HYBRID MEETINGS – A WAY FORWARD

As our world keeps changing, so too do our Toastmaster meetings. Where we once didn’t think it possible to be 100% virtual, here we are – and many clubs are thriving in this medium!

Now we are faced with the opportunity to pivot once again. Do we revert back to strictly in-person meetings? Do we stay online and carry on virtually for the foreseeable future? Or, perhaps, do we consider melding those two worlds together into the (potentially) wonderful world of hybrid meetings?

Only you and your club can answer that question and decide which option is right for you. There is a myriad of factors to consider and your club needs to have open and honest engagement from all the members to make this important choice. Some key questions to discuss are:

• Does your meeting facility have stable/reliable WiFi/internet access?
• Does your club have the necessary equipment to conduct hybrid meetings?
• If not, does your club have the funds required to purchase the necessary equipment?
• Do you have members who are willing to put in the work that it will take to learn, practice and execute the running of a successful hybrid meeting?

Hybrid meetings will not be right for every club, and it will take patience and practice to get there. My team and I conducted a workshop that will be available on the D42 YouTube channel, as well as having developed a handbook for holding Hybrid meetings. Contact me if you wish to receive a copy of the handbook.  lynettetheriault@gmail.com

Lynette Theriault, DTM