Value of face-to-face meetings 'irreplaceable', says ICCA survey

The desire to get back to face-to-face meetings has intensified among association professionals, a recent ICCAsurvey revealed.

ICCA’s most recent instalment of the Association Meeting Needs survey, conducted previously in May and September 2020, found that 84 per cent out of 120 respondents agreed that virtual meetings have networking limitations and that the value of networking at in-person events is matchless.

Of those surveyed, 70 per cent said the opportunities to meet new people and make new contacts at face-to-face events can’t be replicated in virtual meetings.

“When comparing the results from the 2020 survey, it is clear that the general sentiment about the need for meeting face-to-face has not only remained by intensified,” the ICCA report stated.

“The camaraderie apparent in face-to-face meetings does not exist at the same level when collaborating digitally or remotely.”

Factors such as enjoying the host destination (41 per cent) and feeling a sense of community (66 per cent) also play a part in the desire to return to in-person events.