Every day, every second, there is new technology coming to take us to new roots in the digital world. There was a time when only physical meetings were possible, but with the evolution of the hybrid event platform, that has changed drastically. Nowadays, it is quite possible to have meetings virtually from anywhere around the globe. Not just the meetings but lots of events going on virtually and in the form of hybrid events, there are a lot of opportunities to take advantage of this.
Without a doubt, physical meetings are quiet, but every time it is not possible as there are lots of arrangements one should have to make to host such meetings. Not every member of the team is available to attend such in-person meetings, so the key is simple, that is, hybrid event solutions. That allows both in-person and virtual components. But every technology comes up with its own challenges and so do hybrid events too. There are many challenges in making hybrid meetings more inclusive.
Here in this blog, we are going to discuss the key aspects and touch on the valuable points to make hybrid meetings work for you.
How are inclusive hybrid meetings conducted?
As said before, there are many challenges in smoothly executing hybrid meetings. We have all, at some point in time, engaged ourselves in a meeting that is generally dominated by one voice. Every other opinion creates disengagement among other audiences. Remote participants in a hybrid meeting may feel excluded, and staring at a laptop screen makes it more difficult to pick up on social cues.
The nature of on-ground meetings and hands-on elements can make attendees feel bored or left out, which is the crucial challenge of hybrid events. Finally, and this should come as no surprise, technical difficulties can end a meeting before it has even begun. Those affected are typically remote participants.
Here are some recommendations to assist you in organising hybrid meetings that everyone can participate in, regardless of location.
A meeting isn’t always the answer
Before doing any meeting, first, consider the importance of interactive communication. The fact is that meetings fulfil communication needs. At the beginning of a virtual meeting, the foremost reason is to ensure communication between teams and colleagues.
The first step to establishing a strong bond within the team is to give them open space where they can talk and deliver their thoughts and ideas. But particularly, involving them in meetings can make them a little concise and back to the points of discussion only. When you are comfortable that yes, for some reason, the meeting then only goes with a hybrid meeting platform for an important discussion.
Prepare carefully for your hybrid meetings.
As discussed, when necessary, plan and organise a meeting with careful planning as there may be one or both parties involved who are in the office (or physically involved) and a remote audience. Careful planning ensures effectiveness and improves the efficiency of the meeting. The next time you’re tempted to quickly schedule a hybrid meeting with colleagues, pause and give it some thought.
- The meeting’s objective
- The choices you must make
- Anything you can send participants as a pre-reading
- What meeting space you’re going to use, and whether it has the right hybrid conference platform available to accommodate remote attendees?
In this manner, you can make the necessary preparations to guarantee a fruitful and inclusive meeting.
Consider meeting timings
We are talking about hybrid meetings and conferences where timing matters a lot. Also, if your attendees are from different time zones, they should be given careful consideration. There are remote attendees too, so we all know if someone is at home, it is hard for them to wake up early as office timings are different.
We are all aware of how hectic video calls and Zoom meetings are, so make it an improvised hybrid meeting. You need to introduce some of the key elements of the visually appealing interface, good audio quality, screen sharing and not much time for scheduling meetings or breaks in the middle.
Additionally, keep that in mind to start the meeting on time, as a little late makes the remote attendees distracted by other work. Even if it does not work, then thinking of grabbing coffee can be an appropriate example here. You can use a hybrid meeting platform which offers automated reminders of meetings.
Structure contributions from meeting attendees
Structuring is essential for every event, and the format needs to be quite interactive so that everyone feels alive in the meeting. Asking for simple suggestions from attendees directly can be a good approach. This way, you can make them involved and make them feel like contributing. Additionally, you can ask everyone if anyone is interested in adding something in the middle of the conversation. And ask your top executives to say something.
This is helpful particularly when you are using hybrid exhibition solutions for product or service exhibitions to your clients, employees, team or common audience. Well, there are hybrid fair services available easily in UAE. If you are planning any fair, exhibition conference, or meetings, they include some interactive features such as polls, chats, and others.
Make everyone use the same hybrid meeting platform
Hybrid meetings are a byproduct of technological advancement, and making sure everyone uses the same hybrid event platform is necessary. The strong reason behind this is not every platform offers the same features you have planned for your users. Using a web-based platform is the best way to do that. You just need to send a link that they can open and join your hybrid meetings. Don’t let the meeting room whiteboard be used by half the attendees while the virtual platform is being used by the other half.
Final Words
Meetings are always important in an office environment as discussion makes the vision clear for any strategy, leading to the planning and execution of a variety of thoughts of every team member.
The proper hybrid event services must support a modern meeting room and inclusivity is essential. In order for meetings to continue to be useful business tools and to be enjoyable, engaging, and inclusive, AV equipment, virtual communication tools, and meeting room booking software are all crucial.
