What is involved in giving a vote of thanks?

A vote of thanks is a brief thank you to a speaker on behalf of the audience. This is not intended to be an extensive speech or analysis of a previous speech.

Reference states that the vote of thanks should not be repetitive of the initial introduction. Instead, this is a loosely prepared statement following the speech. It should last approximately two or three minutes.

The person delivering the vote of thanks must listen carefully to the speech. It is important to not criticize the speech regardless of the personal position taken. In preparation for the vote of thanks, the speaker should observe the audience and determine which parts of the speech were most engaging, notes Reference.com.