5 Effective ways to conduct online meetings

August 9, 2021


The past couple of years have completely changed how people work and interact. Today, businesses are no longer limiting themselves to in-person communication. Even though physical workplaces are not completely going away, virtual meetings are here to stay. And as a result,  businesses are now focusing more on online meeting management and video conferencing. 

According to statistics, 56% of CFOs across the world are planning to invest in video conferencing systems/solutions to lessen the need to travel. Also, about 83% of large enterprises and 27.6% of small businesses are most likely to purchase video collaboration applications for their operations. And, about 50% of employees worldwide are expected to telecommute within the next decade.

Additionally, many businesses today have global operations, and it is highly likely that you will be working with someone who lives in a different country altogether. In such scenarios, online event management software can become a blessing for your business. 

Thus a well-managed virtual meeting can increase employee engagement and can ultimately boost overall productivity. 

5 online meeting management strategies

Online Meeting Management

1. Select a technology that is a perfect fit for any given event

To select a suitable technical platform that satisfies all your meeting requirements, consider variables such as the number of participants, their geographical regions, network connectivity requirements, and so on. Then, evaluate the various platforms that are available. 

Here are some of the popular platforms available out there 

  • Skype: It has been the most popular communication platform. It works well when you need to quickly communicate with your team members via call or video. However, it allows a limited number of individuals to attend conference calls.
  • Zoom: The platform gained tremendous popularity during the pandemic. Zoom provides you an advantage of hosting a large-scale meeting that may include as many as 1000 participants, unlike any other platform.
  • Google Meet: This is another platform most enterprises opted for during the pandemic. The platform is intuitive, provides a professional environment for business interactions, and enables you to host large-scale conferences.

There are many other such solutions that come with their own unique advantages. Take time out to assess each platform and their advantages as well as shortcomings and then choose one that is suitable for managing your virtual meetings

2. Finalize the agenda

The key to a successful meeting is a clear agenda that is communicated to the audience in advance. It can be a written document that enlists all the necessary points to be covered during the meeting. It will allow you to structure your meeting in a time specific manner. Furthermore, sharing this document with the participants before the meeting can help you with their views and feedback on it as well. 

3. Take time out for preparation

Meeting preparations do not stop at meeting agendas, and  online meetings may need more preparation than in-person meetings, considering the various platforms that are involved. It takes a lot more to deliver a successful online event than your official meetings. Plan in advance for participants belonging to different time zones, allocate time slots to each speaker and the points they will be sharing during the meeting, and have backups in place for any unforeseen technical glitches.

Additionally, send event information in advance to all the participants to ensure enough time to answer any questions that may arise and to avoid any last-minute delay. 

4. Keep it engaging

Setting some basic engagement items for the meeting or virtual event management creates a sense of excitement during the meeting. Moreover, to boost engagement, you can request participants to turn on their cameras during live polls, encourage in-session chats by answering questions in real time, or even provide calendar invites for attendees who seek a meeting. 

5. Allow everyone to get involved

As a host, you can plan your event in a way that will encourage every participant to contribute their thoughts during the meeting. You can conduct different activities during the event and allow attendees to ask questions and interact with each other.  These guidelines ensure that the meeting makes the participants feel as contributors rather than just attendees.

Hosting a productive and successful meeting can be a challenge for businesses. Nevertheless, you can take assistance from various virtual event management softwares to overcome them.

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