By Laura Singler-Adams, Account Executive
AMR Management Services
An association can offer help to members by facilitating networking and education during these challenging economic times, but what if a portion of your membership can no longer travel to attend association meetings?
Enter, the hybrid meeting. A hybrid meeting merges traditional aspects of an in-person meeting with the world of virtual meetings. By featuring both in-person and virtual elements, hybrid meetings allow members who cannot travel a window to participate and stay engaged in the educational portion of a live meeting.
Hybrid meetings are complex and will require increased attention to detail and planning to be successful. Below are some key elements to consider as your association contemplates the integration of a hybrid meeting.
Audio – Audio should be a top priority for any hybrid meeting. It is imperative that virtual attendees be able to hear the onsite attendees and speakers and that onsite attendees and speakers be able to hear the virtual attendees throughout the meeting. Set-up the appropriate microphones throughout the meeting room and encourage onsite attendees to use them at all times. Audio/visual needs can be a significant additional expense, which will need to be considered during the preparation and budgeting for the meeting.
Agenda – Adding a virtual component to your meeting should not be an afterthought. It should be a consideration throughout the meeting planning process and the compilation of the meeting schedule or agenda. Associations should consider a more condensed agenda for hybrid meetings. Leave out information that can be disseminated through an alternate method. Speakers should maintain a focus on brevity and be concise to keep the attention of the virtual attendees.
Governing – Consider updating your association’s bylaws to be inclusive of virtual attendance at meetings and in voting situations. Research the laws where your association is incorporated before making these changes.
Thought Shift – Attendees, speakers and staff onsite must maintain a constant awareness of and consideration toward the virtual attendees. It is easy for onsite attendees to slip into a traditional frame of mind during the meeting (examples: side conversations or visual elements that don’t make sense to the virtual attendee). Speakers should be prepared to embrace the virtual attendees so that they can leverage their involvement in the meeting, creating a better experience for both the virtual and on-site attendees.
Experts don’t yet predict that hybrid meetings will ever fully replace live, in-person meetings, but they offer a viable solution to a challenge faced by many associations today. In today’s world of increased scrutiny on meeting travel and limited budgets, the hybrid meeting can bridge the gap for an association where the membership may be divided.
View this link from the ASAE website for more resources on hybrid meetings: http://www.asaecenter.org/wiki/?Page=Hybrid%20Meeting.
- Laura
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