Do people retain information better in face-to-face meetings?

A massive 78% of delegates say you can’t beat meeting in person, with gatherings of less than ten attendees being favoured by 97% of respondents, according to research by Loughborough University School of Business and Economics and Imago.

The main reason is due to the power of nonverbal cues such as body language, eye contact and gestures, to reinforce messages. Face-to-face communication advantages can never be achieved by telephone conference calls, where delegates are reliant on tone of voice.

Benefits of in-person meetings

When we meet someone in person, our brain processes a continual flow of nonverbal cues, using them to build trust and professional intimacy. Through face-to-face interactions, we can interpret what colleagues say to us partially from what is said, and also through the subtle emotional signals behind those words. It’s an information-rich form of communication using a combination of vocal tone, facial expression and body language.

Face-to-face meetings teach us how to improve communication skills, as they provide us with feedback immediately, so we know whether our ideas are being accepted. By monitoring other attendees’ facial expressions in reaction to what’s being said, a speaker can help listeners  follow the conversation by modifying their tone accordingly if they detect it isn’t going well.

Meeting in person helps us to retain information because we remember much more of what we’ve seen, rather than what we simply hear. Delegates are often more persuasive in their argument when they are being both seen and heard.

Stronger emotional connections

In-person meetings foster engagement and understanding, consequently improving retention, by building a stronger emotional connection. People tend to pay more attention to live interactions, with the conversations being more memorable when tied to emotions.

The clarification provided by tone and nonverbal clues, in addition to the immediate feedback, can help avoid misunderstandings and solve any issues in real time.

A face-to-face meeting provides a multi-sensory learning experience, with visual and auditory cues to help reinforce messages.

Face-to-face vs remote

While remote meetings and video conferences have their place in the business world, nothing can beat face-to-face gatherings. Conference calls and Zoom meetings have their potential downsides such as distractions for colleagues working from home, a lack of engagement and the potential for misinterpretation.

Studies show booking external purpose built meeting rooms in London has grown in popularity in recent years. While Zoom calls became the norm when necessity dictated their use during the Covid-19 pandemic, this served to remind people what they were missing in terms of face-to-face events. After the pandemic ended, meeting room bookings increased threefold in six months as a flurry of teams rushed to reserve their space.

Attendees also realise the benefits of hiring a meeting room in London to escape the potential distractions of meeting at the regular office, where phone calls and interruptions can cause distractions.

Companies who hire a meeting room with the latest technology are elevating the importance of the event for the team, especially when organising refreshments or lunch as part of the package, as this can be a key part of the overall employee experience.

Of course, there will always be an occasion when a team needs to connect with some colleagues remotely, so it’s useful to have the technology available in the shape of video conferencing facilities should the need arise to have a hybrid meeting.

In addition, in-person communication is most beneficial for particular types of gatherings, such as when complex discussions are necessary; for brainstorming sessions; and to enhance relationship building.

Improve rapport and collaboration

When we achieve a genuine rapport with fellow team members, we subconsciously match our movements and body positions with each other – a phenomenon caused by the brain’s “mirror neurons”. This is a neural mechanism that occurs automatically when we spend time together and see others perform similar actions. As well as subconsciously mimicking behaviour, we tend to mirror sensations and feelings as well, creating a greater rapport and sense of collaboration.

This is because humans are born with an innate capability to recognise interpersonal cues to enhance communication and provide a significant channel of information. If denied these nonverbal cues, our attention tends to start wandering and we may fail to retain the information as effectively as a result.

As a professional business, it’s important to consider meetings in-person to help improve workplace efficiency.