As a way to cut expenses, there are alternatives to flying around the country to attend business meetings. Long before the events of Sept. 11, corporate America was in the throes of an economic slowdown that included sharp cutbacks in business travel.

Video and teleconferencing became hot topics in meeting rooms across the country in the last year. Conferencing on the World Wide Web is now more appealing than ever.

Perhaps the most versatile conference is the on-demand Webcast, in which a group of people records a sales or training seminar. The group includes experts discussing the subjects, and answering questions from a moderator.

The object of an on-demand Webcast is to anticipate the viewer's questions and concerns during the recording, then make the finished broadcast available to anyone who wants it (a Webcast can be done live while being recorded). Employees can hear their CEO and CFO discuss financial and business concerns. Salespeople can be introduced to new products, or a sales department can introduce products to their customers.

Hosts must decide if they will offer an interactive portion of the presentation, how long the presentation will last and how long they will request it to be archived for future viewing.

Anyone with a Web browser can register to hear the Webcast (and in many cases view slides or charts included in the presentation) at a time of their choosing.

When Webcasting, make sure to offer phone numbers, names and addresses for listeners to contact for more information. Webcasts can be seen by an unlimited number of people or, through more private linkups, be accessed by only a select few for a secure meeting.

The Yahoo! Internet portal owns www.broadcast.com, which is one site to visit for information about Webcasts. They specialize in large-audience participation broadcasting. Other sites include www.netbriefings.com and www.globalspeak.com.