It seems that research on the value of face-to-face business marketing is crawling out of the woodwork lately. Perhaps the economic crisis of late has reminded CEOs, decision makers and marketers just how important their clients and customers are, and thus a reinvigorated interest in face-to-face communication.
Its appeal is simple: relationships are important in business, and the best way to create a relationship with a customer is to meet — face-to-face. Thus, the collective travel, exhibitions and events and meetings industry has begun to invest more resources into producing research-based studies on how to best maintain customer relationships using meetings and events.
Even organizations that don’t rely on personal contact are now flying this banner. The Harvard Business Review just published a study on the value of face-to-face communication, offering some resounding facts on this method of doing business. In a global online survey of 2,300 HBR subscribers, 79% said that face-to-face meetings are the most effective way to “meet new clients to sell business.”
The Review has published its entire report and made it available online - just click here to read more on the power of face-to-face in Managing Across Distance in Today’s Economic Climate.
Perhaps the ‘golden age of exhibitions and events’ is just around the corner.
