What Is a Virtual Meeting? Definition, Tools, and Best Practices

The rising popularity of the remote work culture is not breaking news anymore. Until a few decades ago, people couldn’t even imagine connecting with team members living in another city or country without meeting at a central office. Now, teams scattered across the globe can connect at a click. What brought the change? The possibility of a virtual meeting. Virtual meetings have made the host’s life easier. No elaborate invites or tedious coordination are needed. Presentations don’t need elaborate setups. And the best part? The content can still reach the target audience even after the meeting is over. Let’s take a deep dive into the world of virtual meetings and explore their uses, tools, and best practices.

Whether you are a newbie or an experienced virtual host, this guide is here to help you understand the evolving ecosystem of virtual meetings!

Virtual Meeting: Definition and Fundamentals

In this section, we’ll understand what a virtual meeting encompasses and what its major advantages are.

What Is A Virtual Meeting?
Virtual Meeting Definition: An online meeting where people can connect, interact, and engage without the need to meet each other physically. A virtual meeting can be used to share ideas and experiences, and dispense knowledge or training. 

Major Advantages Of Virtual Meetings 
#1. Accessibility: A virtual meeting allows people to transcend geographical barriers and connect. As a result, they are more affordable for the attendees because they eliminate the cost of travel and other logistics.

#2. Dynamic: An online meeting can take practically any form: audio conference, video conference, or text-based discussion. It is more convenient for attendees to be part of the virtual meeting in the form that best suits them. Additionally, there are myriad types of virtual meeting formats from which organizers can choose their best fit. Some of these include town halls, huddles, Q&A sessions, etc.

#3. Inclusive: A virtual meeting setup ensures that team members from even the remotest corners of the globe can contribute their ideas and opinions. It mitigates the feeling of being left out among global employees.

Virtual Meeting Preparation: Tools and Best Practices

Now that the basics are covered, let’s move ahead to take a look at the essentials of a virtual meeting toolkit that can make you an excellent virtual host. We’ll also explore some of the best practices in the virtual meeting landscape that can help you keep a competitive edge.

What Meeting Tools Do You Need For A Virtual Meeting?

First and foremost, what you need is a meeting platform. You can choose any platform that best suits your requirements. Here is a quick checklist that you must keep in mind while choosing a virtual meeting platform:

• Does it have interactive features?
• Does it have recording provisions?
• Can it provide engagement features like quizzes and polls?
• Can you edit your documents in real time?
• Can it sync your invitations with your calendar?

Once you choose the right virtual meeting platform, focus on procuring an event technology software that can help you manage your meeting successfully. An advanced software is a great tool to take care of your online meeting needs, including registrations, tracking, analytics, etc.

Virtual Meeting Tips And Best Practices 

1. Share the Agenda in Advance
   Give the participants a clear agenda so that they can prepare well. Plan your agenda smartly. Make the most important topics a priority so that no one misses out on anything major in case they need to leave early.
   

2. Keep It Short and Relevant
   Plan a focused meeting with clear goals, but leave room for interaction. Shorter, well-conducted meetings are more engaging and respectful of everyone’s time.
   

3. Ensure Everyone Has the Correct Link
   A simple yet highly overlooked step in virtual meetings is double-checking the meeting links. Avoid such delays by confirming that all attendees have the right meeting link well in advance.
   

4. Assign Roles In Advance
   Appoint a facilitator to guide the session and a note-taker to capture key points. If specific team members are presenting, brief them in advance so they’re ready to contribute.
   

5. Start with a Fun Icebreaker
   Allow your attendees to warm up before jumping into the agenda. Begin with a light-hearted ice breaker to help participants feel relaxed and ready.
   

6. Follow Up with Action Items Sincerely
   Send out the action items, like the resource materials, feedback forms, and assignments, within a few hours of your virtual meeting ending. A delay here can make you lose out on significant feedback and the desired response from your attendees.
   

Final Word:-
With an increasing number of industries requiring cross-border collaboration between teams, virtual meetings have become the norm. What is a virtual meeting? An online meeting that allows people to connect and interact regardless of physical barriers. Virtual meetings come with competitive advantages like higher accessibility, dynamism, and inclusivity. At the same time, choosing the right tools and practices greatly influences meeting success. Being a virtual host requires an equal amount of finesse and efficiency as a physical presenter or speaker. Hence, by following a few best practices, as listed in this blog, you can stay ahead of the curve.