The return of face-to-face business meetings will be necessary for organisations to “close” major deals in 2022, according to research from hotel giant Accor.
The France-based hotel company has just produced its first Accor Northern Europe Travel Trends Report, which looks at changes in travel behaviour in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
One of the trends identified by Accor is a predicted surge in face-to-face “closing meetings”, which will be necessary to get deals completed after initial talks have been conducted online.
The report said that while videoconferencing was vital during the pandemic, business leaders believed that in-person meetings resulted in more deals being completed and increased revenue.
This is backed up an Accor survey showing that 30 per cent of business leaders found it difficult not being able to see “another person’s body language and non-verbal cues” during online negotiations.
Survey respondents also expected to sign 23 per cent more deals and create 25 per cent extra revenue, over the course of a year, by being able to meet clients face-to-face.
Other likely trends in 2022 will include more hybrid events, which combine virtual and in-person elements, as well as the holding of “culture” meetings to bring colleagues back together after two years apart.
There will also be increased in-person leadership meetings to allow management and board members to strategise more effectively.
Karelle Lamouche, chief commercial officer of Accor Northern Europe, said: “Covid-19 has demonstrated remote working is not less effective - for many, productivity has increased.
“But for many leaders, the detrimental impact of remote working on culture, team dynamics and workplace relationships must be weighed against any increase in productivity.
“This balance will be addressed in 2022. Colleagues and clients will reconnect with a better understanding of the true power of both technology and face-to-face contact.”
Lamouche stressed that organisations would adjust to a model of meetings best suited to their needs.
“We don’t expect a one-size-fits all approach,” she said. “It will be a truly hybrid response, a legacy of a pandemic that has reminded us of the very real value of face-to-face contact.”