In reviewing the recent trends regarding electronic and Internet-based governance practices, Virtual AGM Webcast represents an interesting second major step forward in the evolution of online voting. This innovative tool provides the infrastructure for a multi-stage online forum that can be accessed by any number of stakeholders and interested parties at anytime during a given project’s life-cycle.

The virtual AGM Voting also serves as a vehicle through which stakeholders can review and verify stakeholder information that has been submitted in the online forum and at any point in time prior to the planned vote.

To facilitate the provision of stakeholder information, most project managers have opted to create a virtual AGM Webcast where they can address questions or raise issues through a forum available on their Web site.

Questions submitted via the Webcast can be viewed by up to ten thousand people at one time, reducing costs associated with physically having people come to a single location for a face-to-face meeting.

Virtual AGM Webcast allows immediate responses and feedback to issues that are submitted by project stakeholders. Furthermore, it allows for an extended period of discussion to occur before a scheduled vote. This is a useful measure to alleviate the anxiety associated with meeting hours, reducing the costs associated with travel expenses and preventing break-outs of long-awaited discussions that occur after hours.

With the use of a Virtual AGM Webcast, project managers can ensure that stakeholders are able to access, read, and understand stakeholder information submitted in the online forum.

They can also answer questions and discuss issues with other board members using the board chat function provided on the AGM Webcast page. The ability to see and interact with board members while away from the office reduces the need to hire additional staff to physically attend future meetings.