Can technology replace the benefits of face to face conferences?

When it comes to holding a conference, many companies find it difficult to find a time where all of their employees and clients can get together in one location. As the world becomes increasingly dependent on technology it seems that more and more people are working from the comfort of their own home, and therefore getting people together in one area can become increasingly difficult.

Conferences are generally designed for one reason - to convey information to a wide audience and provide a forum for feedback and input from both clients and staff alike. Being able to gauge the reaction of your audience can be crucial in understand whether something has been successful, or perhaps needs to be reconsidered, so seeing their faces, hand movements and general actions can be crucial in identifying how successful or unsuccessful your conference may have been.

In recent years many companies have been drawn towards the idea of using technology as a way of saving time and money, but unfortunately in many cases it can take away the very reason that conferences were designed for – to interact with your clients, to put a name to a face and to build a rapport and good working relationship together and to gain confidence in your business transactions.

Talking through a screen can often make it difficult to build a relationship with someone as without a physical presence, building up a good working relationship can be difficult, so it’s interesting to consider that while the advancements in technology may allow for our conferences to become easier, are they also taking away the very reason that we hold them in the first place?

What types of technologies are being used?

When it comes to replacing the common conference venue with technology, there are a few different ways that companies try to do it. Two of the most popular are videoconferencing and teleconferencing. 

Videoconferencing

Videoconferencing is the process of participating in a conference through an audio and visual device – usually a computer – and communicating with a wide audience over the world wide web. Videoconferencing allows you to partake in a conference from anywhere in the world, simply by connecting your computer to the internet and using a webcam. 

Teleconferencing

Teleconferencing is a more basic form of technology, and involves using a phone to be part of an audio conference, in the same way that you would hold a telephone conversation. It requires either a phone connection or a VoIP connection and is usually moderated. This type of conferencing is most commonly used for AGM’s.