Why face-to-face meetings matter

The benefits of meeting in-person

Over the last two years, we’ve all found different ways of working. For a long time, face-to-face meetings were impossible, and many of us looked to technology for help. Online meeting platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet have been great at keeping us connected in difficult times. However, now that we’re able to gather, we’re seeing business contacts coming together and enjoying more in-person meetings again. So today, let’s take a look at some of the many benefits of getting back together in the meeting room.

Relationships

Face-to-face contact is really important for building meaningful relationships with colleagues and clients. When meeting in-person, there’s time to chat casually and get to know each other better. Conversation flows more naturally, particularly in a group, and you can build up a greater rapport. This is great for team-building and means you’re able to work better with one another going forward.

Communication

When you meet in-person, you can communicate much more efficiently, making eye contact and reading off each other’s facial expressions and body language. It is more difficult to interpret this in an online meeting, where you may miss the more subtle, non-verbal cues.

Collaboration

It’s easier to work collaboratively when you’re all in the same room together. Sharing ideas and bouncing off each other, all improves productivity and creativity. You can give each other your full attention, and tend to be more engaged in the conversation. Also physically, it’s just simpler to all sit around one chart, pass around products, or see and touch samples in real life.

Technology

The beauty of meeting in-person is you don’t have to rely so heavily on technology. So you don’t need to worry about setting up a webcam, fixing your audio, muting and un-muting your microphone, sharing your screen and Wi-Fi issues. Helping everything to run much more smoothly.

Mental health

Meeting in-person is good for you, and good for mental health at work. Especially if you are working from home some of the time. It’s important to still have those organised meet-ups. This avoids feelings of isolation and builds a happier, more connected team.

Here at the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness, we’re delighted to be welcoming more business bookings back for face-to-face meetings, conferences and business dinners. With a choice of flexible event spaces and a connected location, we can host meetings of all sizes, so please do get in touch if you’d like to chat about an event.