3.5. Plan Ahead for Engaging Meetings

Communities have their own ways of engaging partners: meetings, open houses, conference calls or webinars. However, meetings are the most common way of gathering partners and working through the process. Think of meetings as working sessions to get input, develop content and share ideas. Build in interactive elements to build relationships. Each jurisdiction can decide how many and what kind of meetings it needs. Meetings can follow sections of the plan, like developing the mitigation strategy or the risk assessment. The jurisdiction may also hold a review meeting at the end to summarize the plan and start reviews. Not all meetings are created alike; use this section to pick which mode (in-person, virtual, or hybrid) will work best for your planning process.

In-person meetings are what many associate with traditional planning. Participants and stakeholders are given a chance to interact with each other and sometimes the public. It could be a workshop, traditional meeting, or other in-person format to seek direct input.

When choosing an in-person meeting, consider:

• Is the venue large enough to accommodate the expected number of attendees? Does it have facilities, including food and water, if necessary?
• Are you holding the meeting at a time of day when participants can come? Are you holding the meeting in a location where the majority of participants can get to easily?
• Do you know which materials you need to bring, such as computers, projectors, handouts or other displays?
• Do you have a strategy for keeping participants engaged? You can use sticky notes or large posters for interactive discussions and activities, and facilitate small group discussions by table.
• Is the meeting accessible for all attendees? This includes both venues that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other accessibility considerations, like translated materials or an ASL interpreter. Identify these needs early in the planning process.

Virtual events make it possible to accommodate people who are limited by time, transportation, finances, health or life circumstances from attending an in-person meeting.

When choosing a virtual meeting, consider:

• Do attendees have access to necessary information? Share materials with attendees in advance via an accessible website.
• Are you keeping your virtual attendees engaged? Use polls, chats and other engagement tools during the presentation to keep participants involved.
• Are you facilitating meaningful discussion during the event? Many webinar platforms include tools for making virtual sessions more collaborative. Breakout rooms allow smaller groups to have a focused discussion.
• Is the virtual event accessible to everyone attending? Consider whether translation, recording, live captioning and transcriptions are needed. Use closed captioning to be more inclusive of participants with hearing or language processing impairments. Know the applicable laws related to open meetings and recordings.
• Can all interested parties access the event? Consider using inclusive and low-barrier options for those with limited access to technology. Some platforms are easier to install or are available on mobile phones. Incorporate traditional methods of information sharing, such as radio, mail, newsletters, television and newspapers.

Hybrid meetings and events combine both in-person and virtual experiences. Having both in-person and virtual options for attendance increases the potential impact and reach of the event. Hybrid meetings can create unique, inclusive experiences that accommodate the needs of more people across larger geographies.

When choosing a hybrid meeting, consider:

• Are you giving virtual attendees an opportunity to contribute? Use live polling and audience engagement software tools to make the event interactive and engaging.
• Are microphones placed around the room in a way that allows virtual attendees to hear the in-person discussion? Test and retest the tools you will rely on to connect your virtual audience with in-person attendees. Make sure you have functioning equipment and backup technology.
• Is the meeting accessible for both in-person and virtual attendees? Identify the need for meeting translators, interpreters, closed captioning and other technical support. Have support ready to troubleshoot issues, both online and in the room.
• Do all attendees have access to the presentation materials and handouts? Provide paper handouts for in-person participants and links to downloadable documents for virtual attendees.
• Consider planning an asynchronous hybrid meeting, where the in-person and virtual portions occur at different times. This may allow for easier facilitation and a more streamlined presentation.