Client

The Branchevereniging Maatschappelijke Kinderopvang (BMK) works to raise the quality of childcare centers in the Netherlands and strives to make childcare affordable for everyone. 

The new way of meeting: from online to hybrid

Like every other trade association, the BMK is legally required to hold a general members’ meeting (ALV) at least once a year. The partnership between the BMK and Valo began during the lockdowns, when physical meetings could not take place and Valo livestreamed the general assemblies online for them. 

Now that physical gatherings can be organized again, the BMK has deliberately chosen to keep offering its general assembly as a hybrid meeting. This means members can take part either in person or online. The BMK found that online meetings ran more efficiently than physical meetings, and that member turnout was higher. Valo has since facilitated several meetings for the BMK, covering every kind of online and hybrid event. 

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Hybrid meeting studio setting
Final preparations for an online general assembly broadcast

More efficient meetings with an online or hybrid format

The agenda items and documents were made available ahead of the meetings, which allowed everyone to move through the meetings smoothly. Members could ask questions via the chat, which the table host answered organically. Some questions were discussed with the whole meeting, while others were already answered in the chat along the way. As a result, questions were handled effectively and the meetings became a lot shorter. 

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Behind-the-scenes photo of a hybrid general assembly meeting
Behind the scenes at a hybrid general assembly

Chosen platform: Online ALV 

Valo advised the BMK on possible software for the general assembly livestream, and the final choice was the Online ALV platform. We also used this platform to organize the voting rounds for the meetings. Voting on the submitted documents is an important part of every general assembly, and for the BMK we did this entirely online. The advantage: the outcome is visible immediately after the voting round.

The BMK ran the presentations themselves and had also arranged an entertainment act, which made the meetings feel just like a live TV broadcast.

Valo provided

  • Advice on a suitable livestreaming platform with legal voting

  • Project management and monitoring of the preparations

  • Dressing the studio with lighting

  • Switching the video feed between remote speakers who dialed in

  • Support in setting up the platform, including uploading policy documents, secure login and voting

  • The option to vote online for people who were physically present in the room

  • Guidance in broadcasting the meeting as a TV program, using humor and showing videos to make the meeting more dynamic

  • Internet connection guarantee: broadcast via 4G

Results

The switch from physical to online and hybrid meetings led to positive reactions from members and a higher participation rate. Not only was it more convenient for members, the meetings themselves also became a lot more efficient. 

Price indication

For livestreaming an online general assembly, expect a price of €4,000 to €6,000, depending on the lighting requirements and the platform chosen. The price indication for a hybrid event is slightly higher.

Working with the professionals at Valo is like working with family. I can rely on them completely. They make sure it looks good on camera, sounds great, and that the content of my presentation comes across to the guests live in the ‘studio’ and to the viewers online. With Valo behind the controls, I don’t have to worry about a thing, and they keep developing, so there is always a new feature we can use to keep surprising our guests/viewers.

Richard van Dam
Board Secretary, Branchevereniging Maatschappelijke Kinderopvang