IACC External Meetings Demand Report 2022

Sustainability Meeting organisers have become far more aware of the importance of being sustainable in their operations. Therefore, the idea of “green” locations and partnerships has become more popular over the last decade. This trend has almost become a must instead of a desire in 2020 (DeFabrique, 2020). 2.1.2 Decentralisation of the Work Environment People are the driving force behind the changing and development of markets. With a shift in demographics, comes chan ging markets and this results in a needed adjustment in a company’s business strategy (Freedman, 2020). The worldwide pandemic has caused a significant shift in how people live and work around the world (Fogarty et al., n.d.). With the help of a screen and an internet connection, entire families are completing essential functions such as schooling, business, shopping from their own homes. COVID-19 has altered our perceptions of cities (Matthews, 2020). People have learned that they no longer need to live close to work since offices are closing. They might as well move further away to save the difference in rent. Employees looking for job opportunities are no longer restricted to searching in their immediate vicinity. Companies can hire qualified people halfway around the world if they want to. For the fastest-growing companies, being able to tap into talent anywhere became more important than having all their teams in one place ( Adams, 2021). This means that getting your workforce together for a weekly meeting is much more difficult when done in-person. A solution to this spread-out workforce is setting up satellite offices closer to employees' homes, also known as decentralising the office. This way of working eliminates dependency on a single central office, provides teams with accessible, flexible, and comfortable work environments. The pandemic hastened the transition to a dispersed work environment. Companies are increasingly seeking flexible workplace solutions to de- densify their existing office space as limitations are removed and people return to the office (Hogarty, 2021). The key to a decentralised workforce is staying connected. It is essential that besides coming to the office, there are frequent meetings. One of the ways the event business will rebuild, and recover will be through small, drive-to meetings. Internal meetings, workshops, and seminars, for example, will be held locally with people from a specific geographic area (Boley, 2021). To stay in touch with teams from other areas, hybrid events could then be applied (Chaudhury, 2021). 2.1.3 The Rising Importance of Technology in a Decentralised work Environment The advancement of the Internet and mobile technology has made remote work from home both possible and practicable, resulting in a more decentralised workforce structure. Companies have had to design incentives to keep workers satisfied and lured to the office (Bergeron, 2021) . What is the point of having an office if you are not going to use it? After the pandemic, some days of the week will be spent working from home — anywhere from one to three days each week. A hybrid model is expected to evolve, balancing the benefits of distant work with the benefits of social contacts, as well as the creativity and innovation created by working with others in-person ( Fogarty et al., n.d .) As office sizes shrink and workforces spread out, meeting organisers will have to start thinking small and local. Although the numbers will need to be adjusted to reflect what is permitted in each area, it is feasible to organise an event with a small number of physical attendees/participants and broadcast the sessions to a much larger audience online. Organising meetings and conferences close to where your attendees reside will help your visitors feel safe and secure. The worry of infection will automatically reduce if people are not traveling from other areas to attend your meeting. In other words, because these kinds of meetings address

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