As increased competition forces meeting planners to make meetings more productive, they’re beginning to shift the traditional
spending mix toward a new focus on content.
Industry research shows that an average corporate meeting costs about $235,000. Of that amount, the smallest fraction is spent
delivering or enhancing meeting content. In fact, surveys show that only 3% of meeting spending go towards supporting content
through audio visual or other means. Three times that amount, however, goes toward food and beverage. More money is
typically spent on coffee and Danish alone rather than the content.
Now, meeting planners are changing that. Budgets are shifting toward new, affordable, audience interaction technology that is
transforming meetings into measurable interactive events. But, industry surveys show that 63 percent of CEO’s don’t even know
such technology exists. As a result, there’s still a major budget disparity, tipping the scales away from meeting effectiveness.
“So, many corporations aren’t spending their money to ensure effective meetings, but to ensure the cherry Danish at the
breakfast bar is full,” said Rick Baker, president and founder of Meridia, a Philadelphia-based interactive information company.
Meridia’s wireless audience response system is one of the newest audience response technologies to make meetings more
productive.
The Northwestern School of Speech reports that the attention span of an audience is approximately nine seconds. Survey
research among meeting participants shows that Meridia’s interactive meetings achieve significantly higher levels of
attentiveness throughout the meeting. Audience interaction also increases understanding and retention of important
information.
Meridia developed the system, which consists of individual hand-held wireless keypads audience members use to respond
immediately and anonymously to pre-planned and impromptu questions. The questions, posed by presenters throughout a
meeting, are displayed on a large video screen at any time.
An on-site computer using Meridia’s software instantly compiles the results and displays them on the same screen in
three-dimensional color bar charts. The percentage or number of audience members voting for each answer can also be
revealed. “Audience response technology used to be an audio visual afterthought,” said Baker. “Now it’s become a priority.
Meridia’s interactive meetings generate lasting enthusiasm and a level of post-meeting action that the old, static meeting style
could never achieve. By re-focusing their budgets more toward meeting content, meeting planners are ensuring better results
and more bang for the buck.”
Such audience interaction technology is used to measure changes in knowledge levels, track-evolving perceptions, and evaluate
meeting effectiveness. Results of each question can be displayed by rank order or against averages, and be tracked and
cross-tabbed according to demographic or other criteria. The resulting information can be used to tailor the content, direction
and pace of individual meetings or meeting sessions. Immediately following the meetings, printed disk copies of the results can
be made available for members or presenters for review or analysis. The Meridia system can accommodate a handful of
attendees to meetings of thousands.
Meridia also benefits meeting presenters. Presenters using the Meridia system have been rated by attendees as being
significantly more interesting, more professional, and more persuasive than presenters delivering traditional, static
presentations.
“Traditional meetings have held audiences hostage for too long,” said Baker. “Meridia provides managers with a powerful tool to
measure and track the success of each meeting. More and more major corporations are shifting their budgets toward increased
meeting Return on Investment.
