Checklist · free
Townhall or all-hands checklist
A 30-point checklist for a townhall or all-hands, built around the three things that make or break it: questions, timing and technology. It covers pre-submitted questions, live polls, moderation, accessibility and the follow-up.
No sign-up needed.
Who it is for
- Corporate event managers hosting company townhalls
- Internal communications leads who moderate questions
- HR leads who run all-hands for a distributed workforce
How to use it
- Open a question form a week early so leadership can prepare honest answers.
- Assign one moderator who sorts questions into themes and flags duplicates.
- Run a poll in the first ten minutes to start participation.
- Publish answers to the unanswered questions within two working days.
The contents
Before
- Set the purpose and three key messages
- Choose date and time across locations
- Open the question form with a deadline
- Brief leadership on likely hard questions
- Prepare the slide deck with sources
- Plan accessibility: captions, language, contrast
Technology
- Test the stream or room audio
- Test the poll flow on web and app
- Test the question wall and moderation
- Prepare a backup connection
- Prepare a standby moderator
- Check screen sharing and slide advance
Moderation
- Agree rules for questions and tone
- Group questions by theme
- Flag duplicates and combine them
- Prepare a line for questions that cannot be answered
- Keep a list of questions to follow up
During
- Start with a quick poll to warm up
- Keep updates within the time box
- Read questions in full and name the theme
- Ask for a poll on a key decision
- Close with next steps and dates
After
- Share the recording and slides
- Answer unanswered questions within 2 working days
- Share poll and feedback results
- Collect feedback on the format
- Note improvements for the next townhall
Where it has been used
Follows how an annual strategy meet used live polls and a line to leadership, with questions collected before and during the session.
Questions people ask
Should questions be anonymous?
Allow anonymous questions if trust is low, but keep moderation to remove abuse. Tell staff in advance how questions are handled and who sees names, so honesty does not feel risky.
How long should a townhall be?
Sixty to ninety minutes. Keep leadership updates to twenty minutes and give at least half the time to questions. Attention drops sharply when updates run past the planned slot.
How do we include remote staff?
Make polls and questions available on the web as well as in the app, caption the video and keep a recording. Pick a time that works across locations and say it clearly in the invitation.
Want this running inside your event app?
Sociana turns lists like this into live screens, requests and reminders for your guests and your desk. A 20-minute walkthrough shows how.