A meeting is an organized gathering of two or more people who come together—physically, remotely, or in a hybrid format—to exchange information, make decisions, solve problems, plan activities, or engage in social interaction. Meetings occur in many contexts: workplaces, communities, religious and political organizations, educational settings, and informal social groups. Their formality ranges from a casual conversation at a coffee shop to a structured corporate board meeting with legal requirements.

Characteristics and common elements

Most meetings share a set of basic components that help them achieve their aims. An agenda or purpose clarifies topics to be covered; an organizer or chair facilitates the flow; participants contribute information or opinions; and a record—often called minutes—captures decisions and action items. Meetings may require a quorum (a minimum number of attendees) for formal decisions, use voting or consensus for outcomes, and follow procedures such as parliamentary rules in deliberative bodies.

Types of meetings

  • Formal business meetings: board meetings, shareholder meetings, and committee sessions with fixed agendas and records.
  • Team or project meetings: regular briefings, stand-ups, and project planning sessions focused on coordination and progress.
  • Workshops and training sessions: participatory events designed to build skills or produce deliverables.
  • Conferences and seminars: larger events for information sharing, networking, and presentation of ideas.
  • Social and ceremonial gatherings: parties, celebrations such as a children's birthday party, religious services, and community assemblies.
  • Virtual and hybrid meetings: interactions held by phone, video or online platforms—sometimes described as an online meeting—which introduce distinct etiquette and technical needs.

History and development

Human groups have convened since prehistoric times to coordinate hunting, share news, or resolve disputes. Formalized deliberative gatherings appear throughout recorded history: councils, town meetings, guild assemblies and senates served political, legal and economic purposes. The scale and immediacy of meetings expanded with communication technologies—postal systems, telegraph and telephone—culminating in the modern era of radio, television and the internet, which enabled real-time remote gatherings and large distributed conferences.

Uses, benefits and limitations

Meetings are valuable for aligning teams, making collective decisions, troubleshooting complex problems, and building relationships. They allow participants to clarify expectations, delegate tasks, and monitor progress. However, poorly planned or excessive meetings can waste time and resources. Common criticisms include unclear objectives, lack of preparation, dominance by a few voices, or absence of follow-up on assigned actions. Organizations often measure meeting effectiveness by tangible outcomes and participant satisfaction.

Practical tips and notable distinctions

Effective meetings tend to have a clear purpose, a concise agenda distributed in advance, a defined facilitator, time boundaries, and explicit action items with owners and deadlines. Distinctions often drawn between meeting-related formats are useful: a meeting typically implies direct interaction among attendees; a conference suggests a larger, multi-session event; a seminar emphasizes teaching or discussion; while a workshop focuses on hands-on activity or producing specific outputs.

Understanding these differences and following simple procedural practices improves the chances that a meeting will inform decisions, resolve issues, and produce measurable results rather than merely consume participants' time.