The River Terraces I at Greystone Village is a recently built condominium built in the heart of the master-planned community developed by Regional Group in Ottawa. With beautiful units, a wide variety of amenities, vibrant atmosphere, and central location, it has become a popular choice for a wide demographic.

The challenge

Like all newly built condominiums, The River Terraces I needed to hold their Turnover Meeting after the threshold for units closed was surpassed. It’s a legal requirement, and critical business like choosing the first owner elected Board of Directors had to be conducted. Being in the middle of a pandemic, gathering everyone together was simply not an option. That meant they needed a way to hold their meeting electronically.

However, there were still owners who lacked the technological know-how or necessities for participating in a virtual AGM. In some cases, owners had not yet set up the Internet in their new units. The River Terraces I had attempted to hold a meeting over Zoom, but it was unfortunately not successful.

The solution

Val Khomenko, a seasoned Condominium Manager at Regional Group, had successfully worked with GetQuorum at other buildings in the past. He had the experience and knew that a virtual AGM would be a great way to take on this challenge.

Thankfully, the property was managed by Regional’s Property Management Team. Regional has over 60 years in business and has always been a leader in adopting technology to provide the residents they serve with the best possible experience. So, the connection with GetQuorum was a perfect fit.

As the two groups got together, it became clear that running the meeting entirely virtually would not be the best path. There were the owners who didn’t have the technical capacity, and the group simply didn’t want to be tied to one option. That meant that a hybrid solution was needed.

This hybrid solution involves conducting the majority of the meeting virtually, with a small number of physically-distanced owners getting together in a location to observe and participate. Virtual participants were able to follow along on a video conference and submit their votes electronically without having to leave the comfort of their homes. Physical participants followed the same presentation and were then able to vote in person as they wished.

The result

The meeting was a 100% success. The minute takers computer was broadcast so that all participants could see what was currently happening. The individuals who attended in person were able to follow along, and just like they wanted, vote with paper ballots.

Perhaps the largest challenge occurred when one owner was having trouble with a Zoom video conferencing update. However, Josh Kardish, VP of EQ Homes, builder and Regional affiliate company, was on hand and was able to save the day. He got the location of the resident with the issue, and personally delivered an iPad with functioning Zoom so that the owner could participate.

“We were happy to work with Get Quorum on this project.  There were some unique challenges facing us, and we are very pleased we chose the right team to come up with a solution.  We are looking forward to our next collaboration.”’ – Val Khomenko, Principal Condominium Manager, Regional Group.

Feedback from owners was resoundingly positive, with both digital and physical participants enjoying the process. Moving forward, both GetQuorum and Regional look forward to working together to innovate and provide their owners with the best possible experience.

If you’re interested in hybrid or Hosted Virtual AGMs from GetQuorum, get in touch today.