How Should We Meet?

The pandemic has forced most businesses to adopt virtual meetings widely. Now that concerns about Covid-19 are receding, business leaders are wrestling with the pros and cons of returning to the office, meeting in person, and the resulting need to travel for business meetings.

How we meet has long-term consequences for recruiting and retention, corporate culture, and competitiveness. Deciding how to meet is now a strategic issue.

This 37-page paper reveals the views of 522 U.S.-based business leaders on the importance of meeting in person, the core benefits of virtual meetings, and the risks of negative outcomes associated with each meeting mode. Insights are shared from C-suite leaders (95 of the 522 respondents) about their business travel strategies and priorities.

The paper concludes with new strategic frameworks for managing meetings and business travel. It also provides a companion’s guide for choosing the best meeting mode, in person or virtual, for nine meeting goals (e.g., “Influence, Persuade, or Sell”). Hybrid meetings and meeting technologies are not included in this paper’s scope.