If it’s to cut down on time and costs on travel, give more flexibility to board members, or improve communication, virtual meetings are becoming more popular. Virtual meetings offer many advantages however there are certain pitfalls. A well-planned and executed virtual meeting can be as effective as a live one, but it’s important to remember the following points when planning and hosting these kinds of events.

Make sure everyone my blog is using the correct software and equipment. It can be difficult to keep everyone engaged when technical issues prevent participants from speaking to each other, seeing presentations, or using their cameras. To avoid problems like this it’s a good idea to give all attendees detailed instructions on how to test their cameras and microphones prior to the meeting starts.

Make an agenda ahead of time to keep the discussion on track. Boards can be entangled in a conversational snafu if there isn’t a set agenda to guide the meeting. Make sure that all topics have been covered in the time allotted so that your attendees don’t feel that they didn’t accomplish anything or that their time has been wasted.

It is hard to recreate the camaraderie that occurs during board meetings in person. However, there are ways to enhance your virtual experience by engaging and fun activities like breakout sessions or even a test. Also, make use of regular feedback loops to gather information about how each participant and director is interacting with the meeting, how they feel it is working and how they can improve next time.