The 2023 National Registry Summit in Clearwater Beach, FL, featured several talented keynote speakers, including Sherri Sutton, Chief Meeting Mechanic at MeetingMechanic.com and Certified Professional in Talent Development (CTPD). Sutton’s presentation was titled ‘Elevate Engagement’ and she spoke on how to increase engagement in hybrid meetings. 

In a post-pandemic work environment, hybrid meetings are an everyday norm for most businesses. Knowing how to adapt to the needs of hybrid meetings and ensuring they are engaging and effective is a crucial business practice everyone needs to adopt. 

Sutton started her presentation with an engagement exercise, asking live and virtual attendees to mingle in groups and ask each other introductory questions. When everyone finished the activity, Sutton pointed to the importance of timing hybrid meetings since there are technically two meetings happening; the live and the virtual. It will take a virtual attendee longer to enter a breakout room and get their technology set than it does for a live attendee to lean over and chat with their neighbor. Asking live attendees to physically move puts them on an even playing field with the virtual attendees. Viewing hybrid meetings from this perspective is the first step to creating a successful work environment. 

The elements to design an effective meeting were laid out by Sutton in seven points: 1. Budget; 2. Platforms; 3. Quality; 4. Facilitators; 5. Engagement; 6. Instructions; and 7. Meeting Etiquette.

Sutton demonstrated that no matter what size budget a team may have, there are a variety of resources available to accomplish an engaging meeting. For example, Sutton introduced both audiences to Mentimeter, a live poll technology that is free to use. Attendees, regardless of location, scan a provided QR code and can answer questions from their mobile devices. The answers generate readable data in real-time, and the meeting facilitator can share the data on the screen.  

The quality of the meeting is a crucial component of increasing engagement. Ensuring that both audiences can see and hear the speaker is imperative. This includes knowing the platform used for streaming (like Zoom) and staying abreast of software updates to prevent any virtual mishaps from occurring. 

Having multiple meeting facilitators and a meeting technician was another point Sutton stressed. With at least two facilitators, the audience will hear two different perspectives and voices instead of one for a long period. Delegating a meeting technician to manage the meeting’s technology will allow the facilitator to focus on the content and the audience.  

For the engagement portion of the presentation, Sutton mentioned that having fewer slides and more interaction is the best way to approach a meeting. Calling on virtual attendees, asking the live attendees to mingle and work in groups, and facilitating engagement activities are a few examples she gave to boost interaction. Some activities Sutton recommended include a speaker cup, wheel of names, signs, object selection and voting. 

The average attention span for most individuals is about seven minutes. Sutton recommended using this as a marker of when to ask your live audience to get up and move around in groups or step to the front to answer questions.  

Sutton then explained the importance of planning your presentation alongside technology. This allows the facilitators and the technician to be on the same page and know what’s coming. This helps keep the two groups moving together throughout the meeting. Designing how you will engage the live and virtual audiences will make it easier to combine them and give everyone a great meeting experience.  

Lastly, Sutton discussed meeting etiquette and how it sets the tone for the audience. She explained how respecting attendees’ time by starting and ending the meeting on time is crucial to keeping the attention of the audience. Staying on topic, avoiding distractions like a barking dog or doorbell ring, and speaking clearly and respectfully also contribute to the overall energy of a meeting. 

Hosting a hybrid meeting is not easy, but with the right amount of forethought and anticipation, these meetings can be highly engaging and effective for attendees. 

Rev. January 2024