Whether you're an individual, a group of concerned citizens, or the head of an HOA, we can guide you through setting up and hosting an effective town hall meeting. No matter where you're hosting your meeting, there are some consistencies that will lead to a more effective and productive use of everyone’s time. We've broken down these concepts into three main areas: Before, During, and After the meeting.

A list of discussion topics is available at the bottom of this page.

before the Meeting

• Create — and stick to — an agenda.
• Identify a strong moderator. This person needs to have a good grasp of the subject matter, and demonstrate the ability to keep the conversation on topic.
• Hold a pre-meeting with the moderator and other key participants/panelists to discuss potential questions or problems and how to most effectively respond. Also use this time to make sure everyone is comfortable with whatever technology is being used.
• Encourage attendees to submit questions ahead of time.
• Create a list of questions that will spark dialogue, collecting feedback and input, .

During the Meeting

• Welcome attendees and thank them for participating.
• Introduce the moderator, as well as other representatives who will be responding to questions.
• Make the agenda available to everyone.
• Explain the main purpose for the gathering.
• Be clear about the length of the meeting. (Have a pre-determined end time.)
• If you noticed common themes among the questions submitted in advance, open the meeting by responding to those first.
• As needed, remind people of the ground rules. Make sure as many people as possible have the opportunity to have their voice heard. Don’t let a “vocal minority” dominate the conversation.
• Pay attention to answers and ask probing follow-up questions to continue the conversation.
• If a topic requires a more in-depth discussion — particularly if it only impacts a small group of people — offer to take it offline to avoid dominating the discussion.
• Take detailed notes about issues that require follow up.

After the Meeting

• Assign follow-up responsibilities and deadlines to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.
• Create a public wiki or some other tool for people to continue asking questions and providing feedback.
• Thank participants for joining in the conversation.
• Communicate to attendees when ideas from the meeting are implemented.

Educational Resources

educate yourself and your NEIGHBORS

A great way to start your town hall meeting is by using the documents below as topics of conversation. Download and print out these documents for your attendees.

Improving Air Quality with Mute Wall

See How the Mute Wall System provides superior air quality to surrounding neighborhoods, schools and businesses.

Reducing Noise Pollution with Mute Wall

See How the Mute Wall System provides superior noise reduction to surrounding neighborhoods, schools and businesses.