Organizing 4,500 meetings each year in over 40 countries – one thing has become clear; the hybrid format is the future of AGMs and investor relations meetings. In fact, when meetings are hybrid, Lumi has seen twice as many shareholders attend and ask questions.  

With hybrid meetings fast becoming the norm, here are some of the ways you can make the format work for your business and its investors.  

Use a single meeting platform

Bringing together in-room and virtual attendees in a single meeting platform can make all the difference. This means that all documents and broadcast streams are accessible within a single platform regardless of whether you are a virtual or in-room attendee. This creates equality, ensuring all investors have the same access to information and the board, regardless of where they join the meeting from.  

Prioritize Q&A

Q&As are a fantastic way to answer questions from shareholders and provide insight into the workings of your business. When it comes to Q&A, there must be parity between in-person and remote participants.  

During a hybrid meeting, online questions can be alternated with ones from the room. Shareholders can submit their questions remotely, which are then reviewed and presented to the chairman. Our team is always on hand to help organizers manage questions from all shareholders to ensure everyone’s voice is heard.  

Integrate virtual microphones

Integrating a virtual microphone into your next investor relations meeting or AGM can enable shareholders to ask questions within the natural flow of a meeting. This allows those attending virtually to feel like equal participants. A virtual microphone uses a telephone connection, enabling investors to dial in and ask questions by either pre-recording them or asking them live. This tool makes the experience seamless for all shareholders and the board.  

Encourage messages

Incorporating built-in messaging helps create more natural interactions with shareholders during a hybrid meeting. Messaging allows board members and appointed moderators to send direct replies to shareholders throughout the meeting, improving live communication. Lumi’s ‘Propose Answer’ feature also empowers investors to communicate privately with the board, creating a more personable experience for shareholders.  

For more advice on how to organize your first hybrid event, download our report on hybrid AGMs here.