5 reasons an in-person meeting may boost your business 

Video calls and webinars have given us a flexibility that was hard to imagine just a decade ago. But have we thrown the baby out with the bathwater? We’re all for efficiency and innovation, but here are a few reasons why your next meeting could be more beneficial if it were in person. 

1. Stronger relationship forming and more effective communication 

Let’s be honest, it’s hard to connect with your team or clients if you’ve got to stay on mute for most of the meeting. While virtual meetings help keep teams in touch, in-person meetings allow deeper, more meaningful relationships to grow. In fact, a Harvard survey found that huge majorities of professionals agree that face-to-face meetings are key to successful long-term workplace relationships and that they help build stronger team bonds and organisational culture. This could be because our brains interpret those short pauses between speakers as less friendly or stand-offish.  

Research also shows that in-person interactions allow you to pick up on body language, gestures, and nuanced expression that cameras and screens just can’t capture, helping to avoid miscommunication and build trust faster. Mehrabian’s famous formula states that 55% of communication is conducted through body language, 38% through tone of voice, and only 7% through spoken words.  Since non-verbal cues form such a large part of how we interpret messages, being in the same room gives you the richest communication experience possible. 

Whether you’re meeting with your team, a potential customer, or an important client, sharing the same physical space builds rapport more naturally than any virtual call. Many of our customers tell us that simply bringing clients into a dedicated Capital Space meeting room elevates the tone of the discussion and reinforces trust from the very first handshake. 

2. In-person meetings are more productive 

There’s something to be said for focus when everyone is present in the same space. A study out of Stanford found that in-person teams generate between 15% and 20% more ideas during collaborative sessions than groups meeting over video, especially when problem-solving or brainstorming. And, while many think that maximum attendance, which can be ensured through virtual meetings, will result in a more productive meeting, too many cooks can sometimes ruin the broth. One reddit poster commented:  

“Clients forward invitations like crazy. With the virtual meetings, there is almost no barrier to inviting more people, so most “small” sessions end up having 15 clients. So that is consuming the time of a bunch of people that didn’t really need to be there.” 

Even the best virtual meeting host can struggle with the engagement of large numbers of people when screens inherently limit interaction. Shared physical space, meanwhile, minimises off-task behaviour and keeps people rooted in the conversation at hand, which often means decisions are made quicker and follow-ups happen sooner. 

However, it could be the physical act of looking at the computer which hinders our creativity. One study paired up 1,500 engineers at a multinational company, asking some to meet face to face and some to meet virtually. By monitoring eye movement of participants, the researchers found that those in virtual meetings tended to look around less, stifling any creative speak that may have been generated by looking at an object. They concluded that those who met online consistently ranked lower on novelty and value of ideas.  

3. More opportunities for employees to stand out 

In a virtual meeting, some voices dominate while others stay quiet, while technical glitches can silence contributions entirely. In-person settings remove many of those barriers. People may feel more comfortable participating fully when they can read the room and engage directly with peers. However, individual and cultural differences also make a big impact. Research shows that men tend to be more vocal in virtual meetings, while women are more comfortable using the chat feature, however it can be a lot harder to encourage members to speak over a webcam.  

Being physically present also gives quieter team members a chance to shine. Some people who almost never speak up on video are far more likely to contribute ideas in a dedicated meeting room environment where everyone’s attention is on the same thing.  

This dynamic can help teams be more innovative and inclusive — and might even uncover ideas that might have gone unheard in a virtual setting. 

4. The chance of distractions drops dramatically 

Who here hasn’t been on a Zoom call when someone’s doorbell has rang or a cat jumped on the keyboard? Working from home can introduce a whole range of distractions that aren’t present in a dedicated meeting space. 

Surveys consistently find that remote workers report distractions while working from home, whether it’s household chores, children, pets, or sudden interruptions that pull them away from the meeting.  

At Capital Space meeting rooms, you get professional, distraction-free spaces with superfast internet and all the amenities you need, so connectivity and focus are the only things on the agenda. 

5. The power of overheard conversations and serendipity 

Some of the most game-changing business moments in history came from chance encounters. Whether it was Sergey Brin and Larry Page crossing paths, Steve Jobs meeting Steve Wozniak, or Paul McCartney being introduced to John Lennon at a local fete, serendipitous interactions often spark the next big idea. That kind of unplanned connection just doesn’t happen in scheduled Zoom boxes. 

Being in person creates opportunities for those “overheard conversation” moments, from hallway chats before a meeting to coffee breaks after, that can lead to new insights, new collaborations, or unexpected breakthroughs.  

Next time you’re lining up another virtual call, consider this: when your meeting goal is connection, creativity, or clarity, getting together in person may be the smarter strategic move. 

If you’re looking for office space from a provider that wants to support your business success, get in touch.