It used to be that if you said you were going to attend a meeting, that meant you were physically going to go somewhere and meet with another party. However, with all of the new technology out there, the traditional way of holding a meeting has drastically changed. One technology that is gaining more popularity in the meeting world is video conferencing, as the advances in secure networking have made this a more feasible solution. It has a lot of advantages, but people are still hesitant to use it because they’d still prefer to meet in person. This brings up the question: Is video conferencing as effective as meeting in person? The answer to this depends on a number of factors, including the following two major ones which I’m going to discuss: The type of meeting you’re planning and your target audience.

Type of Meeting

This is important because what kind of meeting you’re having can sometimes make your decision for you. For example, if you’re having a meeting to go over someone’s performance, a face to face chat would be best if possible. However, if you’re having a regular meeting such as a status meeting, or a meeting to go over technical specs, then a video conference would probably be the way to go if it’s more convenient. The point is that some types of meetings lend themselves better to one road or the other.

Target Audience

Your target audience is a huge factor in determining what medium you should use for your meeting. An example of a meeting that can be easily done via video conferencing would be a stock holders meeting. On the flip side, if you know that you’re audience needs constant supervision to keep their attention focused on the meeting, then an in person session is the way to go. Think about who will be attending the meeting and let that help you decide which medium to use.

In the end, it comes down to your personal decision. You have to weigh all of the factors and determine which works best for you. The point is that you can’t eliminate either one right off the bat, make sure you really put some thought into each option before making your decision.

*This is a sponsored post.