The world has undergone a massive post-pandemic transformation. COVID’19 altered all the major spheres of our lives and the business realm is no different. Unlike the past when organizations solely relied on physical meetings to discuss business operations, virtual meetings have become an integral part of the business world.
Today, whenever you have a meeting, there are two main ways to conduct it - physically or virtually. Many organizations are often stuck between physical meeting vs virtual meeting. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but physical meeting vs virtual meeting- which one is the best for your needs? Here's a look at the pros and cons of physical meeting vs virtual meeting to help you make the right decision.
An Introduction to Physical Meeting VS Virtual Meeting
In the business world, there are often meetings that take place between team members, clients, or others to discuss and make decisions. There are two main types of meetings that managers have to choose from: physical meeting vs virtual meeting. Both have their own benefits and drawbacks. To figure out which type of meeting is right for your specific situation, it's important to understand them separately first.
Physical Meeting
A physical meeting is a coming together of two or more people to discuss business strategies or take action on a shared issue. It requires participants to be in the same room at the same time, which can pose difficulties for businesses with employees in different parts of the country or world. The term refers to formal business meetings and casual gatherings, such as family reunions or club meetings.
Virtual Meeting
A virtual meeting is a meeting that takes place online, using video conferencing or VoIP technology. Virtual meetings are becoming increasingly popular as they offer a convenient and cost-effective way to connect with people from around the globe. In a virtual meeting, participants can see and hear each other in real-time, making it possible to hold face-to-face conversations even when physical distance is a factor.
Virtual meetings take place for many purposes, including team collaboration, product demonstrations, training sessions, and sales presentations. With the right tools and planning, virtual meetings can be an effective way to connect with colleagues and clients alike.
Virtual Meetings with Oreed
With the ongoing physical meeting vs virtual meeting debate, an event management platform is all you need to manage the recently-introduced virtual meetings. With Oreed, you can easily schedule, manage, and analyze your meetings.
Moreover, we enable our clients to send automated invitations and reminders to participants and conduct virtual and hybrid meetings without hassle. Oreed's platform is user-friendly and reliable, making it the perfect solution for businesses that need to hold virtual meetings.
Physical Meeting VS Virtual Meeting - The Pros and Cons
As the pandemic restrictions are fortunately being lifted, managers are often puzzled about the feasibility of a physical vs virtual meeting. Let’s look at the pros and cons of physical and virtual meetings to help businesses make the right choice.
Interaction Capabilities
On the one hand, physical meetings allow for in-person interaction and connection. They can help build rapport and trust and deepen relationships. Unlike virtual meetings, physical ones allow for nonverbal communication, which can be crucial for conveying emotion and building rapport.
Cost Effectiveness
On the other hand, virtual meetings can be more efficient and cost-effective than physical meetings, since participants do not need to travel to a central location.
Greater Participation and Information Retention
Virtual meetings can also be more flexible since participants can join from anywhere in the world. They also have the advantage of being recorded, which can be helpful for reference or review later on.
Although virtual meetings can be hard to manage due to their novelty, Oreed offers an all-in-one event management solution for your upcoming virtual meeting. From the event registration to the centralization of attendee data, we are all set to manage it all for you.
Which Medium Should you Opt For?
While the physical and virtual meeting comparison is still going on, more and more organizations are going for virtual meetings. What is the difference between virtual meeting and face to face in person or virtual events that makes people opt for the virtual platform? Let’s find out the details.
Where Does Your Target Audience Reside?
In-person meetings have been the standard for business interactions for many years. However, with the advent of technology, virtual meetings are becoming increasingly popular. There are several advantages associated with virtual meetings, including easier access and increased flexibility.
With virtual meetings, businesses can cater to a greater number of participants than physical events, as there is no need to travel to a central location. This is especially beneficial for organizations with a global target market. In addition, one can easily schedule virtual meetings around the tight schedules of participants.
As a result, businesses can maximize participation by holding meetings at times that are convenient for all attendees. Virtual meetings are an excellent way to connect with clients and colleagues without levying expensive travel costs or time-consuming coordination.
No matter which part of the world your client lives in, through Oreed’s event management platform you can cater to them efficiently. Unlike regular meeting platforms, we provide centralized attendee data to our clients so that they can take a holistic overview of the number of meetings attended by the user on a monthly, quarterly, and yearly basis.
What is your Budget?
In today's business world, more and more organizations are opting for virtual meetings rather than physical ones. There are several reasons for this trend, but one of the most significant is cost savings.
With a virtual meeting, there is no need to rent a conference room or pay for travel expenses, whereas physical events require the hosts to pay for premises, accommodations, and transportation. If you are low on budget, go for virtual meetings.
Additionally, Oreed's event management platform enables users to register online and transfer their payments digitally, further reducing costs. As businesses strive to reduce expenses and increase efficiency, it is clear that virtual meetings are here to stay.
Do you Aim to Measure the End-Results?
If you're looking to get the most out of your next meeting, virtual meetings might be your go-to solution. Not only do they allow you to connect with participants from all over the world, but they also provide valuable user data that can help you measure the results of your meeting. On the other hand, physical meetings make it a cumbersome process to gather user data and translate it into actionable insights.
If you plan to conduct your next meeting virtually, sign up for Oreed's services. Our event management platform enables users to get a 360-degree understanding of the attendees through its centralized database. The centralized data equips them with tangible results of their meeting’s productivity. Through this information, users can improve the quality of future events and ensure that they are more productive and successful.
Do you Have any Time Constraints?
How much time can you spare for the meeting? Physical meetings consume a major chunk of your day as they might require long commuting hours and breaks. In today's fast-paced world, many people find themselves short on time. If you are one of these people, you may consider holding virtual meetings instead of physical ones.
They are much more convenient; there is no need to commute to a meeting location, and you can attend from anywhere in the world. Moreover, such meetings are less time-consuming; because there is no need for small talk or breaks, virtual meetings can be focused and concise.
Oreed's event management platform enables organizations to save time by conducting everything virtually. Not only does this eliminate the need for attendees to commute to the location, but it also streamlines the recorded sessions through its centralized database. This way, users can access recorded information without wasting time searching for it. As a result, Oreed is the perfect solution for those looking to save time and increase efficiency through online meetings.
What is the Attention Span of Your Clients?
A major difference between virtual meeting and face to face in person or virtual event is that many people are more likely to be engaged in an activity when they are physically present and able to give their full attention to the task at hand.
However, this does not mean virtual meetings are inherently less effective than in-person counterparts. If anything, the potential for distraction is higher in an in-person setting (e.g., people may be more likely to check their phones or take side conversations). whereas, virtual meetings provide a more controlled environment where attendees are less likely to be distracted from the main event.
With the right platform and tools in place, you can conduct a virtual meeting that is just as engaging as an in-person event. At Oreed, we have integrated certain gamification features to retain the attention of attendees. You can also customize your communication according to the target audience's characteristics and behavior through our internal CRM.
The End of the Never-Ending Discourse
Now that you have concluded the physical meeting vs virtual meeting debate, sign up for Oreed’s all-in-one event management solution to streamline your upcoming virtual or hybrid meeting. Oreed streamlines all the aspects of a virtual meeting, ranging from online registration and information centralization to digital payments and certificate generation.
