Two years after the onstart of the COVID19 pandemic, the future of business travel seems grim and many predict years before it picks up again.
Yet any “worker” living the situation from “home” working 8 hours a day in front of their screen, moving from video calls to virtual meetings or online conferences somehow get a sense that this situation is not sustainable.
Sometimes, people have to meet, somehow. Everybody knows that. And bosses more than the rest will need to take actions if they are serious about the wellness and wellbeing of their people.
How would a corporate world without face-to-face interactions and meetings look like ?
The idea of being continually separated does not hold and which organisation could sustain permanent tele-working without the need for regular get-together ? How long can staff support to work with people they have no or little emotional connections with ? Besides technical aspects, how would on-boarding look like? How should an organisational culture be described if only through screens and remote conversations?
What kind of togetherness are needed for co-workers, employees and anyone belonging to an organisation ?
Is there any such things as the perfect meeting ? Yet with rarity comes value and good old meetings – a thing of the past since the start of COVD 19 pandemic – look like an interesting value proposition to scrutanise. What was the value of those meetings prior to COVID 19 ?
For any good meeting, prior to the pandemic, different components would come into place, each with their specific reason and appeal: first, keeping to the business focus of any meeting, there would be the meeting facilitation, be it by the boss, a senior manager, or some qualified external party – maybe a consultant or a trainer. In addition, there would many other components such as the lunches and dinners, possibly a gala dinner, a teambuilding exercise, and of course, what seemed the obvious but is not anymore: hotel and transport.
Today, we would need to add every aspect of a virtual meeting, including various technical aspects to manage questions and answers, presentations, breakout rooms, but also production studio, broadcasting tools and that would not even end the list… How about online facilitation ? online games and teambuildings ?
What is seems is that what was an already complexe operations to organise has just got more complexe. Offering all those sericves on a turn key services, is that possible ?
The future of business meetings is hybrid. What does that mean?
No one had anticipated the pandemic would last so long with such far reaching effects as to blocking international travel and schools for 2 consecutive years. Yet, we also know that sooner or later the time will come when the pandemic subsides, schools and restaurants will open again and travel will resume, although probably progressively…
No doubt that many of us will happily flock restaurants again and enjoy the type of social time we have been missing for the past 2 years. Business meetings will have to start again and planning these may get more complicated. On one side the need for safety and prudence will imply specific requirements, virtual meetings will continue to be seen as more and nore important and yet, the need for quality human interaction will also be recognised and honored through any form of (specially formatted) business meetings, social events, team-based gathering, training.
The complexity of planning hybrid meetings ? Is all-in-one planning and booking possible ?
Before COVID, the planning of any good business meeting would involve the combination of sourcing and booking suppliers for hotels, transports, restaurants, training, teambuilding, special celebration and of course the overall coordination. That would mean signing deals with at least half a dozen vendors and the hassle of managing and coordinating all that… while collecting feedback from participating insiders, key bosses and stakeholders
Tomorrow, the tasks ahead will also include the selection of video-conferencing tools, email and mass communication tools, file sharing tools etc…
Whether global, regional or local, expectations would be high… Even domestic markets events can generate lots of hype and expectations. I have never seen such grand events as Jakarta-based local companies outings… That’s when I realise that the motivation and feel good factor for the staff working in the companies and markets is essential …
Global level meetings too bring about the need for an inspiring environment and lavish hotel. Creating an enhancing meeting with the right level of activity, as well as collaboration without disrupting from the organizations’ business purpose.
The Solution : a fully-package, turn-keyed event. Every event segment taken care of.
We carefully selected a 5-star hotel with great character and unique personal touches, craftsmanship and hospitality with just as much care and love Harley Davidson puts into the brand. The OIA team and the Head of Motor Industry facilitated the meetings jointly. The team building activities saw the participants come together to build rafts, a meet up between the Harley Davidson team with the HOGGS in Bali and finally the teams were escorted to an Open Sky Gala dinner with a unique performance by renowned balinese dancers.
The clients were extremely happy with the results calling it the best event ever. It was a very great success, which conveyed the values of the company well. The participants loved being challenged amidst amazing landscapes.
- LEARNINGS ; Principals of team development Problem solving Uniting an organization
- FACILITATION :Customized facilitation Strategic and Dynamic
- IMPECCABLE DELIVERY : Understanding Impeccable delivery
- CUSTOMER-FOCUS SATISFACTION :Detailed Gala Dinner Team unity and alignment Productivity in power
