.

Option

When to choose this option

Disable IM

When you don't want any attendees to send or receive instant messages during the meeting.

Mute all attendees

When presenters want to present without taking questions from the audience.

Block attendees' video

When you don't want attendees to see the video that's being presented.

Turn notification sounds off or on

If you don’t want to hear a beep or chime when people join or leave a meeting, you can turn off notification sounds. To learn more, see Set Ringtones and Sounds options.

See Also

Preload attachments for a Skype for Business meeting

Set up a Skype for Business meeting in Outlook

Start a Skype for Business conference call

Set up Audio Conferencing for Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams

Phone numbers for Audio Conferencing in Skype for Business Online

Set Skype for Business meeting options

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