Let’s Rethink the Value of In-Person Meetings And Solutions for Social-Distance Collaboration When We Return to the OfficeApril 15, 2020 by Jake WarginWhile social distancing is the norm right now, it’s interesting to think about the ways we will collaborate—let alone what our attitudes will be toward working together again—when we return to the office. Here’s a look at some statistics and tips that illustrate the value of meeting together in person.2020 Conferencing Solutions Already Have More Downloads Than All of 2019Who hasn’t had a video call by now to catch up with their in-laws or have that weekly marketing meeting? While video conferencing is great, it’s not always ideal for productive work meetings. Faulty internet and audio connection are tolerable for some meetings—but most benefit from everyone being in the same room.It definitely makes one miss the days of face-to-face meetings. But will we find value again in having in-person meetings after video-conferencing for so long? And what are the solutions that can help us achieve social distancing within the workplace? Here’s a brief exploration.34x—the number of face-to-face meetings that are more successful than digital meetings. Even though 84% of people already prefer remote meetings to those in-person—a Harvard Business Review study found that face-to-face meetings are 34 times more successful than digital interactions. And that makes sense—whether it’s a sales presentation or collaborating with teammates under a hot deadline, we don’t have time for mute buttons, meeting IDs and choppy audio.40% close rate of face-to-face interactionsThere are over 35,000 co-working spaces worldwide set to reopen once we return to business as usual. Why not use it to your advantage? They’re ideal spaces for meeting with prospective clients and studies show face-to-face interactions lead to a 40% close rate.13.36—the average number of ideas generated during in-person meetingsWork smarter, not harder. Studies show remote meetings generate on average 10.43 ideas while in-person meetings generate an average of 13.364. There are important meeting and team dynamic nuances communicated when meeting together. Those things are lost when most of our communication is done through email chains and instant-messenger apps. So, let’s embrace meeting in person like never before once we get back to our offices.Transitioning back to work in an office will take some adjusting to. But with tools like Forum, we can think about maintaining these new social-distance norms while effectively sharing our ideas and presentations. Forum shares presentations to nearby devices without using the internet—this way you can still be six feet apart during in-person meetings without sacrificing the productivity you’re used to—and it has audience-engagement features that create a new level of collaboration.To learn more about Forum, click here.