It wasn’t long ago when we used to conduct in-person team meetings. However, since the pandemic broke out, everything, including the concept of meetings, moved online.

 If you are unaware of the term ‘virtual meetings’, worry no more; here is a detailed blog to help you with it. 

What are virtual meetings?

One can define virtual meetings as simply the meetings that take place over the internet instead of a physical venue. Since the world has been working remotely for a while now; the concept of virtual meetings emerged as a savior in keeping everyone connected. The medium of hosting a virtual meeting is the internet, where the organizers use virtual event services to carry out the proceedings. 

Advantages of virtual meetings-

1. Virtual meetings allow you to connect with overseas colleagues: The first and foremost advantage of hosting a virtual meeting is that it allows you to connect with your overseas colleagues. Thanks to advanced technology, it is now possible to communicate with our overseas colleagues without thinking about geographical barriers. 

2. They are cost-efficient: Now that you can communicate with your international clients and investors over the internet, you don’t have to spend hefty sums of money on travel.

3. They let you expand your customer base: The virtual meetings allow you to expand your customer base exponentially. With online sessions, it is now possible to target new audience groups beyond your territory and country, all while sitting at home. 

4. They are flexible: Virtual town hall meetings come with a lot of flexibility. They don’t require you to travel for hours to reach a venue and allow you to save a lot of time. One can log in five minutes before a meeting and attend it conveniently. 

Here are some common types of virtual corporate meetings

Virtual Town hall Meeting-

You can understand virtual town hall meetings as online events hosted at the organizational level. Like every other event, town hall meetings were also conducted physically. However, during the pandemic, organizations moved online, and we were introduced to the concept of virtual town hall meetings. Some companies host monthly meetings, whereas some organizations host them once every six months. 

In a town hall meeting, the leadership informs the employees of the past month’s happenings, records, and achievements. You can make virtual town hall meetings by incorporating fun activities. For example, you can celebrate upcoming birthdays, welcome new joiners, celebrate victories, and even play games. 

• The purpose behind hosting a town hall is to keep all the employees, stakeholders, and the leadership on the same page. 
• Such meetings bring everyone together and give them a platform to connect, which is not possible during regular working days. The objective of meetings is to encourage employees to interact with people from different departments. 
• Online town hall meetings allow the management to align everyone working in the company and update them with the company’s latest updates. Such activities are vital for promoting a healthy work culture. 

Annual General Meetings-

Annual General Meetings are conducted by the organizations at the end of every year. The objective behind hosting an Annual General Meeting is to bring the stakeholders and employees together on a single platform to discuss the administration and functioning of the company. Through these general meetings, the companies allow them to put across their queries and doubts.

However, there are a few rules and specifications that some companies tend to follow for the execution of your AGM-

• The company must present the meeting minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting.
• The organizers must present the bills of the previous year and get them approved by the shareholders. 
• The shareholders approve the decisions of the board of members of the passing year. 
• The elections of the board of directors take place, and the company gets new board members. 

Apart from the mentioned points, other things that an AGM allows the directors and investors to discuss the performance of the company. They have the complete authority to raise questions if they feel it is not satisfactory enough. 

The Annual General Meetings are an excellent opportunity for the leadership to present their future strategies and planning with the stakeholders. 

Virtual Sales Meetings-

A virtual sales meeting allows sales executives and the company leadership to gather on the same platform. The objective behind hosting a virtual sales meeting is to discuss previous sales and set new objectives. Apart from that, the companies host sales meeting to-

• Acknowledge and appreciate top sales performers.
• Discuss new goals, products, and services.
• Subdue the previously failed targets. 
• Develop and discuss new strategies.

How to make your virtual meetings more engaging?

Regular meetings might get boring after some time; however, there are a few ideas you can follow to make your virtual team meetings engaging:

• Begin on a Positive Note: Always start the meeting on a happy note. Ask your employees to share a piece of good news with everyone; it can either be professional or personal. It will set the mood of your employees right and bring positivity to the meeting. Not only this, but it will also allow your team members to connect. 
• Keep Changing the Moderator: It is advisable to keep rotating the meeting moderators and give everyone a chance to speak. It will allow your employees to express themselves and give a fair opportunity to everyone to put across their points. It won’t only make them feel important but also make everyone involved in the meeting. 
• Solve Your Employees’ Queries: The objective behind a team meeting is to discuss new goals and objectives. Along with it, team meetings allow the leadership to solve employees’ queries. Dedicate a few minutes of your meeting hour to solve the problems your employees are facing. It will make your employees feel valued and will deepen the bonding between you and them. 
• Stick to The Meeting Agenda:  Don’t lose track of time during the meeting; the time of your employees is precious. It is always advisable to prepare the agenda beforehand and share it with everyone attending the meeting. Also, keep it short and crisp; don’t waste everyone’s time by adding irrelevant information. 
• Make the Meeting Fun: Who says you can’t make your team meetings fun? There are a few ways to make your virtual exhibition and corporate meetings immersive. If anyone from your team is having their birthday, celebrate. Not only this, but you can also play virtual games, such as Tambola, Dumb Charades

Virtual meetings are here to stay for a long time. If you are also planning to conduct a virtual meeting, get in touch with some efficient virtual event services and roll out your ideas smoothly.