Separating meeting documents from public conference materials
The AGM papers, the conference programme and the sponsor brochure are all sitting in the same shared folder.
The short answer
AGM papers belong to the association's members and officers: notice, agenda, previous minutes, reports, accounts, resolutions. Conference materials are meant for delegates and the public: programme, speaker information, sponsor and venue details.
Keep them in separate places with named owners, and let the secretary decide what the AGM papers may contain, who receives them and when.
Why the separation matters
Papers prepared for members can include draft resolutions, financial statements or discussion of officers. A public conference page, a delegate bag or a shared event app can expose them to people who were never meant to see them.
The reverse also happens: a conference slide deck ends up in the AGM pack and confuses what the members are being asked to approve.
Sorting the documents
| Document | Type | Who may receive it | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notice and agenda | AGM paper | Members as the constitution requires | Secretary |
| Previous minutes, officer and financial reports | AGM paper | Members; confirm whether guests may see them | Secretary |
| Resolution texts and proxy form | AGM paper | Members; confirm distribution route | Secretary |
| Conference programme and speaker information | Public | Delegates and public | Event team |
| Sponsor and exhibitor material | Public | Delegates and public | Event team, with association approval |
| Delegate list | Restricted | Only as the association allows; see privacy | Association |
| Run sheet and venue instructions | Internal | Organising team and suppliers | Event team |
A sequence for setting up the separation
- List every document likely to exist around the AGM and conference, including slides, forms and signage.
- Ask the secretary to label each one as AGM paper, public, restricted or internal.
- Create separate folders, or separate platforms, with access set by label and owner.
- Agree how AGM papers reach members: by email, a members' portal or at the desk, as the association decides.
- Check the conference app, website and delegate bags for any AGM papers before they go out.
- After the meeting, hand AGM papers to the association; archive public materials on the event side.
Pitfalls
- One shared folder for everything, with open link access.
- Putting the agenda and resolutions in the delegate bag.
- Showing AGM slides on the public livestream or event app.
- Leaving drafts in the folder after the final versions are sent.
Worked example · Fictional example
A fictional association separates its folders
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
The Persatuan Fiktif Jurutera Kimia keeps 31 documents for its combined AGM and conference. The secretary labels nine as AGM papers, six as restricted and the rest as public or internal.
The event team creates three folders. The AGM folder has two editors and no public link. The conference app carries only the public folder. A reviewer checks the delegate bag contents the day before and removes a printed financial summary that was meant only for members.
Use this yourself
Document register and release rules
Copy the rows into a sheet and complete them with the secretary before documents are shared.
- Document name and version:
- Label: AGM paper, public, restricted or internal:
- Owner (who edits and approves):
- Who may receive it, and when (as set by the secretary):
- Distribution route (email, members' portal, desk, print):
- Where stored, and who has access:
- Check before release: who reviewed, date:
- After the meeting: hand to association or archive, date:
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- Few documents and one person keeps them all.
- The AGM and conference are separate events with separate folders already.
- The secretary reviews each document before release.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- The AGM is inside a public programme with an app, livestream or printed delegate materials.
- Several committees and suppliers handle documents.
- Previous AGMs have leaked papers or distributed the wrong version.
Want a document plan the whole team can follow?
A conference project lead can build the register with your secretary, set up folders and release checks, and coordinate who proofs delegate bags, apps and screens. What the AGM papers contain, and who may see them, remains your association's decision. Record owners in a responsibility matrix.
Questions organisers ask
Can the conference app show the AGM agenda?
Only if the secretary has agreed it. Many associations send AGM papers by their own route and keep the app to public information.
Should sponsors see AGM papers?
That is for the association to decide. By default, keep sponsor access to the public materials folder.
Who keeps the AGM papers afterwards?
The association. See handing records back.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.