Manage Association Meetings in No Time With These 5 Tech Tools

Whether you enjoy it or not, holding meetings with your association’s team is a vital part of keeping a well oiled machine in terms of your organization’s progress and success.

‍On average, a whopping $37 billion was spent per year on “unnecessary meetings”. Your association needs to save all of the revenue it can, and spending time and money on meetings that do not accomplish anything can take a toll not just on your team, but on your membership as a whole. Managing your meetings to turn them into something productive can take a lot of effort - but luckily for you, there are tech tools out there that can make meetings easy, effective, and even fun.

‍If your association is looking for a better way to manage meetings and create a better experience for everyone involved, you’ve come to the right place. We’re breaking down the 5 best apps and tools that you can use to drive up meeting organization and productivity, while decreasing the amount of time and money spent on meeting management. Let’s get started.

1. Zoom

Let’s face it, the world of video conferencing technology could be a lot better. We’ve all faced the problem of struggling with connectivity, user error, and call failure when trying to use video conferencing for an important meeting. It’s frustrating, and not to mention it can completely throw off the flow of your meeting, making productivity virtually impossible.

But with Zoom, you can say goodbye to lagging video streams and complicating call setups. With Zoom’s website promising “flawless video”, “clear audio”, and “instant sharing”, there’s no reason why association professionals with video conferencing needs wouldn’t perk their ears up at the sound of those features. And there are so  many other things to look forward to when using Zoom. For example, Zoom has great built-in security features that will please any association with a big focus on data security. All conference calls can be password protected, security can be assigned based on roles, and you can place attendees on hold when needed. You can also record all calls and transcripts, search through chat and text history, and link your calendar to the app. With so many useful video conferencing features, Zoom can make your association’s meetings run much smoother.

2. Fuze

Fuze is a meeting management software that can work for associations of all shapes and sizes. Using a cloud-based software, Fuze works to provide a multitude of features for associations looking to get a better grasp on organizing and holding meetings. Fuze also has a built in video conferencing feature, as well as other great options like content sharing, group chatting, and more to aid in your team communication.

Using a meeting management software like Fuze is great for associations who prefer keeping all of their tools in one spot. Fuze’s software has every tool and resource you may need, and it’s all housed under one product.

Fuze offers cross-platform integration, which is great for reaching those staff members who may be on the move and working from a mobile device. It’s never been easier to get all of your association’s team in one place for any meeting you’d like to hold. For associations looking for a completely hands-off approach to meeting management, Fuze may be the software for you.

3. Beenote

Another meeting management software service, Beenote helps you keep meetings organized by helping you plan your association’s meeting agenda more effectively.

‍Let’s be honest, planning can get in the way of creating great meetings for many association professionals. You’d rather sit down and get to business than go out of your way to plan how meetings will be ran. But with software like Beenote, you’ll have your meeting planned, organized, and scheduled in no time at all. Beenote uses an agenda tool that allows your association to plan things like meeting topics, objectives, participant roles, length of time to spend on each subject, and anything else you may want to incorporate into your meetings. It then compiles those details into a well organized agenda, and gives you the option to share that agenda via email to all attendees.

You can also record and share meeting minutes via email to anyone that may ask for them. This way, you don’t have to waste any time writing out a recap email for meeting attendees. Talk about simple!

4. LastPass

Having trouble keeping all of your passwords in check for your meeting management apps and tools? LastPass can keep everything in check. LastPass, which offers both a free version and a premium version for just $2/month, is an app that secures a place for you to store any and all passwords that you need saved. This is great for associations that use password protected software and passwords to join in on meetings.

LastPass also allows you to share passwords with others if necessary, which is great for associations that use the same password for meetings. If individuals need access to your virtual conference room or to any notes from meetings, you can share that password with whoever is in need.

5. Asana

Looking for a way to keep the ball rolling after meetings? With Asana, you can make sure your association’s team gets to work right after the meeting ends.

‍Delegating tasks during a meeting is always a great idea, but often times team members forget what was discussed during meetings and can miss out on doing tasks further down the road. But with Asana, you can make sure each meeting attendee has their tasks assigned to them immediately after the meeting is over, and keep up on the progress of those tasks as well.

Asana is a work management platform that is designed to assign and track projects, tasks, favors, and anything in between. You can talk with team members within the platform, send attached files back and forth, and update completed tasks as they finish up. With Asana, your association’s team can work collaboratively on any projects that blossom from productive meetings. This gives you a way to take all that you’ve discussed in meetings and put it back into something that will generate movement and success for your association.

Don’t let your meetings go to waste by not incorporating these tech tools. Use the technology world around you, and you could save your association time and money in the process of making meetings more productive.