Meetings dominate business life in America today. According to the National Statistics
Council, 37 percent of employee time is spent in meetings. Other data indicate there are 11
million business meetings each and every day.
Meetings come in all shapes and sizes and are held for an infinite variety of reasons: to
brainstorm, sell, negotiate, inform, brief, present, collaborate, and strategize, to name just a
few. They take place in the office, across town, across the country, and around the globe -
whether in person, by phone, or by videoconference.
Leadership Attributes What Can We Expect in Our Dynamic Global Economy?Kevin Carter
This document summarizes a 2011 women's leadership conference titled "Go Where There Be Dragons" focused on leadership essentials for 2020 and beyond. The conference was presented by Sophia A. Muirhead of The Conference Board, Inc. on April 13, 2011. It discusses the need for leadership correction, calibration, and change due to increasing business complexity, globalization, and other trends. A key theme is that developing talent and addressing human capital risks should be a top priority for organizations.
Transcending the depiction of market and non-market labour practices; implica...Degrowth Conference
This document discusses community engagement and its implications for de-growth. It summarizes a presentation that moves beyond depictions of formal vs informal labor and explores a spectrum of community engagement, including both paid and unpaid forms. It proposes a "Total Social Organization of Labour" approach that recognizes the complex and varied ways people participate in their communities. This framework could help rethink economic spaces and imagine alternative economic futures beyond traditional binary models.
The ABC’s of Webinars
~Learn the Basics from Delivery to Promoting
Webinars have become a universal method for delivering education & training programs as well as generating sales leads – and you need to know how they work and what is involved in making them a success.
Learn How to Generate Quality Sales Leads ~ Using Webinars
Webinars are a low cost way to generate qualified sales leads. Delivered as educational marketing, they also position you as an authority in your field, creating respect and instilling trust in your audience. Bottom line, it gives your sales efforts a running start.
Get your sales people closing rather than cold calling. Focusing on prospects with a declared interest will allow them to increase their customer acquisition rate by up to 300%.
What You Will Learn:
What is a webinar is and how it works
The steps required to host a webinar
Options for reducing your effort
Tips to fix your cost per lead
This 10-step guide provides organizations with a structured approach to successfully integrating virtual meetings into their business culture and meeting practices. The steps include analyzing current needs and travel costs, gaining management commitment and resources, establishing a multidisciplinary workgroup, identifying virtual meeting needs, mapping technical infrastructure, selecting appropriate equipment, establishing routines and procedures, appointing staff, informing employees, and following up on results. Implementing virtual meetings can help reduce costs, increase efficiency, lessen employee stress, and reduce environmental impact through decreased business travel.
This document discusses optimizing video conferencing solutions for meetings with onsite and remote participants. It argues that while video conferencing is useful for connecting remote workers, it is not well-suited for collaboration in meetings. Specifically, using video conferencing for in-room meetings is inefficient and limits collaboration compared to technologies designed for sharing content and collaborating. It recommends that organizations invest more in collaboration technologies and integrate them with video conferencing to better serve all meeting participants.
Telepresence systems can provide several key business benefits:
1) They boost employee productivity by reducing travel time and costs, enabling real-time communication, and allowing flexible work arrangements.
2) Telepresence can increase employee retention rates by supporting flexible workstyles that are highly valued by employees.
3) By reducing business travel, telepresence can significantly decrease a company's carbon footprint and environmental impact.
4) Telepresence streamlines cross-cultural communication and international business relations by facilitating more natural face-to-face style meetings remotely.
5) Significant cost savings can be realized through large reductions in business travel costs, such as flights, hotels, meals, and commute times, that are replaced with telepresence meetings
Yorktel Whitepaper: Save Money, Leverage Time Return on Engagement Using Coll...Melissa Luongo
By Ron Gaboury CEO
We have become a society where information is received multiple ways simultaneously. Media simultaneously has “talking heads,” visual data, social media and graphics at the bottom of the screen; accessible everywhere. Younger generations expect this constant video flow as the norm. Can this backfire? How do we use it to our advantage instead of giving in to ‘information overload’? It is time to develop a strategy to better engage people by effectively using collaboration and visual tools. Here we discuss how to shift the ever-common business meeting into a collaborative session that not only boosts productivity, but nurtures your “soft assets” and promotes a measurement far more important than ROI—your ROE (return on engagement).
Leadership Attributes What Can We Expect in Our Dynamic Global Economy?Kevin Carter
This document summarizes a 2011 women's leadership conference titled "Go Where There Be Dragons" focused on leadership essentials for 2020 and beyond. The conference was presented by Sophia A. Muirhead of The Conference Board, Inc. on April 13, 2011. It discusses the need for leadership correction, calibration, and change due to increasing business complexity, globalization, and other trends. A key theme is that developing talent and addressing human capital risks should be a top priority for organizations.
Transcending the depiction of market and non-market labour practices; implica...Degrowth Conference
This document discusses community engagement and its implications for de-growth. It summarizes a presentation that moves beyond depictions of formal vs informal labor and explores a spectrum of community engagement, including both paid and unpaid forms. It proposes a "Total Social Organization of Labour" approach that recognizes the complex and varied ways people participate in their communities. This framework could help rethink economic spaces and imagine alternative economic futures beyond traditional binary models.
The ABC’s of Webinars
~Learn the Basics from Delivery to Promoting
Webinars have become a universal method for delivering education & training programs as well as generating sales leads – and you need to know how they work and what is involved in making them a success.
Learn How to Generate Quality Sales Leads ~ Using Webinars
Webinars are a low cost way to generate qualified sales leads. Delivered as educational marketing, they also position you as an authority in your field, creating respect and instilling trust in your audience. Bottom line, it gives your sales efforts a running start.
Get your sales people closing rather than cold calling. Focusing on prospects with a declared interest will allow them to increase their customer acquisition rate by up to 300%.
What You Will Learn:
What is a webinar is and how it works
The steps required to host a webinar
Options for reducing your effort
Tips to fix your cost per lead
This 10-step guide provides organizations with a structured approach to successfully integrating virtual meetings into their business culture and meeting practices. The steps include analyzing current needs and travel costs, gaining management commitment and resources, establishing a multidisciplinary workgroup, identifying virtual meeting needs, mapping technical infrastructure, selecting appropriate equipment, establishing routines and procedures, appointing staff, informing employees, and following up on results. Implementing virtual meetings can help reduce costs, increase efficiency, lessen employee stress, and reduce environmental impact through decreased business travel.
This document discusses optimizing video conferencing solutions for meetings with onsite and remote participants. It argues that while video conferencing is useful for connecting remote workers, it is not well-suited for collaboration in meetings. Specifically, using video conferencing for in-room meetings is inefficient and limits collaboration compared to technologies designed for sharing content and collaborating. It recommends that organizations invest more in collaboration technologies and integrate them with video conferencing to better serve all meeting participants.
Telepresence systems can provide several key business benefits:
1) They boost employee productivity by reducing travel time and costs, enabling real-time communication, and allowing flexible work arrangements.
2) Telepresence can increase employee retention rates by supporting flexible workstyles that are highly valued by employees.
3) By reducing business travel, telepresence can significantly decrease a company's carbon footprint and environmental impact.
4) Telepresence streamlines cross-cultural communication and international business relations by facilitating more natural face-to-face style meetings remotely.
5) Significant cost savings can be realized through large reductions in business travel costs, such as flights, hotels, meals, and commute times, that are replaced with telepresence meetings
Yorktel Whitepaper: Save Money, Leverage Time Return on Engagement Using Coll...Melissa Luongo
By Ron Gaboury CEO
We have become a society where information is received multiple ways simultaneously. Media simultaneously has “talking heads,” visual data, social media and graphics at the bottom of the screen; accessible everywhere. Younger generations expect this constant video flow as the norm. Can this backfire? How do we use it to our advantage instead of giving in to ‘information overload’? It is time to develop a strategy to better engage people by effectively using collaboration and visual tools. Here we discuss how to shift the ever-common business meeting into a collaborative session that not only boosts productivity, but nurtures your “soft assets” and promotes a measurement far more important than ROI—your ROE (return on engagement).
This document discusses a case study on implementing virtual meetings and video conferencing in organizations. It examines whether business travel will be necessary in the future or become outdated due to virtual options. It also compares telepresence and video conferencing, noting telepresence provides a more "in-person" experience but at a much higher cost. The document evaluates how video conferencing provides value to businesses through improved communication and considers if it constitutes smart management. It also discusses factors a small business should consider when deciding whether to implement video conferencing.
In today’s business environment, Video conferencing is much more important than ever to build strong relationships with partners, suppliers, internal teams, investors and customers is more important than ever.
BT Conferencing provides efficient audio, web, and video conferencing services to reduce costs and carbon emissions while improving productivity and collaboration. Conferencing allows meetings to be held without physical travel, saving money on transportation while maintaining interactivity. Customers report significant savings on travel costs and time through using BT's conferencing tools, which range from audio-only calls to full video conferences. The costs for audio and web conferencing start at around 6 pence and 11 pence per minute per participant respectively, while video conferencing costs vary depending on needs but provide face-to-face interaction without travel.
The document provides an 8-step guide to understanding the possibilities of video conferencing. It discusses how video conferencing can change the way people communicate by saving costs and improving productivity. It encourages readers to imagine how their organization could use video conferencing across different departments like executives, sales, HR, R&D, and more. The guide also discusses calculating return on investment and outlines the essential video components and elements of an end-to-end video conferencing solution.
Meetings are Serious Business: How to Minimize Costs, Maximize Value and Mast...T Harris
Poorly run meetings create more problems than just wasted time and money; they undermine a team’s basic ability to work together toward a shared goal.
In today’s world, we strive to achieve unprecedented levels of productivity with nite resources. This book explores the impact of meetings on your company’s capacity to achieve, and provides tips to help you evaluate and improve those meetings.
Meetings are an important but costly part of running a business. It is important to properly evaluate the costs and benefits of meetings. The largest cost is usually employee time rather than expenses like facilities or software. Companies should calculate the cost of employee time spent in meetings and consider opportunity costs of other productive activities they could be doing instead. Regularly evaluating meetings using a "gut check" can help determine if they are necessary. Poorly run meetings undermine company culture and success while effective meetings that are focused and include the right people can have significant benefits.
Steljes Productive Video & Data ConferencingGordon Rimmer
Working with some of the world’s leading technology innovators, Steljes has developed the Business Productivity Suite to help you change the way you work for real and lasting benefit. The Business Productivity Suite comprises of the cream of today’s productivity technology, under one roof, designed to address five focus areas that businesses tell us they need to make more efficient: meetings, video and data conferencing, workspaces and flexible working, training and marketing and communications.
Recruiting Without Boundaries – How Video Can Bridge the Distance Between You...BlueJeans Network
In a job seeker's market, many businesses find they need to look well outside of their local market to recruit the talent they need to succeed. This strategy puts HR teams under pressure to make meaningful connections with all potential hires and employees, near and far, while also keeping costs in check. High-quality videoconferencing is one solution—and this eBook outlines several ways the technology can make HR's job easier.
As your organization expands internationally, the complexity of your operations will increase. Payroll and expenses are no exception. Processing multinational payrolls, paying employees on time, managing expense reporting, tracking vacation time and complying with local regulations can leave room for error and potential exposure to significant compliance penalties.
This document discusses the problems caused by weak online conferencing solutions for businesses. It identifies four main problems: 1) poor audio quality, 2) unreliable systems, 3) solutions that are difficult to join and use, and 4) lack of support. It then discusses the risks and costs of weak conferencing to IT departments, including issues with security, administration, and support. Finally, it outlines the risks and costs to the rest of the business, including negative impacts to sales, support, marketing, and internal projects. The document advocates for investing in a higher quality online conferencing system to avoid these problems and costs.
The Executive's Guide to High Definition Video ConferencingVideoguy
This document provides an executive summary on the benefits of high definition video conferencing. It finds that organizations that extensively use video conferencing have higher business performance in terms of revenues, customer satisfaction, and employee satisfaction. Video conferencing also saves time compared to face-to-face meetings by being on average 13 minutes shorter. For a successful implementation, the critical factors are adoption by employees, ensuring accessibility, and providing high quality.
The document discusses the benefits of video conferencing for businesses compared to travel. It notes that the average domestic business trip costs $1,002 while an international trip costs $3,452. Video conferencing allows face-to-face meetings anywhere without travel costs. One architecture firm saved over $440,000 on travel in a year using video conferencing. It also enables faster communication compared to travel times for flights and by car.
With CWT Meetings, you gain access to meetings professionals, people who have the expertise needed to help you with all your sourcing and logistics needs. Our team of experts can help you avoid common pitfalls of unmanaged meeting programs—things like contract penalties or attrition fees, logistics problems and frustrated attendees. And you choose the level of support you need: we can help with all meetings your company holds or just the ones you want us to, or even just assist with a single step in your process.
Converting physical customer meetings into virtual meetings that achieve the same or better effect requires more than a teleconferencing solution. Sales reps and account managers need to fundamentally rethink their interactions, and Marketing needs to be empowered to support the new way of working.
The virtual sales experience is the new battlefield. What separates the winners from the rest is their ability to embed value in every interaction with customers and truly engage with them in the digital field.
3GSP is a webconferencing solution that is easy to use, integrated, and reliable. It allows groups to share documents and talk virtually, making remote work as easy as an in-person meeting. 3GSP aims to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and lower environmental impacts through virtual meetings. It offers high quality audio and video with no installation needed.
STOP THE MEETING MADNESS HOW TO FREE UP TIME FOR ME.docxwhitneyleman54422
STOP
THE
MEETING
MADNESS
HOW TO FREE UP TIME FOR
MEANINGFUL WORK
BY LESLIE A. PERLOW, CONSTANCE NOONAN HADLEY, AND EUNICE EUN
SHARE THIS ARTICLE. HBR LINK MAKES IT EASY.
SEE PAGE 41 FOR INSTRUCTIONS.
FEATURE STOP THE MEETING MADNESS
62 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW JULY–AUGUST 2017
EL
EN
A
K
U
LI
KO
VA
/G
ET
TY
IM
A
G
ES
JULY–AUGUST 2017 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW 63
P
Poking fun at meetings is the stuff of Dilbert car-
toons—we can all joke about how soul-sucking and
painful they are. But that pain has real consequences
for teams and organizations. In our interviews with
hundreds of executives, in fields ranging from high
tech and retail to pharmaceuticals and consulting,
many said they felt overwhelmed by their meetings—
whether formal or informal, traditional or agile, face-
to-face or electronically mediated. One said, “I cannot
get my head above water to breathe during the week.”
Another described stabbing her leg with a pencil to
stop from screaming during a particularly torturous
staff meeting. Such complaints are supported by re-
search showing that meetings have increased in length
and frequency over the past 50 years, to the point
where executives spend an average of nearly 23 hours
a week in them, up from less than 10 hours in the
1960s. And that doesn’t even include all the impromptu
gatherings that don’t make it onto the schedule.
Much has been written about this problem, but the
solutions posed are usually discrete: Establish a clear
agenda, hold your meeting standing up, delegate
someone to attend in your place, and so on. We’ve
observed in our research and consulting that real im-
provement requires systemic change, because meet-
ings affect how people collaborate and how they get
their own work done.
Yet change of such scope is rarely considered. When
we probed into why people put up with the strain that
meetings place on their time and sanity, we found
something surprising: Those who resent and dread
meetings the most also defend them as a “necessary
evil”—sometimes with great passion. Consider this
excerpt from the corporate blog of a senior executive
in the pharmaceutical industry:
I believe that our abundance of meetings at our
company is the Cultural Tax we pay for the inclusive,
learning environment that we want to foster…
and I’m ok with that. If the alternative to more
meetings is more autocratic decision-making, less
input from all levels throughout the organization,
and fewer opportunities to ensure alignment and
communication by personal interaction, then give
me more meetings any time!
To be sure, meetings are essential for enabling col-
laboration, creativity, and innovation. They often foster
relationships and ensure proper information exchange.
They provide real benefits. But why would anyone ar-
gue in defense of excessive meetings, especially when
no one likes them much?
Because executives want to be good soldiers. When
they sacrifice their own .
Davinci Meeting Rooms offers over 4,000 meeting rooms in more than 1,100 locations across 30 countries. The document discusses why rented meeting rooms are useful for businesses, as they provide fully equipped spaces for meetings and events without the high costs of owning permanent office space. It outlines different scenarios where meeting rooms are preferable to other options like hotels or cafes. The document also provides tips for selecting meeting rooms, including checking for technologies, services, and amenities. Overall, the document promotes Davinci Meeting Rooms as a solution for businesses to host meetings, events, and training sessions.
Business Situation
Research reveals that it takes 7 iterations of going back and forth to fix a single meeting! The time spent and efforts expended when converted in terms of productivity are a huge loss. So is there anything that is as good as the Outlook calendar, if not better, made online and cost-effective at the same time? How can you increase meetings with your customers and prospects at B2B events by 30% or more? These were the posers presented by the client in search of a custom solution that would solve these problems.
IMPROVING RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH WEB CONFERENCINGVideoguy
The document discusses how web conferencing can help improve relationships by enabling frequent, meaningful interactions between businesses and their customers, employees, and partners. It notes that web conferencing reduces costs compared to travel while providing many of the same collaboration benefits as in-person meetings. Research shows that organizational investment in web conferencing solutions is growing significantly as businesses recognize its value in nurturing relationships.
Microsoft India - Unified Communications The Compelling Case for Conferencing...Microsoft Private Cloud
This paper outlines some of the business benefits realized by companies who have deployed conferencing and collaboration solutions. It provides market data on the growth of unified communications (UC) and collaboration systems as well as end user feedback on which groups receive the most benefit from these solutions.
i-Present Pro is an affordable web conferencing service that allows users to conduct virtual presentations, collaborate with employees, and share documents and applications through a web browser. It provides features like document publishing, application sharing, remote control, recording and replay, videocasting, and pass control among presenters. Pricing options include unlimited usage plans for 15 or 25 seats or pay-per-minute plans, with annual plans also available. The service aims to offer all necessary web meeting features in a simple and practical package.
ExpressAttendant Conferencing by ConferTel provides easy to use and accessible conferencing services with no upfront fees or term contracts. Key features include toll-free dial-in, no reservations required, online account management, recording and replay capabilities, and included web conferencing with screen sharing. The service aims to make conferencing as easy as using a calling card.
More Related Content
Similar to A study of trends, costs and attitudes towards business travel and teleconferencing
This document discusses a case study on implementing virtual meetings and video conferencing in organizations. It examines whether business travel will be necessary in the future or become outdated due to virtual options. It also compares telepresence and video conferencing, noting telepresence provides a more "in-person" experience but at a much higher cost. The document evaluates how video conferencing provides value to businesses through improved communication and considers if it constitutes smart management. It also discusses factors a small business should consider when deciding whether to implement video conferencing.
In today’s business environment, Video conferencing is much more important than ever to build strong relationships with partners, suppliers, internal teams, investors and customers is more important than ever.
BT Conferencing provides efficient audio, web, and video conferencing services to reduce costs and carbon emissions while improving productivity and collaboration. Conferencing allows meetings to be held without physical travel, saving money on transportation while maintaining interactivity. Customers report significant savings on travel costs and time through using BT's conferencing tools, which range from audio-only calls to full video conferences. The costs for audio and web conferencing start at around 6 pence and 11 pence per minute per participant respectively, while video conferencing costs vary depending on needs but provide face-to-face interaction without travel.
The document provides an 8-step guide to understanding the possibilities of video conferencing. It discusses how video conferencing can change the way people communicate by saving costs and improving productivity. It encourages readers to imagine how their organization could use video conferencing across different departments like executives, sales, HR, R&D, and more. The guide also discusses calculating return on investment and outlines the essential video components and elements of an end-to-end video conferencing solution.
Meetings are Serious Business: How to Minimize Costs, Maximize Value and Mast...T Harris
Poorly run meetings create more problems than just wasted time and money; they undermine a team’s basic ability to work together toward a shared goal.
In today’s world, we strive to achieve unprecedented levels of productivity with nite resources. This book explores the impact of meetings on your company’s capacity to achieve, and provides tips to help you evaluate and improve those meetings.
Meetings are an important but costly part of running a business. It is important to properly evaluate the costs and benefits of meetings. The largest cost is usually employee time rather than expenses like facilities or software. Companies should calculate the cost of employee time spent in meetings and consider opportunity costs of other productive activities they could be doing instead. Regularly evaluating meetings using a "gut check" can help determine if they are necessary. Poorly run meetings undermine company culture and success while effective meetings that are focused and include the right people can have significant benefits.
Steljes Productive Video & Data ConferencingGordon Rimmer
Working with some of the world’s leading technology innovators, Steljes has developed the Business Productivity Suite to help you change the way you work for real and lasting benefit. The Business Productivity Suite comprises of the cream of today’s productivity technology, under one roof, designed to address five focus areas that businesses tell us they need to make more efficient: meetings, video and data conferencing, workspaces and flexible working, training and marketing and communications.
Recruiting Without Boundaries – How Video Can Bridge the Distance Between You...BlueJeans Network
In a job seeker's market, many businesses find they need to look well outside of their local market to recruit the talent they need to succeed. This strategy puts HR teams under pressure to make meaningful connections with all potential hires and employees, near and far, while also keeping costs in check. High-quality videoconferencing is one solution—and this eBook outlines several ways the technology can make HR's job easier.
As your organization expands internationally, the complexity of your operations will increase. Payroll and expenses are no exception. Processing multinational payrolls, paying employees on time, managing expense reporting, tracking vacation time and complying with local regulations can leave room for error and potential exposure to significant compliance penalties.
This document discusses the problems caused by weak online conferencing solutions for businesses. It identifies four main problems: 1) poor audio quality, 2) unreliable systems, 3) solutions that are difficult to join and use, and 4) lack of support. It then discusses the risks and costs of weak conferencing to IT departments, including issues with security, administration, and support. Finally, it outlines the risks and costs to the rest of the business, including negative impacts to sales, support, marketing, and internal projects. The document advocates for investing in a higher quality online conferencing system to avoid these problems and costs.
The Executive's Guide to High Definition Video ConferencingVideoguy
This document provides an executive summary on the benefits of high definition video conferencing. It finds that organizations that extensively use video conferencing have higher business performance in terms of revenues, customer satisfaction, and employee satisfaction. Video conferencing also saves time compared to face-to-face meetings by being on average 13 minutes shorter. For a successful implementation, the critical factors are adoption by employees, ensuring accessibility, and providing high quality.
The document discusses the benefits of video conferencing for businesses compared to travel. It notes that the average domestic business trip costs $1,002 while an international trip costs $3,452. Video conferencing allows face-to-face meetings anywhere without travel costs. One architecture firm saved over $440,000 on travel in a year using video conferencing. It also enables faster communication compared to travel times for flights and by car.
With CWT Meetings, you gain access to meetings professionals, people who have the expertise needed to help you with all your sourcing and logistics needs. Our team of experts can help you avoid common pitfalls of unmanaged meeting programs—things like contract penalties or attrition fees, logistics problems and frustrated attendees. And you choose the level of support you need: we can help with all meetings your company holds or just the ones you want us to, or even just assist with a single step in your process.
Converting physical customer meetings into virtual meetings that achieve the same or better effect requires more than a teleconferencing solution. Sales reps and account managers need to fundamentally rethink their interactions, and Marketing needs to be empowered to support the new way of working.
The virtual sales experience is the new battlefield. What separates the winners from the rest is their ability to embed value in every interaction with customers and truly engage with them in the digital field.
3GSP is a webconferencing solution that is easy to use, integrated, and reliable. It allows groups to share documents and talk virtually, making remote work as easy as an in-person meeting. 3GSP aims to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and lower environmental impacts through virtual meetings. It offers high quality audio and video with no installation needed.
STOP THE MEETING MADNESS HOW TO FREE UP TIME FOR ME.docxwhitneyleman54422
STOP
THE
MEETING
MADNESS
HOW TO FREE UP TIME FOR
MEANINGFUL WORK
BY LESLIE A. PERLOW, CONSTANCE NOONAN HADLEY, AND EUNICE EUN
SHARE THIS ARTICLE. HBR LINK MAKES IT EASY.
SEE PAGE 41 FOR INSTRUCTIONS.
FEATURE STOP THE MEETING MADNESS
62 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW JULY–AUGUST 2017
EL
EN
A
K
U
LI
KO
VA
/G
ET
TY
IM
A
G
ES
JULY–AUGUST 2017 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW 63
P
Poking fun at meetings is the stuff of Dilbert car-
toons—we can all joke about how soul-sucking and
painful they are. But that pain has real consequences
for teams and organizations. In our interviews with
hundreds of executives, in fields ranging from high
tech and retail to pharmaceuticals and consulting,
many said they felt overwhelmed by their meetings—
whether formal or informal, traditional or agile, face-
to-face or electronically mediated. One said, “I cannot
get my head above water to breathe during the week.”
Another described stabbing her leg with a pencil to
stop from screaming during a particularly torturous
staff meeting. Such complaints are supported by re-
search showing that meetings have increased in length
and frequency over the past 50 years, to the point
where executives spend an average of nearly 23 hours
a week in them, up from less than 10 hours in the
1960s. And that doesn’t even include all the impromptu
gatherings that don’t make it onto the schedule.
Much has been written about this problem, but the
solutions posed are usually discrete: Establish a clear
agenda, hold your meeting standing up, delegate
someone to attend in your place, and so on. We’ve
observed in our research and consulting that real im-
provement requires systemic change, because meet-
ings affect how people collaborate and how they get
their own work done.
Yet change of such scope is rarely considered. When
we probed into why people put up with the strain that
meetings place on their time and sanity, we found
something surprising: Those who resent and dread
meetings the most also defend them as a “necessary
evil”—sometimes with great passion. Consider this
excerpt from the corporate blog of a senior executive
in the pharmaceutical industry:
I believe that our abundance of meetings at our
company is the Cultural Tax we pay for the inclusive,
learning environment that we want to foster…
and I’m ok with that. If the alternative to more
meetings is more autocratic decision-making, less
input from all levels throughout the organization,
and fewer opportunities to ensure alignment and
communication by personal interaction, then give
me more meetings any time!
To be sure, meetings are essential for enabling col-
laboration, creativity, and innovation. They often foster
relationships and ensure proper information exchange.
They provide real benefits. But why would anyone ar-
gue in defense of excessive meetings, especially when
no one likes them much?
Because executives want to be good soldiers. When
they sacrifice their own .
Davinci Meeting Rooms offers over 4,000 meeting rooms in more than 1,100 locations across 30 countries. The document discusses why rented meeting rooms are useful for businesses, as they provide fully equipped spaces for meetings and events without the high costs of owning permanent office space. It outlines different scenarios where meeting rooms are preferable to other options like hotels or cafes. The document also provides tips for selecting meeting rooms, including checking for technologies, services, and amenities. Overall, the document promotes Davinci Meeting Rooms as a solution for businesses to host meetings, events, and training sessions.
Business Situation
Research reveals that it takes 7 iterations of going back and forth to fix a single meeting! The time spent and efforts expended when converted in terms of productivity are a huge loss. So is there anything that is as good as the Outlook calendar, if not better, made online and cost-effective at the same time? How can you increase meetings with your customers and prospects at B2B events by 30% or more? These were the posers presented by the client in search of a custom solution that would solve these problems.
IMPROVING RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH WEB CONFERENCINGVideoguy
The document discusses how web conferencing can help improve relationships by enabling frequent, meaningful interactions between businesses and their customers, employees, and partners. It notes that web conferencing reduces costs compared to travel while providing many of the same collaboration benefits as in-person meetings. Research shows that organizational investment in web conferencing solutions is growing significantly as businesses recognize its value in nurturing relationships.
Microsoft India - Unified Communications The Compelling Case for Conferencing...Microsoft Private Cloud
This paper outlines some of the business benefits realized by companies who have deployed conferencing and collaboration solutions. It provides market data on the growth of unified communications (UC) and collaboration systems as well as end user feedback on which groups receive the most benefit from these solutions.
Similar to A study of trends, costs and attitudes towards business travel and teleconferencing (20)
i-Present Pro is an affordable web conferencing service that allows users to conduct virtual presentations, collaborate with employees, and share documents and applications through a web browser. It provides features like document publishing, application sharing, remote control, recording and replay, videocasting, and pass control among presenters. Pricing options include unlimited usage plans for 15 or 25 seats or pay-per-minute plans, with annual plans also available. The service aims to offer all necessary web meeting features in a simple and practical package.
ExpressAttendant Conferencing by ConferTel provides easy to use and accessible conferencing services with no upfront fees or term contracts. Key features include toll-free dial-in, no reservations required, online account management, recording and replay capabilities, and included web conferencing with screen sharing. The service aims to make conferencing as easy as using a calling card.
ExpressView allows conference call participants to view PowerPoint presentations through their web browser without any downloads or plugins. The presenter uploads their PowerPoint during the call and participants log into a secure webpage using the conference passcode to view it. ExpressView integrates with teleconference systems and stores multiple presentations for easy access, supporting visual and oral presentation to help participants retain more information.
ConferTel's teleseminar service allows organizations to offer cost-effective training programs, seminars, and educational offerings to generate substantial revenue. Their turn-key solution handles all logistics like registration, payment processing, attendee reminders, and conferencing. Organizations pay nothing up front and keep a portion of registration fees, providing an opportunity to earn thousands in net proceeds. Key features include online registration, verified attendance, professional hosting, and recording/archiving for extended reach.
This document describes the features of Virtual Attendant, a conference calling service. It offers pre-and post-conference coordination, participant surveys and polling, dial out capabilities, call monitoring to identify participants, question and answer functionality, recording and replay of calls, online registration, and the ability to integrate PowerPoint presentations with live video. The service aims to provide more flexible and personalized conference calling options at a lower price than operator-assisted services.
This document provides planning tools and guidance for organizing a successful webinar. It includes a timeline that outlines tasks from 8 weeks before an event through follow up after. Key steps are selecting topics and presenters, marketing the event, preparing materials, conducting a dry run, hosting the event, and following up. Checklists are provided to track tasks. Tips include focusing marketing, keeping registration simple, sending reminders, determining audio needs, and avoiding silence during the event. The goal is to take the guesswork out of hosting webinars and improve outcomes.
Step by step, this guide:
Takes you back to basics - grounding you in successful lead-generation principles
Helps you avoid the three biggest mistakes that can sabotage your webinar
marketing plan
Details the core webinar marketing strategies for your plan
Outlines the benefits of leveraging OPM (Other People’s Marketing) resources
Calls you to action with nine easy strategies
Offers more resources, including a sample webinar invitation in the appendices
The document outlines a marketing timeline for planning a webinar with key tasks identified 6-8 weeks, 6 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 1 week, and 1 day prior to the webinar, as well as the day of and after the webinar. It includes identifying a topic and speakers, selecting vendors, creating presentation materials, launching a registration page, promoting through email, websites and social media, sending reminder emails, following up with attendees after the event, and analyzing success to plan future webinars.
The document outlines a webinar planning timeline that begins 8 weeks prior to an event. It details the key tasks to complete each week leading up to the webinar, including selecting topics and speakers, designing the event, marketing the event, preparing for the event, hosting the event, and following up after the event. The timeline provides guidance on tasks such as developing the event outline, creating marketing materials, conducting dry runs, and analyzing post-event metrics.
ConferTel provides turn-key teleseminar services that allow companies to host live online presentations and events without needing any special equipment or experience organizing teleconferences. Their services include creating branded registration pages, processing payments, providing presentation software, and moderating events so companies can earn additional revenue through hosting informational seminars or trainings for their customers and members.
SATTA MATKA SATTA FAST RESULT KALYAN TOP MATKA RESULT KALYAN SATTA MATKA FAST RESULT MILAN RATAN RAJDHANI MAIN BAZAR MATKA FAST TIPS RESULT MATKA CHART JODI CHART PANEL CHART FREE FIX GAME SATTAMATKA ! MATKA MOBI SATTA 143 spboss.in TOP NO1 RESULT FULL RATE MATKA ONLINE GAME PLAY BY APP SPBOSS
Recruiting in the Digital Age: A Social Media MasterclassLuanWise
In this masterclass, presented at the Global HR Summit on 5th June 2024, Luan Wise explored the essential features of social media platforms that support talent acquisition, including LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok.
Navigating the world of forex trading can be challenging, especially for beginners. To help you make an informed decision, we have comprehensively compared the best forex brokers in India for 2024. This article, reviewed by Top Forex Brokers Review, will cover featured award winners, the best forex brokers, featured offers, the best copy trading platforms, the best forex brokers for beginners, the best MetaTrader brokers, and recently updated reviews. We will focus on FP Markets, Black Bull, EightCap, IC Markets, and Octa.
Unveiling the Dynamic Personalities, Key Dates, and Horoscope Insights: Gemin...my Pandit
Explore the fascinating world of the Gemini Zodiac Sign. Discover the unique personality traits, key dates, and horoscope insights of Gemini individuals. Learn how their sociable, communicative nature and boundless curiosity make them the dynamic explorers of the zodiac. Dive into the duality of the Gemini sign and understand their intellectual and adventurous spirit.
Building Your Employer Brand with Social MediaLuanWise
Presented at The Global HR Summit, 6th June 2024
In this keynote, Luan Wise will provide invaluable insights to elevate your employer brand on social media platforms including LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok. You'll learn how compelling content can authentically showcase your company culture, values, and employee experiences to support your talent acquisition and retention objectives. Additionally, you'll understand the power of employee advocacy to amplify reach and engagement – helping to position your organization as an employer of choice in today's competitive talent landscape.
Discover timeless style with the 2022 Vintage Roman Numerals Men's Ring. Crafted from premium stainless steel, this 6mm wide ring embodies elegance and durability. Perfect as a gift, it seamlessly blends classic Roman numeral detailing with modern sophistication, making it an ideal accessory for any occasion.
https://rb.gy/usj1a2
The Evolution and Impact of OTT Platforms: A Deep Dive into the Future of Ent...ABHILASH DUTTA
This presentation provides a thorough examination of Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms, focusing on their development and substantial influence on the entertainment industry, with a particular emphasis on the Indian market.We begin with an introduction to OTT platforms, defining them as streaming services that deliver content directly over the internet, bypassing traditional broadcast channels. These platforms offer a variety of content, including movies, TV shows, and original productions, allowing users to access content on-demand across multiple devices.The historical context covers the early days of streaming, starting with Netflix's inception in 1997 as a DVD rental service and its transition to streaming in 2007. The presentation also highlights India's television journey, from the launch of Doordarshan in 1959 to the introduction of Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite television in 2000, which expanded viewing choices and set the stage for the rise of OTT platforms like Big Flix, Ditto TV, Sony LIV, Hotstar, and Netflix. The business models of OTT platforms are explored in detail. Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) models, exemplified by Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, offer unlimited content access for a monthly fee. Transactional Video on Demand (TVOD) models, like iTunes and Sky Box Office, allow users to pay for individual pieces of content. Advertising-Based Video on Demand (AVOD) models, such as YouTube and Facebook Watch, provide free content supported by advertisements. Hybrid models combine elements of SVOD and AVOD, offering flexibility to cater to diverse audience preferences.
Content acquisition strategies are also discussed, highlighting the dual approach of purchasing broadcasting rights for existing films and TV shows and investing in original content production. This section underscores the importance of a robust content library in attracting and retaining subscribers.The presentation addresses the challenges faced by OTT platforms, including the unpredictability of content acquisition and audience preferences. It emphasizes the difficulty of balancing content investment with returns in a competitive market, the high costs associated with marketing, and the need for continuous innovation and adaptation to stay relevant.
The impact of OTT platforms on the Bollywood film industry is significant. The competition for viewers has led to a decrease in cinema ticket sales, affecting the revenue of Bollywood films that traditionally rely on theatrical releases. Additionally, OTT platforms now pay less for film rights due to the uncertain success of films in cinemas.
Looking ahead, the future of OTT in India appears promising. The market is expected to grow by 20% annually, reaching a value of ₹1200 billion by the end of the decade. The increasing availability of affordable smartphones and internet access will drive this growth, making OTT platforms a primary source of entertainment for many viewers.
Storytelling is an incredibly valuable tool to share data and information. To get the most impact from stories there are a number of key ingredients. These are based on science and human nature. Using these elements in a story you can deliver information impactfully, ensure action and drive change.
Structural Design Process: Step-by-Step Guide for BuildingsChandresh Chudasama
The structural design process is explained: Follow our step-by-step guide to understand building design intricacies and ensure structural integrity. Learn how to build wonderful buildings with the help of our detailed information. Learn how to create structures with durability and reliability and also gain insights on ways of managing structures.
Event Report - SAP Sapphire 2024 Orlando - lots of innovation and old challengesHolger Mueller
Holger Mueller of Constellation Research shares his key takeaways from SAP's Sapphire confernece, held in Orlando, June 3rd till 5th 2024, in the Orange Convention Center.
Part 2 Deep Dive: Navigating the 2024 Slowdownjeffkluth1
Introduction
The global retail industry has weathered numerous storms, with the financial crisis of 2008 serving as a poignant reminder of the sector's resilience and adaptability. However, as we navigate the complex landscape of 2024, retailers face a unique set of challenges that demand innovative strategies and a fundamental shift in mindset. This white paper contrasts the impact of the 2008 recession on the retail sector with the current headwinds retailers are grappling with, while offering a comprehensive roadmap for success in this new paradigm.
Industrial Tech SW: Category Renewal and CreationChristian Dahlen
Every industrial revolution has created a new set of categories and a new set of players.
Multiple new technologies have emerged, but Samsara and C3.ai are only two companies which have gone public so far.
Manufacturing startups constitute the largest pipeline share of unicorns and IPO candidates in the SF Bay Area, and software startups dominate in Germany.
A study of trends, costs and attitudes towards business travel and teleconferencing
1. A study of trends, costs and attitudes towards
business travel and teleconferencing
White Paper
Study Conducted by Meetings in America
Commissioned by Verizon
2385 Camino Vida Roble
Suite 202
Carlsbad, CA 92011
www.ConferTel.net 866-930-4500 866.930.4500 ph
marketing@confertel.net
2. Introduction White Paper
We Have to Stop Meeting Like This
Meetings dominate business life in America today. According to the National Statistics
Council, 37 percent of employee time is spent in meetings. Other data indicate there are 11
million business meetings each and every day.
Meetings come in all shapes and sizes and are held for an infinite variety of reasons: to
brainstorm, sell, negotiate, inform, brief, present, collaborate, and strategize, to name just a
few. They take place in the office, across town, across the country, and around the globe -
whether in person, by phone, or by videoconference.
Traveling to business meetings is a necessity often taken for granted by employees and
employers alike. But with business airfares continually on the rise, increasing pressure to
reduce corporate expenses, and the changing dynamics of today’s work force, it’s time for
American business to take a hard look at the costs of its meetings. These costs encom-
pass more than just airfare, hotel, and meals that appear on the typical expense report.
The price of traveling to meeting after meeting is also paid in the currencies of lost produc-
tivity, wasted time, unattended-to work at the office, and time away from home and family -
not to mention the stress and frustration involved in travel itself.
Verizon believes organizations must reassess the methods by which business meetings
are conducted in order to make them more effective and less costly. This white paper,
based on a study commissioned by and conducted by InfoCom of Greenwich, Conn., pro-
vides a snapshot of business meetings in America today - their costs, characteristics, con-
tent, effectiveness, and impact on a typical organization.
Summary of Findings
Verizon commissioned the Meetings in America study to gain a better understanding of
meeting trends and the needs of its customers. Among the findings: Busy professionals
attend over 60 meetings each month. However, most say they cannot attend all meetings
to which they are invited due to the tremendous demands on their time. A five-person
meeting conducted in-person (involving plane travel for four of the attendees) is over seven
times more expensive than a meeting conducted by audioconference, and nearly three
times as expensive as a videoconference:
In-person meeting $5,197.50
Audioconference $689.24
Videoconference $1,700.69
The average time participants spend to prepare for, travel to, and attend this in-person
meeting involving five people is 53 hours and 24 minutes. This is more than three times the
time involved in an audio or video conference meeting.
America’s largest companies should look to smaller, more cost-conscious firms for lessons
on travel cost management. Looking at the average costs for all types of meetings at-
tended, those employed by smaller companies (firms not included in Fortune’s list of the
2,000 largest companies) tend to spend less per meeting. Fewer plane trips for employees
of smaller companies contribute to the overall lower costs for all types of meetings.
Employed By: Average Cost Per Meeting:
Fortune 500 $527
Fortune 500-2000 $547
Other $412
Meetings in America—a study of trends, costs and attitudes…
866-930-4500 www.ConferTel.net Page 1
3. In addition to the monetary costs incurred, business travel has a strong impact on employee White Paper
stress and well-being. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of busy professionals say that it is stress-
ful to spend time away from family, and many (64%) are concerned about other work respon-
sibilities that pile up at the office during their absence.
An overwhelming majority of meeting attendees (92%) value meetings as providing an op-
portunity to contribute, suggesting that successful meetings may be a contributing factor to
employee job satisfaction.
Preparation for meetings is a critical component of productivity. The average amount of time
spent on preparation for a meeting characterized as "highly productive" is nearly one hour,
which is twice as long as the preparation time for a meeting described as "not very or not at
all" productive.
Nearly all meeting attendees (91%) admit to daydreaming during meetings, while over one-
third (39%) have dozed!
Most busy professionals (89%) believe that technology will make meetings easier in the fu-
ture.
Improve the Effectiveness and Lower the Costs of Business Meetings
Based on this research study and Verizon's extensive experience in providing electronic
meetings, the following recommendations are offered:
Analyze the ways and means by which you and your organization conduct meetings;
map out a plan to reduce costs and improve productivity. More than one-third of business
meetings analyzed in this research were not deemed productive, and many of these in-
volved costly travel. For each meeting you travel to, consider if travel is absolutely re-
quired to conduct the business at hand.
Recognize that meetings have both hard and soft costs; consider both when making de-
cisions on how and where to meet. When meeting with a new or prospective client, noth-
ing can replace the value of meeting face-to-face to build rapport and establish what will
hopefully be a long-lasting relationship. However, in-person meetings can be over seven
times as costly as audio or videoconferencing, and have far greater costs associated with
them in terms of time spent away from home and added stress. Conference calls
(whether by telephone, video, or the Internet) are a smart, convenient, and productive
way to replace some of the meetings to which you would otherwise travel.
Take advantage of today’s technology to conduct more effective meetings. To supple-
ment audio and videoconferencing, tools exist which enable meetings to be recorded and
accessed via a toll-free phone call so you don’t have to waste time briefing others who
could not attend. In addition, the Internet holds enormous potential to improve the pro-
ductivity of meetings including the ability to view, present, and edit documents with hun-
dreds of meeting participants.
Improve the effectiveness of every meeting - whether in-person or virtual - by following
these guidelines:
Set clear objectives for each meeting based on the type of meeting being held
Focus meetings on substantive topics, e.g. problem identification, progress to-
ward quantitative goals, new ideas for improvement, lessons learned, etc.
Always prepare and publish an agenda
During the meeting, periodically summarize the discussion
Reinforce oral communications with written/published documents
Conclude with a summary of decisions and action items
Understand that the meeting dynamics differ for in-person meetings vs. those
conducted by audio or videoconferencing
Meetings in America—a study of trends, costs and attitudes…
866-930-4500 www.ConferTel.net Page 2
4. The Cost of Meetings White Paper
Meetings Include Both Hard and Soft Costs
Meetings have a significant cost for U.S. businesses. Our analysis looks at two types of
costs: "hard" costs, associated with direct out-of-pocket expenditures such as airline travel,
food and lodging (but excluding the cost of meeting facilities), and "soft" costs, including the
personnel costs of the meeting participants. Soft cost calculations are based on the average
hourly white collar salary and benefits determined by the U.S. Department of Commerce Bu-
reau of Labor Statistics.1
Conferencing Saves Time and Money
Based on the costs incurred by our respondents, the heavy meeting-goers, the total cost of a
meeting involving five people (from five different locations) differs significantly depending on
the method by which the meeting is conducted.
Attend In-Person: Attend via Attend via Videoconference
Travel by Plane Audioconference
Meeting Length 2 hours 2 hours 2 hours
Number of Attendees 5 people 5 people 5 people
Number Traveling to Attend 4 people 0 people 0 people
TOTAL TIME3 53 hours, 24 minutes 16 hours, 51 minutes 16 hours, 29 minutes
TOTAL SOFT COST $1,233.54 $389.24 $380.69
TOTAL HARD COST $3,963.96 $300.00 $1,320.00
TOTAL MEETING COST $5,197.50 $689.24 $1,700.69
Table 1, Meeting Costs by Method of Attendance
It is quite obvious that in-person meetings requiring plane travel are tremendously more time-
consuming than meetings held via audio or videoconferencing. While in-person meetings
tend to require more preparation time and last longer in duration, the most significant compo-
nent of the total time involved in these meetings is time spent in transit typically seven hours,
which is nearly a full business day! These travelers are losing valuable time fighting their way
through the airport as more work is piling up on their desks back at the office. In contrast,
those who take advantage of technology are able to remain productive at the office and enjoy
their regular routine with their families.
The more-publicized costs of business travel are the hard costs: expensive air fares, hotel
bills, and meals. While many businesspeople (86%) say they are feeling pressure to keep
costs down, fully one-third (34%) are traveling more often now than they did a year ago. Re-
placing some of these business trips with audio or videoconferencing simultaneously
achieves corporate expense-cutting objectives and improves employee productivity through
less time wasted in transit.
As an example, consider a person who travels to meetings by plane four times per month. At
an average cost of $1,365.21 per trip2 the monthly cost of these meetings totals $5,460.84,
including nearly 65 hours away from the office. Replacing two of the four plane trips with vid-
eoconferences yields savings of 38% ($2,064.36) including 25 fewer hours away from the
office. The savings would be even greater if two of the four plane trips were replaced with
audioconferences: 46% savings ($2,506.04) including 26 fewer hours away from the office.
Meetings in America—a study of trends, costs and attitudes…
866-930-4500 www.ConferTel.net Page 3
5. Segments in the Meeting Market White Paper
Travel Fans Meet Afar and Travel Foes Hang Around
Respondents to the survey held varying attitudes regarding business travel. Twenty-six per-
cent said they "usually look forward to getting out of the office." Fifty-one percent had a more
neutral attitude, characterizing travel as "not bad as long as I don’t have to do it so often."
Finally, 21% dislike business travel and "prefer not to travel if I don’t have to." While each
segment attended an average of twenty-six meetings during the two-week diary recording
period, not surprisingly, the more positive their attitude toward travel, the more likely they
were to attend meetings that required travel.
Figure 1, Meeting Location by Attitude toward Business Travel
Those who enjoy travel are, on average, two years younger than the other two other seg-
ments (43 years vs. 45 years), and are less likely to have spouses and children. In addition,
"travel fans" are significantly more likely to combine personal travel with business travel
(33%) than "travel foes" (12%).
Women Are Less Likely to Prefer In-Person Meetings
The study identified several areas where there were significant differences between male
and female respondents. A significant difference between men and women is found in their
preference for and attendance of in-person meetings.
Figure 2, In-Person Meetings by Segments and Volume by Gender
Meetings in America—a study of trends, costs and attitudes…
866-930-4500 www.ConferTel.net Page 4
6. Men’s preference for in-person meetings may be related to job function: men are more likely White Paper
to be involved in sales (41%) than women (29%). In balancing home and work, the data indi-
cate that women do not miss meetings because of other priorities any more than men do.
Typically, both men and women miss 1.8 meetings per month. However, 54% of women indi-
cated that "making arrangements to take care of personal responsibilities while you are
away" is extremely or somewhat stressful, while only 40% of men had the same reaction. On
the other hand, men are more likely to describe being away from their family while traveling
for business as extremely or somewhat stressful (77% vs. 56% for women).
As a final note on gender differences, our survey of busy professionals noted several inter-
esting disparities between men and women. Men were more likely than women to be mem-
bers of senior management (21% vs. 16%, respectively), and were also more likely to have
an annual income in excess of $100,000 (39% vs. 21%). Perhaps the most interesting differ-
ences in these men and women, however, relate to their marital status. As busy profession-
als, men are much more likely to be married, whereas women are more likely to have post-
poned marriage for their career or experienced divorce, separation, or widowhood.
Figure 3, Marital Status of Busy Professionals by Gender
Smaller Companies Watch Their Budgets
There are some intriguing differences between how employees of larger and smaller compa-
nies approach their meetings. One difference is that employees of companies that are not in
the Fortune 2000 seem to be to be more careful in how they spend their meeting dollars. The
smaller companies (classified as "other") tend to make fewer trips involving airplane travel, a
major component in travel costs.
Figure 4, Meeting Spending by Segments and Volume by Company Size Segments4
Meetings in America—a study of trends, costs and attitudes…
866-930-4500 www.ConferTel.net Page 5
7. In addition, more respondents from smaller companies feel that face-to-face meetings are White Paper
very important (63%) than respondents from Fortune 500 companies (49%) and Fortune 501
-2000 companies (50%). Finally, those in Fortune 2000+ companies tend to devote more
time to meeting set-up (2 hours 11 minutes) than Fortune 500 respondents (1 hour 13 min-
utes) and Fortune 501-2000 respondents (1 hour 17 minutes).
Meet in Your Slippers: Over Half Have Telecommuted
Another key behavior investigated was telecommuting. Over half (55%) of the busy profes-
sionals have telecommuted, working an average of 4.6 days per month from their home of-
fice. The respondents noted the following reasons for their telecommuting:
Figure 5, Reasons for Telecommuting
Compared to those who do not telecommute, telecommuters have more meetings per month
requiring travel (5.6 versus 4.1) and fewer on-site face-to-face meetings (8.2 versus 9.4).
Meeting Behavior
Meetings Are Us: Respondents Average Over 60 Meetings per Month
According to our survey, business meetings dominate the landscape of American work to-
day. On average, our respondents attended 12.2 meetings per month involving travel, audio-
conferences, or videoconferences plus an estimated 49.6 internal or local face-to-face meet-
ings, for a total of 61.8 meetings per month!5
Figure 6, Average Number of Meetings per Month
Meetings in America—a study of trends, costs and attitudes…
866-930-4500 www.ConferTel.net Page 6
8. The research also confirmed what many commentators have noted anecdotally: profession- White Paper
als are attending more and more meetings. Forty-six percent of our respondents said they
attend more meetings today than they did one year ago. Only 8% said they now attend fewer
meetings. The remaining 46% said they attend about the same number of meetings as they
did one year ago.
Where We Meet
Not surprisingly, meetings conducted via audioconferencing and videoconferencing involved
significantly less travel than did in-person meetings. While three-quarters of videoconfer-
ences are held on-site, some (21%) required local travel of less than 100 miles. This finding
is consistent with our knowledge of the videoconferencing market: many videoconferences
involve the usage of dedicated facilities, either owned or leased, which may not be available
at every business location. For example, a company may own one centrally-located video-
conferencing facility to accommodate several of their offices.
Figure 7, Meeting Location by Type of Meeting
Videoconferencing Enters the Workforce
Compared to audioconferencing and certainly compared to in-person meetings videoconfer-
ences are a more recent introduction to the American workplace. Yet, our research found
that 63% of our respondents had used videoconferencing at least once. The vast majority of
these respondents (91%) used videoconferencing exclusively in a conference room. Only 1%
used videoconferencing solely from the desktop. Of our respondents, 8% had used video-
conferencing in both settings.
What We Do at Meetings
We also found that that different meeting types were characterized by different patterns of
meeting purposes. On average, in-person meetings are more likely to be sales-related, vid-
eoconferences are more likely to be centered around updates and information-sharing, and
audioconferences tend to consist of updates, brainstorming, and strategy development.
Meetings in America—a study of trends, costs and attitudes…
866-930-4500 www.ConferTel.net Page 7
9. White Paper
Figure 8, Meeting Purpose by Method Conducted6
Preparation, Preparation, Preparation
Our research diary focused heavily on how much time respondents invested in their meet-
ings: in preparation, travel, the meeting itself and in follow-up. Preparation time, which pri-
marily consists of coordinating participants and preparing materials, is twice as great for in-
person meetings than audioconferences or videoconferences.
Figure 9, Preparation Time for Self-Initiated Meetings
The overall time for meetings (excluding travel) varies significantly by the type of meeting. In-
person meetings require the most time in preparation, meeting time, and follow-up.
Figure 10, Overall Meeting Time
Meetings in America—a study of trends, costs and attitudes…
866-930-4500 www.ConferTel.net Page 8
10. Meeting Faux Pas White Paper
One of the more interesting findings of our research was the extent to which our respon-
dents, the heavy meeting-goers, had experienced dysfunctional meetings and meeting be-
havior. Most of the respondents (over 90%) admit to daydreaming, missing meetings or parts
of meetings. Over 70% say they have brought other work to meetings and almost 40% say
they have dozed off during meetings!
Figure 11, Meeting Faux Pas
Attitudes
Why We Meet: Contributing and Gaining Recognition
The benefit considered most important by our respondents was not what one might expect.
Only 66% agreed completely or somewhat with the statement, "meetings give me an oppor-
tunity to be recognized." By contrast, 92% agreed completely or somewhat that "meetings
give me an opportunity to contribute."
On the Road AGAIN: Travel-related Stress is Common
Travel is a significant source of stress to busy professionals. Overall, 24% say they are more
stressed when traveling for business versus 14% who say they are less stressed. The most
predominant areas of stress include spending time away from the family and worrying about
work that’s piling up back at the office.
Figure 12, Sources of Stress in Business Travel
Meetings in America—a study of trends, costs and attitudes…
866-930-4500 www.ConferTel.net Page 9
11. Let’s Videoconference: 79% Want to Do It from their Computer White Paper
While most respondents voiced a preference for in-person meetings, the convenience of vid-
eoconferencing was a strong attraction for our respondents. A whopping 79% of the respon-
dents who had used videoconferencing exclusively in a conference room indicated that they
would use videoconferencing more if they could do it from their desktop computer or PC lap-
top. This preference held true across all segments we tested. This response indicates an op-
portunity for companies to hold down their travel costs through this technology solution.
Characteristics of Productive Meetings
Two-thirds of Meetings Are Productive
Overall, the respondents thought most of their meetings were quite productive. Twenty-two
percent of meetings were deemed "extremely productive." Forty-four percent were "very pro-
ductive" and 27% were only "somewhat productive." The respondents said that 6% were "not
very productive" while only 1% were "not at all productive."
In-Person Meetings Are Preferred
While 87% of the respondents indicated they most prefer to meet in-person, meeting atten-
dees rate in-person meetings only slightly more productive (67% extremely/very productive)
than audioconferences (59%) or videoconferences (58%).
The Initiator is a Key Determinant of Productivity
Meeting productivity varied depending on who initiated the meeting. Not surprisingly, meet-
ings initiated by the respondent and by prospects were likely to be evaluated as extremely or
very productive meetings (79% and 75% respectively). Likewise, customer-initiated meetings
were usually judged as extremely or very productive (70%). Interestingly, meetings initiated
by subordinates were also likely to be judged as productive (69%). Meetings initiated by ven-
dors, management, peers and others were less likely to be judged as productive (64%, 59%,
and 56% and 63% respectively).
The Bosses Say They're Productive
Another important fact that differentiated meeting productivity was job function. Senior execu-
tives were more likely to judge their meetings as either extremely productive or very produc-
tive than respondents with other job functions. Whether these data truly reflect actual meet-
ing productivity or simply the optimism of the executives remains a topic for further analysis!
Figure 13, Meetings Deemed Productive by Job Function Segments
Meetings in America—a study of trends, costs and attitudes…
866-930-4500 www.ConferTel.net Page 10
12. Preparation is Critical to Productivity White Paper
The old saying, "well begun is half done," applies to meeting productivity. There is a direct
correlation between preparation time and meeting productivity, specifically in the area of pre-
paring materials and the agenda.
Figure 14, Material/Agenda Preparation vs. Productivity
The more administrative preparation tasks (distributing documents, coordinating participants,
and setting up the meetings location) did not strongly correlate with high meeting productiv-
ity.
A Surprise: Longer Meetings are More Productive
One of the more interesting findings from the research was the correlation between meeting
length and productivity. We began the study with the hypothesis that shorter meetings might
be more productive than longer ones. After all, we reasoned, longer meetings use more of
attendees’ time. However, the data are clear: longer meetings (especially those five hours or
longer in duration) were more likely to be productive than shorter meetings.
Figure 15, Meeting Length vs. Productivity
International Meetings Are Considered Very Productive
One of the clearest results that came through in the research was the close relationship be-
tween productivity and international meetings. Ninety-four percent of international meetings
(versus 65% of meetings overall) were considered extremely or very productive. The prepa-
ration for international meetings may also have a bearing on this relationship. More time was
spent preparing materials and agenda for international meetings (2 hours 26 minutes) com-
pared to meetings at any other venue (on-site meetings: 37 minutes; local meetings: 53 min-
utes; meetings requiring travel: 59 minutes).
Meetings in America—a study of trends, costs and attitudes…
866-930-4500 www.ConferTel.net Page 11
13. Attitudes on the Keys to Productivity White Paper
In addition to determining what behavior led to productive meetings, we asked our respon-
dents what they thought were the keys to productive meetings. The most important factor
was meeting agenda preparation: 73% of the respondents characterized having a prepared
agenda as "very important."
Figure 16, Factors Deemed Very Important
Other Factors Affecting Productivity
Two other factors that were correlated with productive meetings are worth mentioning. More
one-time meetings were judged as extremely or very productive (68%) than recurring meet-
ings (60%). This is not unexpected since ad hoc meetings may be more likely to address
new material that may be more interesting to the participants whereas recurring meetings
(such as staff meetings) may be tedious. The other interesting factor we discovered related
to the respondents’ involvement in post-meeting duties. When the respondents were respon-
sible for distributing meeting minutes, they deemed 77% of those meetings as highly produc-
tive. When respondents did not have post-meeting responsibilities, however, only 63% of
meetings were deemed productive. One explanation for this difference is that that the re-
spondents’ involvement may have generated more "buy-in" to the meeting’s purpose.
Factors not Affecting Productivity
Certain factors, which we believed might correlate either positively or negatively with produc-
tivity, showed no significant correlation:
The number of meetings the respondent recorded over the diary period
Travel time to meetings except when the travel time is greater than 10 hours, which cor-
relates with international meetings (Section 7.7 above)
Time setting up the meeting location
Time coordinating participants
Travel by airplane vs. ca
Type of meeting (i.e., update, sales, brainstorm, strategy, negotiation, information shar-
ing, and other)
Meetings in America—a study of trends, costs and attitudes…
866-930-4500 www.ConferTel.net Page 12
14. Conclusions White Paper
What are the major conclusions we can draw from this research? Verizon would point to four
critical findings that readers could draw on to make their organizations more efficient and ef-
fective.
Meetings involve costs beyond the obvious tangible costs for travel, food, and lodging; there
are significant "soft costs" associated with meetings, namely the salary costs of those prepar-
ing for, attending, and following up on the meetings. When attendees have to travel to a
meeting, these soft costs increase significantly due to the time in transit. Videoconferencing
and audioconferencing are significantly less expensive in both hard and soft costs than in-
person meetings involving plane travel.
In addition to the cost savings for the organization, electronic meetings yield personal bene-
fits for many professionals, including less time away from the family and not falling behind in
the work that piles up at the office. Overall, electronic meetings help us to achieve that widely
sought-after balance of our personal and professional lives.
With improvements in technology, the pace of business has increased in recent years, and
"information overload" has ensued for many. Audioconferencing and videoconferencing can
help improve employees’ time management and reduce costs by replacing some business
travel. However, conferencing will never completely replace in-person meetings: some meet-
ings, such as prospect meetings, tend to beare usually more effective when conducted in-
person.
In-person meetings have been around since the dawn of time and we know how to maximize
their effectiveness. Electronic meetings, on the other hand, are a product of today’s technol-
ogy. Professionals can make electronic meetings as productive as in-person meetings by
following a few simple guidelines for effective meeting management:
set clear objectives
make sure all participants have the agenda and all documents well in-advance
arrive or call-in a few minutes early so the meeting can begin promptly
introduce all participants
moderate the discussion
Following the phone survey research, InfoCom conducted in-depth research with 660 heavy
meeting-goers. This research used a diary methodology, in which participants recorded their
meeting behavior and attitudes over a two week period, from January 26 to February 6,
1998.
Background
InfoCom
This study was conducted by InfoCom, a division of NFO Worldwide dedicated to providing
research-based marketing solutions to the telecommunications industry. Drawing on the ex-
pertise, resources and high standards of its parent company, InfoCom focuses exclusively on
market research and analysis for the dynamic communications and information industry.
NFO Worldwide, Inc., a New York Stock Exchange company, has been a leading provider of
custom and syndicated market information to America's largest companies and the interna-
tional business community for more than 50 years.
Meetings in America—a study of trends, costs and attitudes…
866-930-4500 www.ConferTel.net Page 13
15. Objectives White Paper
The overall goal of the research was to help Worldco Verizon better understand the needs of
its clients in the area of meetings, including conference audioconferences and videoconfer-
encing as well as conventional in-person meetings. This overall goal drove the four specific
research objectives:
Determine meeting behavior
Determine meeting attitudes
Identify ways to make meetings more productive
Identify ways to help reduce the costs of meetings
Telephone Survey
The first phase of the research consisted of a telephone survey conducted in January 1998
to identify participants and to solicit background behavior and attitudes. More than 1,300 indi-
viduals participated in this phase of the research. The focus was professionals who are
heavy meeting-goers, i.e., on average they participate in six meetings per month, either in-
person (where they have traveled or another participant has traveled to attend), by confer-
ence callaudioconference or by videoconference.
Diary
Following the phone survey research, InfoCom conducted in-depth research with 660 heavy
meeting-goers. This research used a diary methodology, in which participants recorded their
meeting behavior and attitudes over a two week period, from January 26 to February 6,
1998.
About ConferTel
ConferTel is a leading provider of fully managed webinar services, delivering educational
programming, training and lead generation webinars for corporations, associations, govern-
ment agencies and non-profits. In addition, ConferTel is a software developer of IVR and
web-based information services and communications solutions. Providing a range of event
driven communications applications, including telephone, web and video conferencing, on
demand record/replay, voice/fax broadcast, teleseminars, webinars, webcasting, online train-
ing, e-commerce, event management services, and other custom IVR and web-based appli-
cations.
ConferTel’s innovative products and application development capabilities have helped thou-
sands of clients save costs, generate income and increase productivity. We offer a consulta-
tive approach to assist you in developing the right solutions for your specific application and
budget.
Meetings in America—a study of trends, costs and attitudes…
866-930-4500 www.ConferTel.net Page 14
16. White Paper
Appendix
Our respondents, the heavy meeting-goers, indicate the following hard and soft costs of
meetings attended in person (with travel by plane), via audioconferencing, and via videocon-
ferencing:
Attend In-Person: Attend via Audio Conference Attend via Video Conference
Travel by Plane
Trip Duration 3.2 days n/a n/a
Travel Time 7 hours, 0 minutes n/a n/a
Preparation Time8 2 hours, 29 minutes 46 minutes 44 minutes
Meeting Length 4 hours, 8 minutes 1 hour, 15 minutes 1 hour, 52 minutes
Follow-up Time 2 hours, 35 minutes 1 hour, 13 minutes 1 hour, 9 minutes
TOTAL TIME9 16 hours, 12 minutes 3 hours, 14 minutes 3 hours, 45 minutes
PER PERSON SOFT COST $374.22 $74.69 $86.63
Transportation $673.85 n/a n/a
Lodging & Meals $317.14 n/a n/a
Telecommunications Cost10 n/a $37.50 $246.40
PER PERSON HARD $990.99 $37.50 $246.40
COST
TOTAL PER PERSON $1,365.21 $112.19 $333.03
COST
Table 2, Per Person Meeting Cost7
1
Employer Costs for Employee Compensation Summary, October 1997, Bureau of Labor
Statistics. Average compensation costs were $23.10 for white-collar occupations in the civil-
ian sector. Benefits accounted for 26.7% of this figure.
2
Per person cost are detailed in the Appendix.
3
Includes time for preparation, travel, meeting, and follow-up (briefing others and distributing
minutes).
4
Graph reflects the average cost of all meetings (on-site, off-site, audioconferences, and vid-
eoconferences).
5
Our two-week diary was used to forecast monthly meetings involving travel, using an aver-
age of 30.4 calendar days per month.
6
Percentages add to more than 100% because multiple responses were accepted.
7
Costs for audio and videoconferencing excludes travel. Audioconferences typically do not
require travel, while the few videoconferences requiring travel typically involve local travel by
car.
8
Includes securing the meeting location, preparing materials, distributing documents, and
coordinating participants.
9
Excluding trip duration.
10
Source: Verizon. Audioconference costs assume $0.50 per minute per leg. Videoconfer-
ence costs assume $8.80 per hour for four ports (multiple attendees per port are permissi-
ble).
Meetings in America—a study of trends, costs and attitudes…
866-930-4500 www.ConferTel.net Appendix