Perfect Planning: Eight Essential Meeting Materials

Suppose you've volunteered to host a meeting for your professional association. Or, perhaps your supervisor has requested that you organize and lead a team meeting for the 10 people in your department. Regardless of your commitment, you should determine which items you require.

While the criteria will depend on the type of meeting and participants, here are eight items you should consider when hosting a meeting:

1. Agenda

When planning a meeting, one of the best places to start is with a meeting agenda. While it's recommended that you provide all participants with a copy prior to the meeting, be sure to have additional copies on hand for the forgetful group members.

2. Signage

Whether or not you require signage for the meeting will depend on the type of event and the message you're trying convey. For instance, if you're hosting a meeting where participants might not be familiar with the location, signage is essential for directing participants to the right room. Once they arrive, having a sign on a large easel or on the meeting-room door will direct participants inside.

To determine which signage you need for your meeting, check out this article on the topic. Hint: Banners and posters are the two most commonly used signage.

3. Sign-in Sheet

Sign-in sheets are not mandatory for all meetings. However, if the purpose of your meeting is for continuing education or government-required training (i.e., sexual harassment, safety), you might need to provide an attendee sign-in sheet.

4. Handouts

In addition to literature, handouts, such as a course outline or a copy of your presentation, can inform attendees about what they can expect during the next hour or so. Also, depending on the purpose of the meeting, you may want to provide informational literature (i.e., pamphlets, brochures) regarding the product or service you're discussing or selling.

5. Presentation

Naturally, one of the most important items to bring to the meeting is your presentation, whether you're using overhead slides or PowerPoint. In addition, make sure the equipment required to display your presentation is in the room and in proper working order. And, as previously mentioned, don't forget to have copies to distribute to attendees; this is especially helpful for taking notes.

6. Flip Chart or White Board

Flip charts are a great way to capture notes that might otherwise be lost in the flurry of brainstorming. Note: If the meeting you're hosting is a training session, they're especially beneficial.

In addition, white boards can be used in conjunction or in place of flip charts, especially for meetings where someone is designated to take notes. An additional benefit to using a white board over a flip chart is that it eliminates paper waste - a good way to go green.

7. Supplies

Keep in mind that most people will arrive with their own writing utensils and paper for note-taking. However, it's smart to err on the side of caution and supply pens, pencils and a small pad of paper for attendees.

8. Meeting-Evaluation Form

Generally, staff, department and business-quarterly meetings don't require evaluation forms. However, if the meeting features a guest speaker or is designed for training or another assessable purpose, you may want to include a meeting-evaluation form.

Need help designing a meeting-evaluation form? Be sure to check out OfficeArrow's extremely beneficial template.