In today’s dynamic work environment, meetings now happen across in-person, virtual, and hybrid formats. Use this guide to help you choose what format to use and make your meetings productive, efficient, and engaging, no matter the setting.

Overview

In fully virtual meetings, each attendee has their own connection to the meeting. Connecting with a computer equipped with a webcam and microphone offers more robust engagement than dialing in on a phone by facilitating screensharing and the ability to see participants expressions and reactions.

There are different types of virtual meetings, including:

  • Teleconference: Meeting conducted with audio only. Often used for quick updates and check-ins when video isn’t necessary.
  • Video conference: Virtual meeting where participants interact through audio and video. Typically used for team meetings, brainstorming sessions, or other collaborative purposes.
  • Webinar: Virtual meeting where one or more speakers deliver information to a larger audience, often for training or educational purposes. Often has interactive features like Q&A.

In hybrid meetings, participants may be congregating in-person in one or more rooms that have a connection to the virtual meeting.

Choosing the right format

When choosing between different types of virtual and hybrid meetings, consider factors like accessibility, engagement, technology, budget, space, and content.

  • Accessibility: If attendees have travel limitations or accessibility needs, consider offering a virtual option.
  • Engagement: If you want to engage your audience, consider formats where participants have their cameras on or are face-to-face.
  • Technology: Consider you and your audience’s technology, such as high-speed internet, quality webcams, and microphones. When choosing a hybrid format, make sure your equipment can capture both in-person and virtual attendees.
  • Budget: Virtual meetings usually cost less due to the time and expenses associated with venue rentals and travel, compared to hybrid or in-person meetings.
  • Space: If you have space limitations, consider a virtual or hybrid format.
  • Content: If you have content to share to a large audience such as training or educational materials, consider doing a webinar. If your content requires a lot of discussion, participant input, or interaction, choose meeting options that allow you to launch interactive tools like polls to your entire audience, such as video conferences and webinars.

 

General tips

No matter the format, use these tips to make the most out of your meetings.

  • Scheduling: Use meeting scheduling tools like Google Calendar, Microsoft Calendar, or Doodle
  • Agenda & Preparation: Have an agenda and send it out before your meeting to let people prepare, while ensuring the meeting stays on time and adequately covers all topics.
  • Internet & Equipment: Ensure you have reliable, fast internet and good audio-visual equipment. Make sure to test any equipment before your meeting.
  • Housekeeping: Before diving into the meeting, discuss logistics, such as when and how to ask questions, or expectations for muting when not speaking
  • Breaks: If your meeting is longer than an hour, consider offering a short break
  • Note-taking: Assign someone to take notes using tools like Microsoft Word, OneNote, Google Docs, or try AI tools like Microsoft’s Intelligent Recap to summarize meetings. Plus, record meetings so you can review commentary.
  • Follow-up: Send out a thank you message to participants after your meeting and include any follow-up materials that may be helpful or were promised. If participant input or engagement was part of the meeting, send a summary of takeaways and/or decisions and action items as relevant after your meeting

 

Engagement tips & tools

Connect with your audience and boost engagement using our tips and tool recommendations. Check out our Digital Tools page here for a list of built-in features and tools by platform!

Teleconferences

  • Encourage participants to introduce themselves with name and role (if it’s a new group or if not everyone knows each other)
  • Call on participants by name to prompt responses
  • Pause frequently to allow for questions and input
  • Use live poll tools built-in with your platform, or others like Slido and Mentimeter to engage participants with quizzes, word clouds, and more if participants are able to see the screen. If participants are calling in with no screen access, send any polls in advance of the meeting.

Video conferences

  • Start with an icebreaker to warm up the audience and create a welcoming atmosphere, and/or have participants introduce themselves with name and role (if it’s a new group)
  • Encourage participants to have cameras on, but make it optional if needed or preferred by participants
  • For larger meetings, use breakout rooms for group discussions. Smaller groups (2-4 people) are best for active participation and deeper discussions. Larger groups (5-8 people) are best for brainstorming and problem-solving.
  • When using breakout rooms, assign a group leader to facilitate discussions and to report back to the main group
  • Use tools like Miro or Microsoft Whiteboard for brainstorming

Webinars

  • Create visually engaging slides (such as on Microsoft PowerPoint, Canva, or Prezi) and break up information into sections
  • Make it optional for people to turn on cameras
  • Add visual aids to your slides such as infographics, live demos, and screen sharing
  • Use engagement tools built-in with your platform, such as a hand-raising feature, emojis, and polls. Other apps like Slido and Mentimeter can also be used to engage participants with quizzes, word clouds, and more.
  • Encourage participants to comment and ask questions in the chat while actively monitoring it
  • Add a Q&A session at the end. Have pre-written discussion questions ready, along with examples and prompts.

Additional considerations for hybrid meetings:

  • When sending out meeting invite, ask participants if they will attend virtually or in-person to plan ahead
  • Have a facilitator manage interactions such as the chat or raised-hand feature for remote participants
  • When someone asks a question in-person, repeat it out loud or add it to the chat to make sure virtual participants are aware
  • Use gallery mode to capture all attendees
  • Make sure breakout sessions or other activities are inclusive of both online participants and in-person participants

 

Technology needs

  • Meeting platform: Choose a meeting platform that best suits your needs. Some popular ones are Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet. They all have various functions with options for both teleconferencing and video conferencing, breakout rooms, live polls, registration, and more.
  • Equipment: When hosting a teleconference meeting, facilitators and participants should have a good headset and microphone with background noise cancelling features. When hosting a meeting with video, facilitators should also use this equipment plus a good webcam. When participant interaction is expected, each participant should have quality equipment as well.
  • Internet: Confirm that there is a strong, fast, and reliable internet connection before starting your meeting.

Additional considerations for hybrid meetings:

  • Equip the meeting room(s) with video conferencing tools like speakers, cameras, and mics that can capture in-person and virtual attendees
  • Example: Tools like the Meeting Owl can help create an immersive experience for hybrid meetings
  • Confirm that there is a strong internet connection for those remote and in-person