What do you prefer for business meeting, traditional or online meeting?

There is a place in business for both
methods.

The traditional meeting "in person" can be time
consuming, difficult to organise in terms of location, timing and fitting into
everyone's diaries and other commitments.  On the other hand, people appreciate being
able to interact on a personal level with their
colleagues.

The online meeting can save on expensive travel
costs and can be recorded for those unable to attend if this is suitable.  But reliable
technology is required, this can often be problematic and makes the online meeting
ineffective if there is a difficulty with broadband for example.  This can cause
frustration.  The online environment is not always conducive to concentration as other
distractions can pull the attendees away from the meeting unless it is properly
managed.  There are always those who have a general dislike or suspicion of technology
and will always prefer traditional formats.

There are some
very effective Webinar packages which will allow for the presentation of excellent
online meetings and the inclusion of interactive slides and visuals.  Skype and other
videoconferencing methods are popular too but the traditional face to face meeting is
often preferred for its social context and fulfils the need for people to maintain
contact and to build rapport in a business context.