FREE TEMPLATE · HYBRID AGMS
How to join our hybrid AGM: member handout
Members are more likely to join, ask questions and vote when they know exactly what to expect. This handout explains the online side of your meeting in plain language. Fill in the blanks, check it against your notice of meeting, and send it with the notice or a week before the meeting.
Before you send it
The handout works best when every detail in it matches your notice of meeting and the platform you are using. Gather these first.
- The meeting date, start time and time zone, and when the online room opens.
- The web address of the event page, and whether members get a personal link.
- How members sign in (for example, a one-time code sent to their email, or a personal voting link).
- Which email address members must use. It is usually the one on your register of members.
- How questions can be sent: before the meeting, during the meeting, typed, or recorded.
- How voting works on the day, and how a proxy is appointed and by when.
- Who members contact for help before and during the meeting, and how.
The handout
Copy this into a Word document or email. Replace everything in [square brackets]. Delete any paragraph that doesn’t apply to your meeting.
How to join the [Organisation name] Annual General Meeting
Our AGM is on [Day, date] at [start time] [time zone]. You can attend in person at [Venue name and address] or online. Members online can watch, ask questions and vote, just like members in the room.
1. Before the day Check that we have your current email address. We will use [the email address on our register of members] to let you in. If it has changed, tell us by [date] using [how to contact the organisation]. If you can’t attend, you can appoint a proxy to vote for you. Complete the proxy form included with the notice of meeting and return it by [proxy deadline, date and time] to [where to send it]. [Your proxy must be a member entitled to vote / Your proxy does not need to be a member.] You can send a question before the meeting by [how to send it] by [date].
2. Joining online Go to [event page web address] from [time the room opens] on the day. We suggest joining at least 15 minutes early. You can use a computer, tablet or phone with an up-to-date web browser. You don’t need to download anything. To sign in, [enter your email address and type in the one-time code we email to you / open the personal voting link we email to you on (date). Your link is personal, so please don’t forward it]. Captions are available on the video. [You can also make the text on the page bigger.]
3. Asking a question Use the [Q&A tab] on the event page. You can [type a question / record a short audio or video question]. Questions are checked by our moderator before they are shared. Similar questions may be combined. If we can’t answer a question in the time available, we will [answer it in writing after the meeting / publish answers on our website]. [You can choose to hide your name from other viewers. The meeting officers can still see who asked.]
4. Voting When the chair opens voting on a resolution, a voting panel appears on the event page. Choose For, Against or Abstain, then confirm. You can’t change your vote once it is recorded. The chair will tell everyone when voting is open and when it is about to close. [Some resolutions may be decided by secret ballot.] The chair will announce the results at the meeting [or after the meeting by (how)]. If you have appointed a proxy and then attend yourself, [explain what your rules say happens].
5. If something goes wrong If the video stops, refresh the page first. If that doesn’t help, try another browser or device. If you can’t sign in or vote, contact [name or team] on [how to reach them on the day]. They will be available from [time] until the meeting closes. If there is a technical problem affecting the meeting, the chair will [pause the meeting / explain what happens next].
Thank you for taking part. We look forward to seeing you, in the room or online.
[Name] [Title, for example Company Secretary] [Organisation name]
Adapting it for your meeting
- Online only: remove the venue details and the in-person sentence in the first paragraph.
- No online voting: say clearly that online attendees can watch and ask questions, and that votes are made by proxy or in person. Don’t leave members to find out on the day.
- Personal voting links: tell members when the email will arrive, what its subject line will be, and to check their junk folder.
- Proxy rules: copy the deadline and eligibility from your notice and proxy form word for word. Your constitution or rules decide these, so don’t paraphrase.
- Recorded questions: if your platform accepts audio or video questions, mention that a recording may be played in the meeting and included in the recording of it.
Make it easy to read
- Keep it to one page, or two sides at most.
- Use a clear font at 12 point or larger, with headings for each step.
- Put the event page address and the help contact in bold so they are easy to find.
- Send it as an accessible document (real headings, not just bold text) as well as in print for members who prefer paper.
- Ask one or two members who are less confident online to read it before you send it. Fix anything they find unclear.
Follow up before the meeting
- Send a short reminder two or three days before, repeating the event page address and the help contact.
- Offer a practice session or a test page members can open in advance, if your platform has one.
- Brief whoever is answering help requests on the day. Give them this handout and a list of common problems and fixes.
- On the day, have the chair repeat the key steps in the welcome, especially how to ask a question and how voting will work.
Share and adapt it
You’re welcome to use, adapt and share this template. If you share it, please credit The Jasper Picture Company and link to livestreamvideo.com.au/resources/how-to-join-a-hybrid-agm.
Want a hand with your hybrid AGM?
JPC plans and produces live streams, hybrid AGMs and member voting in Melbourne and across Australia. Talk to a producer about your event.
1800 527 737 · production@jasperpictures.com.au · livestreamvideo.com.au
More free resources · AGM live streaming in Melbourne · AGMs for incorporated associations · Moderated live Q&A. A clear path to the host.