Town halls don't have to be reserved for political purposes -- and they don't have to be in-person events held in large halls.
Some examples:
- A business might hold a town hall meeting with all its workers to discuss an issue.
- A union could schedule one to decide whether to accept a contract or go on strike.
- An organization might invite its stakeholders to a town hall.
- A rock band or theater troupe could have a town hall to discuss whether to keep practicing, go on tour -- or break up.
There's also a variety of formats for town halls.
1) Traditional
These are face-to-face events in a large meeting space.
2) Tele-town hall
Many members of Congress and other public figures are experimenting with telephone town halls, where every citizen they represent gets a phone call and is invited to ask questions, live, of their representative.
3) Electronic town hall
There are websites and software that allow for live chat sessions, or video and audio. This is useful to bring together people scattered around the country or people separated by oceans.