For most of us, we are nearing the end of winter and heading towards positive changes with the upcoming spring season. For chapters, this also means meetings season. Our meetings have looked a little different this year, and spring meetings may follow the same format. While we would like to meet in person, this may not be feasible for all members at this time. However, we can still conduct many components of the meeting as well as chapter business virtually or electronically, and reap the benefits from this type of structure.
Education – Sessions can still be conducted via Zoom or other video platforms. One of the benefits of this format is that you can still have multiple speakers present, at a much lower cost due to travel being eliminated. Additionally, these sessions can be recorded and viewed at a later time for members that are not able to participate in the live event. Attendees are still able to interact with the speakers and earn CE without having to go anywhere.
Elections/Ballots – Many chapters hold their elections at spring meetings. This can also be done electronically. SurveyMonkey allows votes to be cast anonymously and automatically, taking out some of the work of tallying votes. Chapters may also want to consider sending out e-ballots that allow members to cast their vote via e-mail.
Networking – Networking in person is ideal, but it does not mean it can’t be done virtually. Think about hosting a happy hour at the end of the day, roundtable discussions over lunch, or chatting over coffee prior to the start of the meeting. Offer a new or prospective member meet-up, with your long-time members hosting the event. Each can be done using a video platform like Zoom.
Vendor Show – Vendor or exhibit halls can still be done virtually as well. Invite your vendors to give a brief presentation on their products or services. This can be done live or pre-recorded with links to individual vendor presentations. Both your members and vendors will appreciate the opportunity to build their relationships with one another until they can meet face-to-face.