In-person Meetings are Booming: Zoom is Declining!

ccording to research by Microsoft between 2020 and 2023, the number of Teams meetings tripled. People complained of inefficient virtual meetings with 55% saying the next steps at the end of a meeting were unclear and 56% that it was hard to summarise what happened. 

Jamie Dimon chief executive of JP Morgan the banking behemoth, has weighed in urging employees to kill Zoom meetings “If they happen, make sure they have a hard start and end time, and a clear purpose. Organise them so they are only attended by relevant participants. 

Sometimes we think we’re just being nice by inviting people to a meeting who don’t have to be there.” Calls for meetings are generally warmly received. A couple of years ago, Shopify, the e-commerce company, received wide attention for cancelling Wednesday meetings and those with more than two people.

Meanwhile, the market for in-person conferences and events is growing and is seen as ever more valuable:

  • 32% of planners report being more optimistic about their meetings and events programs, which remains higher than those who are feeling less optimistic (23%).

  • 79% of planners say their or their clients’ organisations view events as significantly more valuable or somewhat more valuable than other sales, marketing, or business development initiatives. 

  • Nearly 9 out of 10 planners expect in-person onsite and offsite meetings to increase in 2025.

Here at Cavendish Venues, London's leading group of dedicated conference and meeting venues for 25 years, we have been. hosting in-person and streamed conferences and events. If you are looking to book a conference or meeting, get in touch on 0207 706 7700 or enquires@cavendishvenues.com.