A hybrid meeting brings together people in the room and people on a screen. Done badly, the online members feel like they're watching through a window. Done well, your club can reach members who'd otherwise never make it. Here's how to set one up, and how Toastmanagers keeps everyone on the same schedule.
Start with a practice run
Toastmasters' own guidance on hybrid meetings recommends holding practice meetings before you go live. It'll show you what's wrong with your sound, your camera angles, and your room while nothing is at stake.
What you really need
- A camera that can see the lectern
- A microphone that picks up speakers and the room
- A screen the room can see, large enough to show remote speakers
- A reliable internet connection
- One person dedicated to running the technology
Sound matters most. Remote attendees can forgive a poor picture, but they can't take part if they can't hear.
Add one more role: the Host
Have someone other than the Toastmaster run the video call. They admit guests, manage muting, watch the chat, and spotlight remote speakers. In Toastmanagers, you can add a custom role to your club's role list, such as "Online Host", and it gets scheduled, reminded, and rotated like any other.
Roles across the room and the screen
- Mix it up: give online members real roles, including speeches and evaluations
- Timer: make sure the signal can be seen by speakers wherever they are. Use a visible background color or a screen share for those online
- Evaluators: look directly into the camera when evaluating a remote speaker
- Ballots and written feedback: decide in advance how online members will send these in
Toastmasters' guidance also encourages clubs to have virtual attendees give speeches and keep moving along their education paths. Don't let the online group become an audience.
Guests
Collect guest contact information before the meeting starts, and have someone ready to welcome online visitors by name. On your Toastmanagers guest page, you can publish a public online meeting link, or leave it blank and share access by email.
Keep the meeting moving
- Open by explaining how the meeting will work for both groups
- Call on online members by name, and alternate with the room
- Budget extra time for transitions
- Ask online members to mute unless speaking
The Meeting timer in Toastmanagers uses standard green, yellow, and red timing thresholds and loads your agenda segments, so the Timer can follow along from a laptop or phone, in the room or at home.
One link, one schedule
Hybrid meetings fall apart when details are scattered. The Zoom link is in an old email, the agenda's in a chat, and the schedule's in a spreadsheet. In Toastmanagers, the video link shows as a Join link on the schedule and is included on the PDF agenda. Officers can send availability requests, and the club's iCal feed puts meetings on members' calendars.
Ask for feedback
Ask both online and in-room attendees what could be better, and act on one thing at a time. Toastmasters also recommends seeking feedback from members and guests.
One Schedule for the Room and the Screen
Add your video link to any meeting, and it appears on the schedule and on the PDF agenda.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can guests attend online?
Yes, if your club offers it. Just make the joining instructions easy to find.
Do we need expensive equipment?
Not to begin with. Start with a good microphone and improve one thing at a time.
Who should run the technology?
Someone with no other role that night, so they can give it their full attention.