Virtual meeting and event management is often a collaborative effort among departments such as Information Technology, Procurement, Meetings and Events, Travel and Learning and Development. Using input from the stakeholders, information technology and procurement professionals often manage the purchasing tasks and contract negotiations with the suppliers. After suppliers are selected, information technology professionals manage the system integration and technology support while travel, meetings, or e-learning professionals provide the service management that leads to high adoption of the communication medium.
Some travel, meetings and learning professionals have the necessary skills that help meeting requestors identify when to use a virtual medium rather than an in-person option for a business need. By using these professionals to help identify virtual opportunities, organizations can pre-empt in-person travel, meetings and training sessions. Not all in-person travel, meetings and training sessions can be replaced by virtual mediums. Knowing the difference is paramount to the success of a virtual meeting and event strategy.
During the 3rd quarter of 2009, I conducted a virtual meeting survey of my contacts that have roles in meetings, training or information technology. Twenty-three industries were represented and 97 people responded, with no more than one person per organization as a survey respondent. The survey included questions regarding virtual meetings using technologies such as videoconferencing, telepresence, web conferencing, webinars, webcasts and the virtual “3D” environments such as virtual conventions, tradeshows and exhibit centers. The survey excluded questions regarding virtual meetings using technologies such as teleconferences and Internet Protocol television as virtual meeting options for simplicity purposes. Yet, these other technologies play a significant role in a virtual meeting strategy.
When asked if their organization was using more virtual meetings and events than one year ago, 90% of the respondents said yes. One person said that the reason why usage has increased is because users are finding that the technology is becoming easier to use and travel budgets are decreasing.
Virtual technologies are most often used for internal meetings and training. Of the organizations that use virtual meetings, 39% reported that virtual technologies are used to communicate with other internal colleagues in business meetings, executive meetings and project team meetings; 34% stated that the technology is used for internal training; 17% reported that virtual meetings are used for client meetings; and, 10% stated that the technologies are used for trade shows and conferences.
When asked what types of meetings are acceptable through virtual meeting technologies, and allowing respondents to choose more than one choice, there was a tie as 94% of the respondents stated that general business meetings and learning and development were both acceptable; 93% chose project team meetings; and, 92% chose management or executive meetings. One survey respondent stated that virtual meetings are always acceptable for some component of the meeting activity or the campaign, but may not always be the exclusive approach.
Business development of new customers or clients is not acceptable through virtual meetings according to 50% of the respondents whereas only 36% stated that virtual meetings are rarely or never acceptable with current customers and clients. Interviewing new staff is rarely or never acceptable through virtual meetings according to 51% of the respondents. However, one respondent said that virtual trade shows are used to recruit for job seekers from various universities. The respondent continued to explain that the students can visit, apply and interview for jobs virtually without ever leaving campus. In the healthcare industry, one respondent recognized that Medical Doctors do not always have the time to attend meetings so the respondent's medical supply company is using virtual meetings to reach more MDs. 45% of the respondents stated that conventions, conferences and exhibits are rarely or never acceptable through virtual technologies.
When survey respondents were asked which technology has increased the most in usage, webinars were chosen as the technology that has increased the most with web conferences and videoconferences coming in as second and third choices.
Travel and meeting budgets and volume declined in 2009. When asked what technologies were being used to replace or complement large meetings with greater than 300 attendees, 26% of the survey respondents stated that they used webcasts, 22% used webinars, 21% used web conferences, 19% used videoconferences and 12% used virtual business environments.
TARP guidelines and Pharma meeting codes have imposed restrictions on travel and meetings. When asked if these regulations had any impact on virtual meeting usage, 10% said yes; 60% said no; and 30% stated that they did not know.
Virtual meeting content or the "virtual meeting architecture" should be designed using an agenda that makes sense for the business need using the technology chosen. The content should include the appropriate amount of interactivity between the presenter(s) and the audience to ensure that the business objective is met. When virtual meetings are used, the technology tools (e.g. Q&A, chat, document sharing, etc.) are needed to support the meeting. It is important to use professionals who know how to create a virtual meeting experience that supports the business need and allows for achieving the business objective. This virtual meeting support is imperative to increase adoption. The survey respondents stated that in 26% of their organizations, the meeting and event planning team manage the virtual meetings, 22% stated that information technology manages the function while 18% stated that there is no formal management of virtual meetings; 14% reported learning and development; 13% reported marketing; 4% stated that they do not know who manages virtual meetings; and 3% stated that they do not use virtual meetings.
Virtual meetings are most palatable when conducted in short time frames. In learning and development, we often call this "chunking" our learning into smaller segments. For instance, a full 8-hour day in-person meeting may be "chunked" into four 2-hour virtual meetings. 70% of the survey respondents stated that the acceptable length of time for a virtual meeting or event is 2 hours or less; 21% said that 3-4 hours is acceptable with a break; 10% said that 6 hours or more is acceptable with breaks provided.
Virtual meetings may take place through chat, videoconference, telepresence, desktop collaboration, webinars, webcasts, virtual business environments, social networking, etc. The number of technologies used does not equate to the number of suppliers used. For instance, an organization may use both a telepresence and a desktop collaboration tool from the same supplier. When asked how many different kinds of virtual meeting tools or technologies were being used within the organizations that use virtual communications, 50% of the respondents claimed that they use 2-3 technologies; 34% said that they use 4-5 technologies; 6% said that they use between 6-9 different technologies and 5% stated that they use more than 10 different tools; 5% also stated that they only use one technology.
Virtual meetings and events are used in business, universities, hospitals and other organizations. There will always be in-person travel, meetings and training purposes that do not fit into a virtual meeting mold. Yet, virtual meetings can be created and tailored for many purposes as the technology improves and the ease of use increases. Change management efforts, which include policy updates, process and compliance modifications, training and marketing efforts must be advocated, supported, modeled and communicated by leaders for virtual meetings to be successful and adopted.
Debi Scholar, GLP, CMM, CMP, CTE, CTT
Thank you for visiting the T&E Plus Blog on expense management, travel management, business meetings, events, incentives, strategic meetings management, entertainment, virtual meetings, tickets, hotels, airlines, ground transportation, T&E policy, plus more...
Debi has the following designations:
·Wharton Aresty Executive Education/National Business Travel Association (NBTA) Global Leadership Professional (GLP)
·Meeting Professionals International Certificate in Meetings Management (CMM)
·Convention Industry Council Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
·NBTA Corporate Travel Expert (CTE)
·Six Sigma Green Belt
·Chauncey Certified Technical Trainer (CTT)
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