How to run an Effective Virtual Meeting

Over the previous two years, virtual meetings have been an increasingly common fixture in a person’s weekly workplace schedule. And, with recent figures showing more than a third of people across the UK still reportedly working from home, as well as a growing trend in companies not being afraid to employ people from all over the world, virtual meetings are as much of a necessity now, as they were mid-pandemic.

However, although virtual meetings have become popular, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re perfect – after all, it’s tough enough running an in-person meeting effectively, let alone when you’re having to do them online. Here, we dig deep into how your business can run an effective virtual meeting.

Use specific virtual events software

Planning and running a virtual meeting doesn’t have to be hard, especially if you use virtual events software, specifically designed to make hosting online meetings so much easier for businesses.

Gone are the days where dull Zoom meetings suffice. To keep participants engaged, excited and contributing to your virtual meeting, you need to be using the Livve app. The app makes hosting effective meetings seamlessly simple – even for those without any technical experience – plus, it guarantees interaction and interest from those attending.

Make an agenda and share it

If you’re hosting a virtual meeting, making sure you create an agenda should be at the top of your to-do list.

With participants joining you virtually, you need to remain in control of the meeting and the only way to do this, is by producing a well-thought-out agenda and sticking to it. What’s more, attendees will be after an agenda – and they will want to see it before, so make sure you send it out to those invited at least 24 hours in advance.

To help you create an agenda, consider:

• Who is attending the meeting, and are there any time zones you need to keep in mind
• The goals and purpose of your meeting
• The structure of your meeting – which means thinking about any specific speakers, break-out sessions or Q&A sessions

Of course, remember the Livve app allows you to easily create a visually pleasing timeline, helping you to build and structure your meeting.

Only invite those necessary

There’s nothing more off-putting than somebody looking at their work diary and seeing meeting after meeting – whether they’re in-person or virtual. 

Avoid this, by being clever and considerate about who you are inviting. This way, those participating will be relevant to the meeting, ensuring optimised engagement – which benefits those attending, as well as you, as host.

 

Create the ground rules

It’s vital that you create and send out any necessary ground rules ahead of your meeting, to ensure it runs effectively and smoothly. Consider these as meeting etiquette, that you’re asking participants to follow:

• Log in five minutes prior to the start of the meeting to check the sound and camera
• Mute microphones when not speaking
• Turn off smartphone notifications and put phones on silent
• Decide if you want people to have their cameras on – or if you’re giving them a choice

 

Don’t fill the time just for the sake of it

You might have allocated specific time for your meeting but don’t feel like you need to fill that space for the sake of it.

If you reach the goals of your meeting before the intended end time, bonus! Don’t drag it out unnecessarily. 

 

Ready to take your virtual meetings to the next level?

With a fully-loaded user-friendly toolkit, the Livve app makes hosting effective virtual meetings easier than ever. 

Virtual meetings have fast become the norm and honestly, it doesn’t look like they’re going away any time soon. As a host, it’s vital you make them engaging and exciting for participants – just as you would, if it was an in-person meeting, right? 

Book a demo of the Livve app and start hosting virtual meetings that people actually look forward to attending.