Does the organizer have to be in a Teams meeting?

Microsoft Teams users primarily use one of two means to call one other: standard calls and meetings. If you’d like to host a call, your presence is required to initiate the call at the intended time. In contrast, you can schedule a Teams meeting in advance; hence, meeting organizers have begun to question if they must be present for a meeting to start.

Users of Microsoft Teams can schedule and host meetings wherein participants can confer with one another. Despite being the meeting organizer, you do not need to attend the meeting for it to take place.

In the following post, I will walk you through the steps needed to host a Teams meeting while absent efficiently. I’ve made an effort to ensure the guide is in-depth, extensive, and reliable. If you run into any issues, consider referring to the images provided below each step. Otherwise, leave a comment below.

If you’re looking for something specific, consider using the following links to access relevant content quickly:

  1. How to schedule a meeting in Teams
  2. How to deactivate Teams waiting room
  3. Where can I assign co-organizers
  4. Blog post recap

How to schedule a meeting in Teams

I like to think of Teams meetings as Microsoft Teams’ primary feature— even though some users are still unfamiliar with creating new meetings. Hence, the guide below will walk you through that exact process.

Step 1 — Open the Calendar page

Refer to the sidebar on the left side of your screen. Find and select the option titled “Calendar.”

Step 2 — Select new meeting

On the calendar page, find and select the purple button labeled “New meeting.” Doing so will reveal the meeting scheduler and allow you to create your meeting.

Step 3 — Prepare and schedule your meeting

Before sending out your meeting invitation, you’ll need to fill out some of its fields. Namely, the meeting title, participants, date, and time fields. Then, click the purple “Send” button from the top right.

How to deactivate Teams waiting room to prevent people waiting when the host is absent

Being able to host a meeting while absent is helpful; however, it’s equally pointless if your participants are trapped in the lobby space.

Step 1 — Launch the meeting options page

Your meeting’s options page features several fields and numerous buttons. First, open the context menu by selecting the context menu (``). Then click “Meeting options.”

Step 2 — Allow everyone to bypass the lobby

Under “Meeting options,” find the dropdown labeled “Who can bypass the lobby.” To ensure your participants won’t need you at the meeting, permit “Everyone” to access Teams.

Step 3 — Save your options

Scroll to the bottom of the page and select “Save.”

Where can I assign co-organizers in case of the host’s absence

Allowing anyone at all to bypass the Teams meeting lobby can be risky. There’s always the chance that someone unexpected will join. Hence, instead of allowing everyone to bypass the lobby, you can appoint co-organizers who can properly permit and deny access.

Assigning a co-organizer

On the “Meeting options” page, find and select the field labeled “Choose co-organizers.” Ensure you select trusted and responsible participants to take on the co-organizer role.

Blog post recap

A meeting organizer can schedule a meeting without participating— this can be problematic if they have not assigned co-organizers or permitted everyone to bypass the lobby. However, when done correctly, there are usually no issues.

Thank you for engaging with this post. If you enjoyed it or you found the content helpful, please consider reading the following related posts:

Jack Mitchell

Jack Mitchell has been the Operations manager at telecoms and MSP Optionbox for more than 4 years. He has played a crucial role in the company, from marketing to helpdesk, and ensures that the IT requirements of over 300 clients are continuously met. With his innate passion for technology and troubleshooting and a particular interest in Apple products, Jack now delivers the most comprehensive tech guides to make your life easier. You can connect with Jack on LinkedIn.

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