Several weeks ago, I got up at our annual StarCite Global Leadership Symposium and gave my views on meetings trends ahead in 2012 and beyond. One of those trends was: growing use of electronic meetings (webcasting and teleconferencing) -- either as a replacement for non-revenue generating meetings or to boost the effectiveness of in-person events.
Well, I'm glad to read that AirPlus International has just confirmed my predictions. AirPlus interviewed 173 corporate travel buyers in Europe and North America and found that, even as we're climbing out of a travel slump, about 32% said that, over the past year, more virtual meetings have replaced in-person travel. The same percentage said that there are more virtual meetings at their companies but that they are not replacing face-to-face events. Meanwhile about 33% said the volume has remained the same.
But are those electronic events as successful as in-person meetings? That's a question that I never tire of asking. According to AirPlus, there is ambivalence out there when it comes to this issue. Sixty-eight percent said that remote conferencing is only "sometimes" as effective as meeting in person.
Meanwhile, about 21% said remote conferencing was either never or rarely as effective as meeting in person. As I've said before in this blog, telepresence, teleconferencing, web meetings and other remote conferencing methods are all extremely valuable tools that meeting managers can use to keep costs down and extend the reach of their meetings programs. Yes, we'll see some companies increasingly rely on them to keep in touch with
employees, salespeople and others. But they are no means a replacement for in-person events, especially with clients and prospective customers -- where the nuances of body language, facial expressions and good old-fashioned human-to-human contact can go miles toward solidifying bonds and business.
AirPlus's findings bear this out. Thanks, AirPlus, for keeping tabs on this and other important trends.