Now — Conferences by Video Link
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb057453 |
| Date | 01 September 1986 |
| Pages | 12-13 |
| Published date | 01 September 1986 |
| Author | Peter Nash |
| Subject Matter | Economics,Information & knowledge management,Management science & operations |
Now —
Conferences
by Video Link
by Peter Nash
Head of Videoconferencing, British
Telecom International
When last November's CBI Conference invited the President
of the US Chamber of Commerce to speak, Dick Lesher was
able to address the
1,000-plus
delegates at Harrogate face
to face — without leaving his Washington base.
And when over 20,000 American lawyers visited London
with their families last year for the American Bar Associa-
tion Conference, colleagues back home were able to debate
points of law with the Conference experts — up to 6,000
miles away. They achieved this via a two-hour "live" video-
conferencing hook-up between Grosvenor House and seven
US hotels.
A videoconference link was a "first" for the CBI Conference,
but conference organisers in the US and Canada have been
able to schedule such guest appearances by satellite or land
line for over 15 years. One reason is that these countries
are criss-crossed with hotels and business centres fully
equipped with teleconferencing facilities which only recently
have become widely available in Britain.
But it will not be long before major hotels in every large UK
city can offer video link facilities for conferences through
permanent installations. As it is, British Telecom International
(BTI) can set up videoconferencing links as required for in-
dividual events, nationwide and internationally, between
hotels, colleges and even factories.
Giant projects, like the American Bar Association, should
not deter the smaller company. A "conference" can be as
small as two people. The Ford Motor Company was able
to accelerate the launch of a new model by three months,
through regular videoconferences between small groups of
technicians in the UK and West Germany. Similar technical
"telemeetings" among multinational companies — or bet-
ween customer and supplier — are an obvious development.
Studio facilities throughout Britain are available for hire for
"video meetings" as short as 30 minutes, and for any
number of individuals.
Economy is the obvious advantage of a video link. Instead
of sending a dozen executives to New York — or flying in
a VIP by Concorde for a key meeting — a company can save
executive time, stress and travel costs. Moreover, several
videoconferences can be linked simultaneously.
An executive can give his expertise at several locations at
once,
and multiply his productivity. Meanwhile his base of-
fice is not deprived of his time. Both parties can pull in
resources and people from their own office during the
meeting,
which adds to its effectiveness. Telemeetings also
tend to achieve more by focusing closely on the agenda.
A less obvious benefit to companies is the novel impact of
videoconferencing, which is still relatively unknown in some
countries. For example, "live" staff training can be arrang-
ed in many locations throughout Britain or the world, at a
fraction of the cost of despatching entire teams to training
venues. This happened when the Central Environmental Pro-
tection Agency in the US mounted a seminar on emergen-
cy co-ordination procedures for local water authorities. It
faced the choice of pulling in water system managers from
30 cities — an expensive option — or of linking them by
"telemeeting". The agency chose the latter via satellite
transmission, followed by local workshops, and gained a six-
figure saving in public funds.
Where Videoconferences Pay
Sales presentations
Contract negotiations
Product launches
Press receptions
Staff conferences
Customer seminars
Dealer conventions
Staff briefings
Training courses
Technical workshops
Product developments
Award presentations
Annual General Meetings
Management games
After-dinner speakers
"Guest expert" debates
"Video visits" to difficult locations
Pay bargaining
Industrial relations problems
Company crisis situations
Mergers and takeovers
Key staff recruitment
Staff opinion canvassing
Market attitude surveys
"Focus group" customer debates
12 IMDS • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER • 1986
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