Adding a substitute host for a scheduled meeting

[JimLay]

I host a weekly Zoom meeting with about 20 attendees on Zoom and 60 present in a classroom. I have these meetings scheduled but I need coverage for being out by one of the attendees to host the class occasionally.

I am the owner and the only one with the account and when I try to set up a co-host it does not seem to work. I have read other posts where I have to add people to the account to be able to do this, and others that I have to have a PRO account, but I have just the basic license since this is a volunteer non-profit endeavor. Any help you be appreciated.

Thank you in Advance

[Ray_Harwood]

Welcome to the Zoom Community, @JimLay.

The most appropriate tool for you to use is the Host Key.  See this Zoom Support article for details:

https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/205172555-Using-your-host-key 

Essentially, locate (and if desired, edit) your Host Key from your profile on the Zoom Web Portal.  Set your meeting up with a Passcode, disabled Waiting Rooms, and enable Join Before Host (I recommend 15 minutes).  Give your Host Key to your "surrogate host", who will enter the room and use the Claim Host menu to become the host.

You are correct that other approaches like Alt Host (not actually "Co-Host") and Scheduling Privilege require the surrogate host to be on the same account as the grantee.  Only Host Key can work with external accounts.

[Kerry100]

Hi Ray-

I am a pro licensed user and I too am trying to understand how to have an alternative host for my non profit meeting if I cannot attend that night. I am confused with the alternative host needing to be a licensed. Does that mean they need to have a paid license too or can they do the basic license (not paid)? I have read some comments where it was stated they need to be in the authenticated user in zoom group. Our meetings are typically 2-2.5 hours. I appreciate your help. Thank you.

[Ray_Harwood]

@Kerry100 – not only Licensed… but on the same organizational account (same account Owner).  

If your potential substitutes are not on the same organizational account, your only alternative is using the Host Key method outlined above. 

[Kerry100]

Thanks Ray. How do I get them on the same organizational account?

[Ray_Harwood]

@Kerry100, this assumes that whoever is the owner of your account is willing to take financial and administrative responsibility of the other account – and that he/she/they are to be subsumed by your ownership. 

Normally the organization is a business or nonprofit group, not just a collection of people who want to share occasional Alt-Host responsibilities.

If all agree, you (as owner or admin) would send an invitation to the other users to join your organizational account.  (“Organizational” is my own term to distinguish between the overloaded usage of the single word “account”, which is often used to mean “One user’s login account”, but Zoom primarily uses it to mean “One owner/user who may have other users on his/her account.”)

Read this Zoom Support article thoroughly:

https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/360028938451-Adding-existing-users-to-a-paid-account 

I’ll send you a private message as well.