Things had already started to digitize in late 2019, but the pandemic accelerated the process, and things went digital long before we had expected them to. As a result, virtual meetings, virtual events, and virtual conferences became a part of our daily life. Two years down the line, we can say that virtual meetings are more advantageous than physical meetings. However, now that we have to deal with virtual conferences on a daily basis, we have realized that not all glitters aren’t gold; virtual events have their own disadvantages. 

So, if you are planning to host virtual meetings, here’s something you should know before hosting all the strategies. 

What are Virtual Meetings? 

Virtual meetings are simply those meetings that take place online rather than being conducted at physical venues. Virtual meetings utilize virtual meeting platforms and are more beneficial than regular meetings. Since they are hosted over the internet, they don’t require the attendees to travel to the venue. They allow them to attend the meetings from the comfort of their homes. Also, since they eliminate the need to travel, the organizers can tap into a wider range of audiences. Moreover, virtual meetings have emerged as a great help for MNCs and the organizations that have their employees spread around the globe. 

Advantages of Virtual Meetings: 

• Eliminate Restrictions: As we have mentioned earlier, virtual meetings allow organizations to connect with their overseas employees and clients. Virtual meetings don’t require people to cross oceans and mountains to attend a meeting. They can do that by simply logging in to the virtual event platform. 

 

• Economical: Since virtual meetings are hosted over virtual meeting platforms, they don’t require the organizers to book physical venues and spend hefty sums of money. Moreover, the attendees also don’t need to spend money on plane tickets, accommodation, etc. 

 

• Quick Set-Up: Unlike physical meetings, virtual meetings can be hosted quickly. You don’t need months and days of planning to host a virtual meeting. All you need to do is log in to the platform, and you are good to go. 

 

• Expand Company’s Reach: With virtual meetings, the organizations get to expand their client base and tap on global clients and customers, broadening their company’s reach. 

Now that you know the meaning and advantages of virtual meetings, let us jump into some factors that you should know while hosting virtual meetings. 

Pick Suitable Tools: 

The entire execution of your virtual meeting depends on the tools you pick for your meeting. Since there are several options to choose from, you get a wider range of options. However, it also comes as a challenge to many, especially first-timers. If you are also planning to host virtual meetings, and looking out for a virtual meeting platform, here are a few things you should consider. 

• Meeting Scale:

  The first thing you should consider is the scale of your meeting. If it is a small team meeting, you can do that on any platform. However, if it is a large-scale event, go with something that can accommodate a larger number of people easily. 

 

• Platform’s Features

  : The next thing you should take into account is the tools the platform comes with. If it is more like a briefing session, you can go with a webinar platform that comes with minimum options. However, if it is a full-fledged strategy-making meeting, select a platform that allows the attendees to interact with each other. 

 

• Networking Opportunities:

  Ever since remote working has come into the picture, the connectivity between the attendees has been affected. Team leaders are finding it difficult to keep all their employees on the same page. Virtual meetings are a great opportunity to boost connectivity between employees. Hence, you should select an online conference platform that comes with advanced networking capabilities and allow the attendees to connect with each other. 

 

• Security:

  Not to forget that online threats have become extremely common these days. We are sure even you come across at least one case of cyber security in a day. If the virtual meeting platform you are selecting isn’t secure enough, your meeting is more likely to get hacked, and your confidential information might get leaked. Hence, you should always ensure that the platform you are selecting is secure enough. 

Schedule the Meeting Carefully: 

The next thing you should consider is how you schedule your virtual meeting. It becomes extremely important to select the date and time carefully if you have your employees spread over various time zones. Select a time that would be convenient for all the employees. Also, schedule the virtual meeting on a weekday. Respect your employees and their time; we are sure they will have their own plans for the weekend. 

 

Create a Meeting Agenda: 

Moving on to the next thing, always create an agenda for your virtual meeting. It will help you keep everything organized, and save a lot of time. Outline everything you want to discuss with your employees. Include all the key points and share the agenda with your team members, they will come prepared. Also, try to wrap up the meeting within 30 minutes; virtual meetings are anyway tiring. Also, distributing roles and responsibilities to all the employees; will give them a sense of responsibility. 

 

Make the Attendees Feel Welcomed: 

When your team members show up for the meeting, make sure they find it welcoming enough to stay back for the entire meeting. No matter how urgent it is, we are sure you have at least a few minutes to welcome them and ask how they are doing. Start with a casual icebreaker; crack a joke, and make everyone laugh. It will help you make your attendees feel comfortable and let loose themselves. One might think all these things don’t matter in virtual meetings, but let us tell you that these factors can help you improve your team members’ moods dramatically. Not only this, it will lead to increased productivity. Not only this, keep the attendees engaged throughout the meeting; everyone will leave satisfied and feel productive. 

You can’t expect to host out-of-box and the best virtual meetings right from the beginning. It will all come to you with practice. Hence, if you have just started to host virtual meetings, don’t worry. Just keep all the above-shared points in mind, and host immersive virtual meetings.