There are multiple roles available for Zoom Sessions, and each role has a set of tools they can use during the event to enable participation.
This article covers:
Note: For attendee access to the latest Zoom Events and Webinar features, we highly encourage attendees to update to the latest version of the Zoom desktop client/mobile application.
All roles must have a Zoom account while only certain roles need a Zoom Sessions license.
| Roles | Zoom Sessions license | Zoom account |
| Host | ✔ | |
| Co-editor | ✔ | |
| Attendee | ✔ |
| Special roles | Zoom Sessions license | Zoom account |
| Alternative host | ✔ | |
| Speaker | ✔ | |
| Interpreter | ✔ | |
| Panelist | ✔ |
| Hub roles | Zoom Sessions license | Zoom account |
| Hub owner | ✔ | ✔ |
| Hub host | ✔* | |
| Co-editor | ✔ | |
| Zoom account admin | ✔ | ✔ |
*User must be on the same account the hub owner is on.
If you have been invited to an event and receive a Special-Role ticket, this means that you have a special role or multiple special roles. The special roles are alternative host, panelist, speaker, or interpreter.
Notes:
If the event organizer chooses to remove your role or assign you a different role, your Special-Role ticket will become inactive, and you will receive an email notification.
Additionally, you can click Join Lobby to access the lobby before the event’s start time to start practice sessions and view event details.
On the events portal, you can easily access all your assigned sessions. Access your special-role ticket from the events portal on Zoom Events.
Hub owners own the hub and have visibility to all aspects of their hub. They can also create, edit, and publish events.
Hub owners have the following additional functionalities on a hub they have been added to:
Hub hosts added to a hub can create, edit, and publish events that have been created by the hub owner.
Hub hosts have the following additional functionalities on a hub they have been added to:
Co-editors collaborate and support hosts by working on events with the ability to:
Notes:
Zoom account admins can access and manage hubs on their account. The admins who manage the overall Zoom account (from the Zoom web portal) can see the profile page of a hub under their account—if they sign in to Zoom Events—so that they can delete the hub and cancel upcoming events listed under the hub.
Note: A Zoom Sessions event only requires one Zoom Sessions or Zoom Sessions Pay Per Attendee license. Participants with special roles do not need a Zoom Sessions license, but they must have a Zoom account.
The event alternative host can start all sessions and have the same in-session permissions as the host.
Alternative hosts can start a session, without being part of the speaker list for the event, and have the same in-session permission as the host. This role is available for both meeting and webinar sessions. Alternative hosts share many of the controls that the host has, which allows the alternative host to manage the administrative side of an event.
Notes:
Event moderators with event alternative host permission can start all sessions and have the same in-session privileges as the host
Alternative hosts have permission to:
Alternative hosts will also receive an Alternative Host ticket so they can join all other sessions; they will join all other sessions as regular attendees.
Speakers will be able to speak in the sessions they are assigned to and will have their images displayed on the event details page and event lobby. The speaker bio will be displayed on the event detail page and in the event lobby.
Additionally, speakers can join an event as webinar panelists or meeting attendees, and they will not have additional in-session access by default.
Note: A speaker can bypass a meeting waiting room when they are assigned to a session and when Waiting Room is enabled for their meeting session (as long as the Users invited during the meeting by the host or co-hosts will bypass the waiting room option is selected).
Speakers have permission to:
In their assigned sessions, speakers can:
The host can choose to feature speakers. When a host chooses a primary featured speaker, that primary featured speaker will appear on the session card (their image will be displayed) on that session tile. Additionally, that primary featured speaker will appear on the session details as the featured speaker. If there are multiple featured speakers, the first person that the host selects will appear on the session card; all featured speakers will appear in the event details page's Speakers section.
Speakers will also receive a Speaker ticket so they can join all other sessions.
Speakers can join webinar sessions as panelists; they will have access to tools that allow them to enhance their participation during a webinar event. Panelists have video, chat, and screen-share permissions.
Speakers who join as panelists have permission to:
Interpreters are tasked with language interpretation (including sign language interpretation), which is broadcast to attendees over a specified channel. An interpreter in the channel will hear the original meeting audio, which they can translate. They only have access to the language channel that they've been assigned.
Interpreters can:
Interpreters will receive an Interpreter ticket so they can join all other sessions.
Note: This role is not included as a special role.
During a webinar event, attendees are view-only participants, and their view is controlled by the host. Attendees can interact with the host and panelists from the Q&A window and chat.
During a meeting event, attendees can share their own audio and video (if enabled by the host).