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Live streaming isn’t only for people who can’t make it. Here are six ways a stream adds value to almost any event.
More and more companies are extending their annual general meeting beyond the room, either as a webcast that shareholders can watch, or as a full hybrid AGM where shareholders can attend, speak and vote electronically. Done well, it widens participation and shows good governance. Done badly, it can cause real problems at the one meeting where every word is minuted. Here's what we plan with company secretaries, registrars and IR teams.
This guide covers practical production points. It isn't legal advice: always confirm the format with your company secretary and legal advisers.
1. Decide: webcast or hybrid meeting?
An AGM webcast streams the meeting so shareholders can watch, and often submit questions, but formal attendance and voting happen in the room or by proxy in advance. A hybrid AGM lets shareholders attend electronically, be counted as present, ask questions and vote in real time. The right option depends on your articles of association. Many companies updated their articles after 2020 to allow electronic participation, but not all have. Check this first, because it shapes everything else.
2. Bring the registrar in early
For a hybrid AGM, electronic voting and shareholder verification are usually provided by your registrar or a specialist e-voting provider. The production team needs to integrate the live stream with that platform, so shareholders can watch and vote in the same place, with matching timings. Agree who owns each part of the shareholder journey, from login to poll results, well before the notice of meeting goes out.
3. Design shareholder access
Decide how shareholders and proxies will prove who they are: a shareholder reference number and PIN, a unique link sent by email, or the registrar's own login. Guests and press might watch a separate public webcast. Keep the journey simple, and publish clear joining instructions and a help contact with the notice of meeting.
4. Plan how questions will work
Questions are where most AGM issues arise, so be clear about the process:
- Offer a pre-meeting question portal as well as live questions.
- Agree who moderates, how questions are grouped, and how they reach the chair (a lectern screen or tablet works well).
- Decide whether remote shareholders can also ask questions by audio or video, and test it.
- Keep a time-stamped log of every question received for the company secretary.
5. Script the chair, and rehearse the awkward bits
The chair's script should cover how remote attendees take part, when polls open and close, and what happens if the technology fails. Rehearse with the board, the registrar and the production crew, including the scenarios nobody wants: a lost connection, a delayed poll, an adjournment.
6. Build in resilience
Use dual encoders, a bonded 4G/5G backup alongside the venue connection, a separate recording and a clear contingency plan agreed with the chair. If remote participation fails, your articles and the chair's script should say what happens next.
7. Film it properly
AGMs are formal, but they still need good production: clear audio from every microphone at the board table, cameras positioned to show the chair and speakers, autocue for formal business and resolutions on screen. Shareholders watching remotely should be able to follow every item.
8. Archive and report
Record the whole meeting, make it available on demand if your policy allows, and provide a transcript and an attendance report afterwards. This supports the minutes and shows shareholders the meeting was open and transparent.
Need a hand?
We produce AGM webcasts and hybrid AGMs for listed companies across London, the Midlands and the rest of the UK. See our AGM live streaming service or get in touch to talk through your next meeting.
