AGMs have long suffered the reputation of being considered a necessary evil among in-house event planners. Fear not, the AGM may be legally required on an annual basis and include a rundown of yearly financial reports, but it does not need to be unengaging.
To help guide you through creating an engaging event for your members, our events team have come together to recommend you consider the following when planning your next AGM.
Writing a detailed agenda
Keeping your audience engaged means being aware of the natural length of people's attention spans. According to general research on the topic of attention spans in meetings, if you're lucky - in the first 15 minutes, 91% of attendees will be paying attention, but this drops to less than 50% after one hour. Make sure you are refreshing attention spans by writing a detailed agenda that includes audience engagement as well as different visual and conversational content to stimulate your audience and keep their attention.
Your agenda should include topics, speaker details, and a logical running order for the day, including break times. It’s also wise to consider the different formats of presentation or activity that will be taking place to keep your audience bright and alert! Finally, don’t forget to leave time for the elections and for your shareholders to ask questions.
AGM Planning Timeline
Hosting a successful and engaging AGM requires much organisation. Efficient project management will allow you to pay attention to the finer details of the event as well as the bigger picture.
Ensuring you have a solid planning structure frees up mental space, so you can think about more ways to make the AGM fun and exciting, knowing that the basics are taken care of. A basic planning timeline may look like the following:
- 6 -12 months+ before the event
In this time period, you are laying the foundations for the event. Creating an event brief, allocating funds, defining guest lists and speakers, and booking a venue is the top priority. You also want to establish a promotional campaign to drum up excitement and attendance at the event.
- 3 months before the event
As the event draws closer, it’s time to ensure your speakers are preparing and practising their presentations and understand their position in the event according to your agenda. Your promotional campaign leading up to the event should also be in full swing, make sure to check in on its progress. It's also time to circulate information regarding parking, transport and accessibility to your confirmed guests - strive to provide all relevant information to avoid them having to go out of their way to request the information.
- The week before the event
Seven days away from your showstopping AGM, make sure your venue has all the essential information they need from you, such as any dietary requirements guests have, table plans and a final confirmed attendees list. Here at the HAC - we like to contact our clients ahead of time to ensure we have everything we need from you to make your event run smoothly - so that’s one less thing for you to think about!
- The day of the event
On the actual day of the event, check through timings, room set-ups, technology to be used, and any other finer details with your venue. Make sure to check in with your speakers too beforehand. Before the event starts, remember to promote that your event is now taking place to build up excitement!
As the saying goes, ‘fail to plan, plan to fail!’ - with this brief overview of what a planning timeline could look like for your AGM, you’re sure to succeed in creating an AGM to remember for yourself and your guests.
Consider alternative structures
Build a theme around your AGM to give the event more depth. The theme could revolve around any number of ideas, for example, reflecting recent events that have affected your organisation or core values you hold as a business that you would like to develop further.
Adding additional elements to your event can give you a chance to shake up the traditional structure of your annual general meeting and take your guests by surprise. Consider building specific theme-related activities into the agenda in addition to the legally required AGM agenda items that must be covered.
An AGM may be legally required, but it doesn't have to be uninspiring. For instance, when it comes to your accounts, rather than simply reading them out, why not build the story and context around the numbers? This will help deepen the connection your shareholders have with the organisation and make it more interesting for whoever is presenting them!
Hybrid AGMs mean everyone can attend
Have you experienced poor turnouts for your AGMs in recent years? Maybe world events have made it difficult to meet. Hybrid events have been around for a long time however they gained massive popularity during the pandemic and are pretty much a mainstay format for a variety of event types. Hybrid events are especially helpful if your organisation has shareholders from various far-flung locations nationally or internationally.
Here at the HAC, our capability to host hybrid events opens up the possibility of attendance to your guests who have various circumstances that may otherwise mean they are unable to attend. Our versatile Prince Consort Rooms are perfect for hybrid annual general meetings. The space features a dedicated entrance, a separate reception area, and a private outdoor terrace; that provides a streamlined experience for in-person guests. Online attendees will experience a high-quality, absorbing stream that offers ample opportunities to engage remotely. Our AV team is also on hand to keep all IT-related issues at bay!
Incorporating engaging elements into your AGM
Just because an AGM is a legal requirement for your organisation that doesn’t mean it has to follow the classic format. Excluding essential agenda items, this event can also serve to inspire, inform, and create excitement around your organisation.
Allow your guest speakers to galvanise your audience by sharing the group's successes, plans for future growth, and improvements. You may also wish to break up the various reports and minutes of previous AGMs with activities that allow attendees to engage with each other, such as icebreakers, quizzes and polls. Also, remember that any visual materials you use during the presentation should be visually appealing and not overwhelmed with text.
Research shows that physical activity, in some capacity, can help increase your attention span. Try to incorporate timely breaks and activities that allow your audience to physically move. Concepts such as fidget gadgets can even be given to your guests to increase their focus and block out distractions. Don’t be afraid to ask your speakers to inject some humour into their presentations - after all, we all like to laugh!
Don't overlook catering options
When it comes to events, who doesn’t look forward to the food? It’s no different when you’re holding an AGM, your guests will be curious, and if you get it right - highly satisfied with what’s on offer. Rather than thinking of catering options for your AGM as an afterthought, remember to plan ahead and check the dietary requirements of your attendees to ensure everyone can partake in the food on offer. Refreshments can also serve as a good way to break up multiple parts of your day, helping to boost attendee concentration levels.
At the HAC we work with our trusted caterer Searcys - one of the oldest hospitality companies in the UK - with a focus on using seasonal and sustainable produce, the Searcys chefs take their inspiration from the Best of British cuisine; so are sure to create dishes your guests will enjoy, for the most memorable of meetings!
Going beyond traditional AGMs
As we’ve discussed, an AGM may not initially strike you as the most exciting event you could plan. However, there are several ways you can enrich the event to give your guests a memorable and engaging experience - where they will likely be eagerly awaiting next year's event. Creating appealing events requires a team of experienced professionals to help pull together all the different aspects required to make it happen, and our team is always on hand should you need help.
To book your show round and/or hire our venue for your next event at The HAC, get in touch via email at
