Ever heard of a town hall meeting ? The first Town Halls were held by the Greeks a few thousand years ago as a way to provide citizens with a voice and a role in government. 

In this modern day era, the principle of a Town Hall remains the same: participation. It should be an event, not a series of presentations. Every Town Hall should be planned not just as a way to share information but as an engaging experience. 

Town Hall, or as some companies call them, all hands, are whole-of-company events that are usually run by the chief executive officer or a senior member of the executive. Unlike results briefings or company announcements, the audience is all staff — hence the name ‘All Hands’. 

Importantly, news regarding the company is shared by the CEO or executive team, awards are sometimes given to employees who have gone above and beyond in the period since the previous meeting, and anyone at the company can ask the CEO or the executive team a question……although not all companies will do this ! 

All hands generally put more emphasis on the executive presentation, while with Town Halls the ability for employees to ask questions may be considered paramount. 

These meetings are held in-person for smaller companies, and for larger companies with multiple locations or remote workers, they may be live-streamed or broadcast over online platforms and recorded for distribution to ensure everyone is included. 

Confidential information may be shared with the audience — and most companies prefer it stays confidential — so it’s important the required cultural, contractual and technical building-blocks are in place to facilitate the open two-way flow of information. 

The mix of product tends to be more audio orientated to allow everyone at the meeting to hear the speaker(s).