An annual general meeting (commonly abbreviated as AGM, also known as the annual meeting) is a meeting

Meeting

In a meeting, two or more people come together to discuss one or more topics, often in a formal setting.- Definitions :An act or process of coming together as an assembly for a common purpose....

 that official bodies, and associations

Voluntary association

A voluntary association or union is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement as volunteers to form a body to accomplish a purpose.Strictly speaking, in many jurisdictions no formalities are necessary to start an association...

 involving the public

Public

In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...

 (including companies with shareholder

Shareholder

A shareholder or stockholder is an individual or institution that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a public or private corporation. Shareholders own the stock, but not the corporation itself ....

s), are often required by law

Law

Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...

 (or the constitution

Constitution

A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...

, charter

Charter

A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...

, by-laws etc. governing the body) to hold. An AGM is held every year to elect the board of directors

Board of directors

A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...

 and inform their members of previous and future activities. It is an opportunity for the shareholders and partners to receive copies of the company's accounts as well as reviewing fiscal information for the past year and asking any questions regarding the directions the business will take in the future.

Public companies in the United States

Every state requires public companies incorporated within it to hold an annual general meeting of shareholders to elect the Board of Directors and transact other business that requires shareholder approval. Notice of the annual general meeting must be in writing and is subject to a minimum notice period that varies by state. In 2007, the Securities and Exchange Commission voted to require all public companies to make their annual meeting materials available online. The final rules required compliance by large accelerated filers beginning on January 1, 2008, and by all other filers beginning on January 1, 2009. The "e-proxy" rules allow two methods for companies to deliver their proxy materials, the "notice only" option or the "full set" option. Under the notice only option, the company must post all of its proxy materials on a website, and send shareholders a notice that the materials are available online. This notice must be mailed at least 40 calendar days before the shareholder meeting.

Private companies in Great Britain

In Great Britain it became optional with effect from 1 October 2007 for any private company to hold an AGM, unless its articles of association specifically require it to do so.

Attending the general meeting

• President or Chairman (who chairs the meeting)
• Secretary (who prepares the minutes
  Minutes
  Minutes, also known as protocols, are the instant written record of a meeting or hearing. They typically describe the events of the meeting, starting with a list of attendees, a statement of the issues considered by the participants, and related responses or decisions for the issues.Minutes may be...
  
  )
• Recount clerk (who reviews the stock ledger)