Serpent River First Nation – TAP Resources and Bimaadzwin have teamed up to offer virtual meetings, conferences, and online strategic planning spaces for First Nation communities and organizations who want to connect with their membership online. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, it is not safe to meet in large groups. The alternatives are virtual meetings where people can log-in by computer or participate by phone.
“Since the pandemic began, I have participated in dozens of zoom meetings – in fact two or three per day,” said Isadore Day, CEO of Bimaadzwin. “It makes sense, and it is a lot less costly, for First Nation communities to hold their AGMs or community updates online.
“In fact, by holding meetings online, you are able to get out information and get feedback in a matter of several hours at most,” said Mr. Day. “At in-person meetings, sometimes it takes several hours to get everyone to come into the room and seated before the agenda is able to begin. The main advantage of online meetings is that everyone can see who is participating, and also when those people have left the meeting.”
TAP Resources, an Indigenous-owned and operated event management firm, has already become involved in hosting large-scale virtual meetings for Indigenous organizations. “We quickly pivoted to virtual meetings shortly after the pandemic hit,” said Tuesday Johnson-Macdonald, President of TAP. “We have engaged in significant training in order to deliver a high standard of service delivery. In fact, we have come to truly appreciate the creativity and engagement we are able to help our clients incorporate into their meetings.”
The two Indigenous companies combined have a wealth of skills, knowledge, and networks among Indigenous communities and organizations across Turtle Island. TAP is a three-time national award-winning organization. Bimaadzwin has already assisted in organizing three national Indigenous conferences, which includes writing conference reports.
