Why Local City Councils Need Meeting Management Software

We care about clear communication. 

It’s an ethos embedded at the core of our products and essential for effective meeting scenarios of all kinds. 

All of the hand-raising, note-taking, and vote-counting involved in formal meetings can ruin productivity and interfere with public transparency. The versatile functionality of SW6000 Conference Management Software  with Microflex® Complete hardware system makes it easier to run meetings smoothly while adhering to the rules and procedures your organization must follow.

Challenges for City Council Meetings

Agenda management can be an issue for these scenarios, and attendee numbers influence requirements for both microphone hardware and software. It can be difficult to conduct the meeting efficiently so all participants join in the conversation and the chairman can control the meeting’s progress. SW6000 lets you document the agenda, set time limits for different subjects, and keep track of who spoke about which items, making sure that the issues discussed are clear to both participants and citizens.

Managing Meeting Participants 

During the meeting, speakers need to address the elected body rather than the audience. Doing so helps meeting organizers retain control, and an effective conference hardware and software system ensures this communication flows smoothly.

Citizen participation often makes up a proportion of a council meeting agenda. Although the amount of time assigned for input from attendees varies, these sections can be difficult for meeting organizers, especially when sensitive issues or topics are discussed. Limiting the amount of time dedicated to these agenda items can be important to ensure meetings progress as planned. In many instances, councils opt to remotely control the podium microphone so that things don’t get out of hand. SW6000 affords the chairman greater meeting control by allowing them to turn the podium mic on and off or set a timer around use.

Calculating Votes

Another challenge for city councils is voting. The need to accommodate different rules for calculating whether there is a majority and whether the vote passes or not can become complicated quickly. Some councils might require a simple majority, while others a 3/5 majority. Leveraging software to manage and track these outcomes can ensure effective documentation and streamline meeting processes.

Overseeing Heated Debates

If council meetings become heated or highly charged, it is crucial that the sound and recording equipment are of the highest standard to ensure all details are heard and nothing is missed. It’s important for all meeting minutes and reports to be accurate and easily available to participants so any actionable items are shared correctly. Speaker cards can also be helpful in identifying participants and recording their names. 

What SW6000 Provides for City Councils

SW6000 offers meeting organizers extensive voting control, agenda management, microphone control, third party connectivity and more through one user-friendly interface. The robust software streamlines meeting administration and can be uniquely tailored to fit your requirements, enabling you to focus on what you need to achieve: the best, most efficient meeting communication possible. 

How Meeting Management Software Supports Local City Councils

Microflex® Complete Conference System with SW6000 supports the needs of local city councils and other regulatory bodies in fixed or temporary meeting situations across the globe. 

Typically these meetings include ten to fifty participants. Members of the public usually have the right to attend and many will form their opinions of local government from these experiences. 

Therefore, this is a great opportunity for councils and institutions to generate a positive opinion of their services by demonstrating effective efficiency and professionalism. 

How SW6000 Enhances Local City Council Meetings 

Identifies and manages meeting participants 

SW6000 ensures meetings progress as planned by giving organizers greater control over their agenda. Through one easy-to-use interface, you can manage the order of speakers and how much of a meeting is assigned to each participant and agenda item. More efficient meeting administration means agenda items are given the appropriate amount of time for discussion. The software also offers a convenient view of requests to speak and replies to agenda items. 

Offers effective voting solutions

The software can streamline the voting process on any agenda items by configuring with a range of different voting options. This not only provides better quality meeting data to inform next steps, but also helps meeting discussion progress by limiting any delays.  

Generates meeting minutes and actionable items efficiently

Event organizers can generate succinct reports showing attendance, speaker activity, and voting results. This function enhances the accuracy of meeting minutes and reports while also means any actionable items are easily shared with meeting participants.

Provides easy-to-use multi-room scalability

The software is scalable to allow use across multiple rooms as required. It can also help configure information displayed on screens both inside and outside rooms so details are communicated to as many interested parties as possible. 

SW6000 is a perfect tool for use in council meetings, particularly when potentially sensitive topics and issues are to be discussed. Ultimately, the greater meeting control afforded by the software and the more efficient sharing of information not only diffuse any tension but enable organizers to come to decisions and implement required actions effectively. 

Find out more about how Microflex® Complete with SW6000 can enhance your meeting. 

Read more: 

• https://www.shure.com/en-US/conferencing-meetings/ignite/the-challenges-of-av-in-council-spaces
• https://www.shure.com/en-US/conferencing-meetings/ignite/tackling-the-government-sector-the-challenges-and-solutions

Required SKUs to implement:

• SW6000 Conference Meeting Management Software (includes one SW6000-CAA Conference Administrator Application and one SW6000-CUA Conference User Application)*
• SW6000-VOTE Software Enabled Voting
  *Additional licenses available based on staff requirements