COVER STORY – JSE
JSE’s virtual meeting service offering meets evolving market needs President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to tighten Covid-19 regulations at the end of May, aimed at averting the further spread of Covid-19, is additional confirmation that the “new normal” of virtual business meetings are now the norm.
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n response to the restrictions and social distancing measures introduced early last year, for safety and convenience, most companies have adopted virtual platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. This makes it easier for people to gather online or work remotely in the safety and comfort of their homes. Companies and the eventing industry have also come up with ways to integrate virtual events and face-to-face engagement. These hybrid experiences, according to some industry experts, will become the event industry’s mainstay. Marco Giberti, co-author for the new book, Reinventing Live, recently told Forbes Magazine that “this trend will facilitate and accelerate hybrid events and a new generation
6 Business Events Africa June 2021
of face-to-face event experiences.” One of the main drivers for companies to use virtual meetings is that they save time and money, enabling them to slash travel budgets and other related operational costs. Hybrid events offer the flexibility to deliver staff training and host client meetings, and sensitive events such as Annual General Meetings (AGMs). Since the introduction of South Africa’s national lockdown last year, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), launched virtual meetings and events. The JSE, through its service provider, The Meeting Specialist (TMS), provides a quick, secure and accurate technologybased shareholder meeting solution. TMS has deployed the Zoom and GoToWebinar platforms that cater for up to fifty people for smaller, intimate
meetings and more than five hundred people – suitable for AGMs, respectively. “The response from the market is heartening,” said Feroza Naidoo, acting manager: Issuer Services at the JSE. “The uptake for virtual meetings and webinars has soared to fifty per cent and indications are that the demand will continue to increase,” she added. “We fully understand our clients’ need for security, auditable recordkeeping and convenience. The platform is adaptable, scalable and may be branded in line with a client’s corporate identity,” Ms Naidoo explained. There is a voting capability built in at the backend of the platform, enabling participants to see votes for AGM resolutions in real-time. Live votes are cast during the meeting,
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