Face to face meetings increase in value post-Covid, finds NZ survey

Covid-19 has increased the value New Zealanders put on face to face meetings, according to new research conducted for Tourism New Zealand. A study of 125 New Zealand-based organisations found that 97% are planning to hold a business event in 2021 – up from 94% of respondents to a survey conducted in May 2020. The study also found that 92% considered in-person conferences and offsite meetings important for their organisation, up from 79% of respondents in a similar May 2020 survey. More than half (56%) said they appreciate the importance of face to face meetings more now than pre-Covid-19, up from 39% in May. Tourism New Zealand Global Manager Business Events, Lisa Gardiner, said: “We used to take meeting in person for granted and when we weren’t able to, we realised the value of face to face. This is reflected in the increasing number of people planning to hold an event in 2021.” Nearly half (45%) said that Covid-19 had affected what they look for in a destination for meetings and conferences. Those surveyed said social distancing, greater flexibility with changes and cancellations, and providing tech solutions are now more important in their decision making. Gardiner added: “The cautious approach to meeting face to face will require our venues and suppliers to ensure they are providing a safe environment.”