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Teleconferencing: A Nice Side to Meeting

October 2, 2009 This week, while writing for a future issue about results of the American Express Business Travel’s Global Business Travel Forecast for 2010, I came across a couple statements in the survey about how businesses are ever hard-pressed to prove the value of travel for their employees and the ROI from their business connections, and how, with travel rates in key segments set to increase next year, travel alternatives like teleconferencing and virtual meeting options underscore these new practices.

A spokeswoman for the report also stated that ROI in travel is more important now than ever.

While it may be true that ROI from any work-related action is under a microscope lately, this is not a new idea.
In fact, I think it’s a dangerous move to instantly link money-saving ROI practices with mobile and Web-based solutions. From what I’ve been reading and hearing all year from industry leaders, you can’t put a price on face-to-face meetings and business dealings.

This especially is true for the tradeshow and meetings industry. 

I think that if companies primarily are focused on cutting costs, like travel, on the front end, the repercussions only can come back to hurt them, whether it be in the form of a reduced connection with a client or in the big picture with a downfall in economic stimulation.

I by no means am an industry expert, but I think webinars and teleconferences as a means to accentuate shows, meetings and business dealings are wonderful, but should not be thought of as taking precedence over face-to-face meetings or as being more worthy of providing ROI.

When speaking of his show, Douglas Sidwell, owner of D&D Productions’ Ag & Construction Expo, nicely summed up the importance of face-to-face versus what could be found online. 

“Folks were more inclined to find stuff on the Internet, but they’ve come to realize that they need to feel the product,” Sidwell said.

Posted by Joalien Johnson on October 2, 2009 | Comments (0)