Before 2020, Zoom meetings were somewhat of a novelty. But since March of this year, almost everyone has become familiar with — and become fatigued from — virtual meetings. Now, associations are having to step up their online meeting game to keep members engaged and excited about their involvement from home.

And that's when Lindsay Gross and Kate Pojeta step in. Lindsay is the director of facilitation services and Kate is director of meetings and technology for Event Garde, a trendsetting professional development consulting firm that helps associations and nonprofits pushes the boundaries of what’s normal and expected to facilitate lifelong learning. On this episode, they share with us how Event Garde is helping associations support their boards and members through strategic, engaging online meetings.

We talk through specific strategies their team uses for preparing for a remote meeting, and how running a remote meeting differs from in-person. Lindsay and Kate take a holistic approach to online meeting facilitation that emphasizes taking care of participants as much as it emphasizes acheiving the meeting's goals. It's a great lens through which to view virtual event planning and management, especially in a year that has been so heavy. In addition, they address managing everyone's expectations for what constitutes a successful virtual meeting, and how to make the most of engaging with others online. Kate and Lindsay teach us how to tap into unexplored possibilities to make your next virtual strategy session, board meeting, or full-blown annual conference a success.

Event Garde has teamed up with Ricochet Advice to publish The Complete Guide to Virtual Event Creation, a tool to help with the conceptual preparation and detailed planning that virtual events require. Producing a virtual event is difficult, and those with years of experience can anticipate and resolve all the challenges associations face. But if you're new to virtual events, this virtual event guide, with its 147-point checklist and structures, should help you avoid the more common mistakes and put on an engaging event from which your attendees will benefit. Download The Complete Guide to Virtual Event Creation for free today. We cannot recommend this virtual event guide from our trusted content partners, Event Garde and Ricochet, enough!

Want to guest star on The Association Adviser Podcast? Want to submit an idea for an episode? Email Kelly Clark, [email protected]. Submissions are always welcome!