As more and more people get fully vaccinated for Covid-19, we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel to party like it’s 2019 again. Since the beginning of lockdown in 2020, technology platforms have been forced to accommodate virtual meetings while coming up with creative ways to avoid “Zoom fatigue.” Local government operations have transformed the way they hold public/legislative meetings by making decisions to alter regulations around public meetings and participation. It has been a challenge to hold complex and important meetings virtually with out of the box video conferencing solutions, and local officials have minimal technology offerings that support remote voting to ensure public transparency. Even with these challenges, leaders have found creative ways to record votes and show voting results virtually with public streaming capabilities. We’ve seemed to adapt to the virtual meeting life, which begs the question, “Will virtual legislative meetings be the new norm?”

 

Many government institutions have allowed a portion of their staff to return to the office now that almost 20% of the US population has been vaccinated. Institutions have shifted their meetings to a hybrid model, which includes some members joining remotely while others are in person. Since guidelines have already been altered to accommodate virtual meetings, some participants and members will want to stay virtual permanently. In order for this to happen, government institutions need to trust an agenda management solution that can support a permanent hybrid model.

At CDS, our AgendaLink product suite offers in-meeting solutions that allow members to participate remotely while maintaining compliance in your meetings. This includes:

AgendaLink provides structure to keep your meetings flowing and provides efficiencies to remove manual processes even when you have remote participants. Every participant will be able to see current agenda items, who motions on the floor, and will be able to vote electronically while still seeing live voting results. Solo has made it easy for online viewers to follow along in the meeting by connecting to the broadcast while also being able to see agenda items, speaker timers, and voting results. AgendaLink is mobile friendly, and administrators can instantaneously publish meeting minutes within seconds of a meeting being complete. CDS has made it easier than ever to host a meeting from the beach or from your meeting space, or both.

 

Hybrid meeting models are expected to be the new normal, and AgendaLink ensures that complex public and legislative meetings run smoothly and efficiently.