The video conference is one of the most time saving new innovations in business today. However, there are also many disadvantages to the video conference that are not often discussed in the business world.
Video Conference
Advantages of the Video Conference
- The video conference cuts down on drive time.
Imagine the time and overhead that you would save if everybody did not have to drive to the same location to have a meeting. This is the main advantage of the video conference.
- The video conference allows those in remote locations to participate easily.
Especially in the event management business, there are often many different functions that must be brought together in order to pull off an event. The video conference allows those people in remote locations to easily participate in a larger meeting so that large directives can be easily communicated and worked out.
Disadvantages of the Video Conference
- It is sometimes impersonal.
Many times, the conference that is not done in person does not truly communicate the same energy that can be made by people in the same room as one another.
- Technical difficulties.
If a company relies too heavily on video conferencing, it can be sidetracked by technical difficulties quite easily. In remote areas, sometimes the technology simply does not allow for a video conference, and so a key person may be left out of the proceedings. Also, it is sometimes difficult for a meeting planner to plan a video conference for many different time zones; many times more than one is needed.
- Personal stake.
It is a relatively recent phenomenon that has been discovered – the farther away that a person is from the perceived hub of the video conference, the less he or she feels a central part of what is going on. Steps must definitely be taken, especially in the case of key employees, to make them feel a part of the process, and do not alienate them simply because they are physically away from the perceived central location where all of the movers and shakers are making the “real action” take place in the project or business.