Conducting effective meetings and conferences
An effective meeting has a clear purpose and agenda, the right people, a chair who controls time and discussion, and minutes with action points.
Types of meetings
| Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| General meetings (shareholders) | Meetings of shareholders: the annual general meeting (AGM) and extraordinary general meetings (EGM) | A company's AGM to receive the annual report |
| Board meetings | Meetings of the directors | Approving a new branch |
| Committee meetings | A small group with a set task | A safety committee |
| Departmental / staff meetings | Regular meetings within a unit | A weekly sales meeting |
| Informal meetings | Short, unplanned discussions | A five-minute huddle at the start of a shift |
| Virtual meetings | Held by video conference | A meeting between Colombo and Jaffna branches |
Running an effective meeting
Steps 1-2 happen before the meeting, 3-5 during it, and 6 after it.
Roles at a meeting
| Role | Duties |
|---|---|
| Chairperson | Opens and closes the meeting, follows the agenda, controls time and discussion, lets everyone speak, sums up decisions |
| Secretary | Prepares and sends the notice and agenda, records the minutes, circulates them, keeps records |
| Members | Read the papers beforehand, arrive on time, contribute, keep to the point, carry out agreed actions |
Example: notice and agenda for a sales meeting
Rizwan Mohamed, Office Administrator of Kumbuk Tea Traders (Pvt) Ltd (a fictional company), Kandy, is secretary of the monthly sales meeting. Prepare the notice and agenda for the meeting on Monday 12 October 2026, step by step.
- Heading: KUMBUK TEA TRADERS (PVT) LTD: NOTICE OF MEETING
- Notice: “The monthly sales meeting will be held on Monday 12 October 2026 at 10.00 a.m. in the Conference Room, Head Office, Kandy.”
- AGENDA: 1. Welcome and apologies for absence
- 2. Confirmation of the minutes of the meeting held on 14 September 2026
- 3. Matters arising from the minutes
- 4. Sales performance for September 2026 (Sales Manager)
- 5. Launch of the tea gift pack for December (Marketing Assistant)
- 6. Any other business
- 7. Date of the next meeting
- Signed: Rizwan Mohamed, Secretary. Date of notice: 5 October 2026.
A notice giving the date, time and venue, followed by a numbered agenda in the standard order: welcome and apologies → previous minutes → matters arising → main items (with who leads each) → any other business → next meeting. Signed and dated by the secretary a week ahead.
Guidelines for the chair
- Hold a meeting only when it is needed; otherwise send an email.
- Invite only the people who must contribute or decide.
- Start and end on time; give each agenda item a time limit.
- State the purpose at the start.
- Follow the agenda; park side issues for later.
- Encourage quiet members and politely control those who dominate.
- Summarise each decision before moving on.
- Close with clear action points: what, who and by when.
- Make sure minutes go out within a few days.
Meetings and conferences
Planning a conference: set the objective and budget; choose the date and venue; book speakers; draw up the programme; send invitations and handle registration; arrange audio-visual equipment, catering and transport; prepare materials; evaluate and follow up.
Companies registered under the Companies Act No. 7 of 2007 hold an annual general meeting (AGM) of shareholders, and their board meetings and AGMs are recorded in formal minutes, which become the company's official record of decisions. Smaller firms use the same disciplines for monthly management meetings.
Essay: “Explain how to plan and conduct an effective business meeting.” Before (purpose, people, notice, agenda), during (chair's role, following the agenda, decisions, action points), after (minutes, follow-up), with a sample agenda.
Short answer: “What is a quorum?” The minimum number of members who must be present for a meeting to be valid and to take decisions.
Structured question: “Distinguish between an agenda and minutes.” The agenda is the list of items sent before the meeting; minutes are the official written record of what was discussed and decided, prepared after it.
Before, during, after: before = notice and agenda; during = chair controls, decisions, actions; after = minutes and follow-up. Agenda = the plan; minutes = the record.