In today’s digital age, virtual conferencing has become the go-to solution for local municipalities to connect, engage, and govern efficiently. Let’s delve into why it’s crucial, how Zoom fits the bill, and some handy tips to ace your virtual conference game.
1. Why Go Virtual?
- Local municipalities juggle numerous tasks, from zoning permits to community outreach. Virtual conferencing allows residents, board members and the community to convene remotely.
It’s convenient, cuts down on travel costs, and encourages participation regardless of location or mobility limitations. In short, it's committee meeting software and it's an easy way to make local government accessible to everyone.
2. Zoom: The Basics
- Committee meeting software, Zoom, offers flexible pricing plans: explore their plans by visiting https://www.zoom.com/en/industry/government/
- Start with the Business option for $18.32/mo.This allows up to 250 attendees, which is more than enough for meetings.
- This allows up to 250 attendees, which is more than enough for meetings.
- You only need one paid account.
- Invite other board members to the Zoom meeting.
- Inviting the community to participate in meetings may be helpful, as it enables community members to see the inside workings of the municipality. Creating an open and trusting relationship between residents and the municipality
3. Going Live: Broadcasting to YouTube or Facebook
- You can broadcast live using either YouTube or Facebook.
- It may be best to broadcast to YouTube, because it means all your meetings will be stored on your Youtube account and can be accessed by anyone.
- You will need to set up a YouTube account for your municipality to broadcast to YouTube.
- If you need help setting it up, pop us an email at [email protected] or visit https://help.townweb.com/ We can set it up for you if you like and make you an administrator.
- To set up a YouTube account go to: https://www.youtube.com/
4. Making It Accessible: Posting Meetings on Your Website
- When you use committee meeting software, you can record it on your computer and to the cloud.
- YouTube will also store a copy of the meeting.
- When you visit your Meetings + Agendas button on the Town Web dashboard, click the button and add either a Youtube link or a link to where the recording is stored on the cloud.
5. Gear Up: Essential Equipment on a Budget
- Anyone can attend a Zoom meeting. There is no need to purchase any software for the registrants or attendees. You just need one paid account to host meetings.
- People can attend Zoom meetings and/or YouTube live meetings with any modern computer, cell phone or tablet device.
- Attendees will need a device (computer, tablet or cell phone) that has a camera, a microphone and internet access.
- Consider microphones and lighting to be sure it’s easy to see and hear your board members. Most computers have a microphone that is okay to use, but if you need something better, purchase lavalier mics for board members. A lavalier mic plugs into your computer and clips onto your shirt.
6. Tips for Seamless Conferencing
- Set a clear agenda.
- Encourage active participation through polls and Q&A sessions to keep everyone involved.
- Stay organized: explain house rules + the agenda at the start of the meeting so everyone knows what to expect.
- The administrator can “Mute All” attendees when creating a session so that it's less disturbing when new people join.
- Practice ahead of time to iron out any bugs. The Town Web team can hop on a call and help you test committee meeting software and live streaming so that you're confident when going live.
- Have a moderator present to monitor Zoom's chat and/or YouTube Live's chat options and keep tabs on the questions asked.
- Remind board attendees to turn their cameras on. Most people who have a phone or computer made in the past seven years will have a webcam on it.
- Good lighting is important so that people can see who is talking.
- If you record the meetings to the cloud and start to run out of space because you have too many stored recordings, that's okay. You can download them from the cloud and upload them to YouTube for storage. Then, you can delete the older meetings from the cloud to free up space.
It’s safe to say that we’ve all experienced and participated in virtual conferencing. Following Covid-19, the world changed to enable groups to still meet and Zoom paved the way for this. The tool is now a household name and has greatly influenced how local municipalities operate, to make local government accessible, and to encourage community engagement.
By using affordable tools, embracing live broadcasting, and prioritizing inclusivity, you can navigate the complexities of governance with ease. Town Web encourages this step towards digital governance and, as always, we’re here to support you: so, gear up, go virtual, and lead your community!