I’m sharing this as an event I think will be of broad interest, even though it’s not primarily about the WordPress for Toastmasters software. As clubs that have been forced to meet online begin to resume in-person meetings, many will want or need to continue to allow some members to attend online. Mixed or “hybrid” meetings pose additional challenges that are different from running a meeting where everyone is online.
Workshop: Doing Mixed Online/Offline Meetings Right
Saturday July 25, 2020 2:00 PM EDT
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Online Presenters is sponsoring a workshop to gather best practice recommendations on how to conduct a meeting that mixes online participation with having other members gathered together in a meeting room. We will be sharing ideas on everything from camera, microphone, and screen placement to the leadership necessary to allow members to participate on a level playing field, whether they are in the room or not.
We expect many more clubs who were forced online because their meeting space closed due to COVID-19 will try this format in the coming months, if they aren’t already. Some will do it to accommodate members who hesitate to attend in person because of age or health concerns, while others who will want to preserve the option for members who are not local to attend via video conference.
The reason we want to talk about “doing it right” is that several of us have found from experience that doing it wrong is much easier. We want to share what we know about the pitfalls and the potential upsides. We’ll also talk about alternatives, such as alternating between online and offline meetings.
We are still looking for presenters and panel discussion participants with relevant experience (email david@carrcommunications.com to volunteer). Those who have confirmed so far include:
- Nik Lakhani, President, Online Presenters
- Roger Fung
- Graham Cairns
- Lois Baron Margolin
- Birgit Starmanns
- Michael Alexander
Moderator: David F. Carr