At present, the trend in business meetings has been to go small, go local and, in short, tighten the budget.
But what will the future bring? In May of 2009 Worktopia, Inc. - the only real-time booking solution for simple off-site meetings, conducted a survey of 213 travel managers, directors and meeting planners to obtain their projections for the future of small, off-site meetings.
The survey also explored the importance of varying online booking tools as they relate to such meetings.
Indicating that companies clearly recognize the importance of in-person meetings, Worktopia found that more than half of respondents (54%) expect the number of small, off-site meetings to remain the same in 2010. An additional 17% forecast an increase in the number of meetings held.
Next year's meetings will likely have a new "face." According to 79% of respondents, the capability to host a hybrid meeting - which incorporates virtual, remote attendees into a face-to-face gathering - is "somewhat" or "very" important.
Twenty percent of respondents reported a need for a policy or a meetings management program to govern small, off-site meetings. Worktopia's Universal Meeting Solution - Corporate Edition (UMS-CE) is a natural resolution, providing company executives with greater visibility into off-site meeting expenditures and control over policy compliance.
Survey respondents also outlined a "wish list" of technology solutions that would best benefit their business:
- Online search of available properties (89%)
- Instant quotes for meeting space (89%)
- Ability to specify room configurations (87%)
- Attendee management capabilities (86%)
- Reporting and analysis tools (86%)
For more information, visit Worktopia
Related Article:
