In-person collaboration, technology, and ethics top the agenda for meeting planners reveals IACC’s Meeting Room of the Future 2022 report.
The value and outputs of meeting in-person mean face-to-face meetings remain crucial however, the trend towards smaller hub and spoke format meetings with in-person regional groups connected virtually is here to stay, according to IACC’s Meeting Room of the Future Report 2022.
The report was released recently and was created on behalf of IACC by students from the Hotel Management School of Maastricht using interviews, a survey, and desk-based research.
According to the report, 84% of executives surveyed stated that they see higher team productivity when their employees are meeting in-person, and 78% of respondents are planning on attending an equal number of in-person meetings or even more when COVID-19 is nearing its end.
However, the nature of in-person meetings has altered significantly, with caution related to travel driving more regional meetings, where they were once larger, possibly national or global meetings. Interviewees said that they were comfortable in staging multi-location meetings, where there are live hubs connected together using technology.
The pandemic has brought to the fore the value and importance of human interaction, with this ranking the highest of seven factors when considering attending an in-person meeting, above expanding your network, scheduling, and cost of attending. Collaboration with colleagues is also highly ranked.
Testament to this is the fact that respondents cited teambuilding, training, and problem-solving as the main reasons for bringing people together. On the flip side, status and update meetings are widely regarded as subjects that can be delivered entirely virtually.
The study pinpointed five factors that meeting bookers will be looking for in successful business events in the future: more collaboration between meeting participants; the high quality of technology; a valuable way of communication; and the venues to recommend new innovative ideas.
Moreover, clients are looking for venues that share the same values as their own corporations.
Mark Cooper, CEO of IACC commented: “While the pandemic has shown the ease of attending online meetings, it’s clear from our report that significant value is placed on face-to-face gatherings.”
He stated, “However, the likelihood is that organizations will be more strategic about how and why they bring their teams together. It’s clear that venues need to be investing both in their on-site offer as well as in ensuring they have the appropriate meeting technology to seamlessly connect companies requiring a hybrid meeting model.”
Cooper added, “To deliver against the needs of meeting planners going forward, venues need to consider their ethical and environmental credentials to ensure that they are up to scrutiny and are clearly showcased to potential clients. Quite rightly, these issues are increasingly important decision-making factors for meeting bookers, particularly management of food waste and having a strong diversity program in place.”
Health and wellness factors are also increasingly important, for example, the ability for attendees to gather outside to walk and talk. “Having outdoor meeting possibilities can have many benefits on the work environment and the ambiance between colleagues”, noted one respondent.
IACC’s Meeting Room of the Future initiative reports on insights from meeting professionals, venues, and industry experts from three different continents.
About IACC:
Founded in 1981, IACC is dedicated to representing the best meeting venues globally and is, by definition, the future of the meetings industry realized. The association brings together the brightest, most innovative minds from around the globe. IACC elevates the meeting experience by creating a unique point of entry that is inclusive of the best-in-class meeting venues internationally.
IACC membership is a symbol of meeting excellence and exceptional connections amongst the best in the meeting industry. This exclusiveness makes IACC’s members part of an elite group representing the most innovative, forward-thinking and results-driven meeting venues globally.
All members meet a set of stringent Quality Standards and agree to a Code of Ethics. IACC includes over 400-member conference venues from Australia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Philippines, Malaysia, Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, Wales, Canada, and the United States.
The IACC Mission Statement: “To bring together the brightest industry minds to promote the best meeting venues, which deliver exceptional meeting experiences. There are meetings… And then there are IACC Meetings”.
The IACC Vision: “IACC is a global community of passionate people and organizations delivering innovative and exceptional meeting experiences.
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