Room to coexist
But while other available technology is developing the way in which meetings are conducted, video conferencing could potentially change the face of meetings entirely — yet with a large number of businesses unconvinced at this step away from face to face meetings, will hotels want to adopt video conferencing at all?
Swank audiovisuals director and onsite partner at Park Hyatt, Scott Kellogg believes the two can coexist.
“Video conferencing can take many forms and serve many functions, and it has a place in hospitality and live events. Travel time and cost are a constant factor for those planning events. If a person can present an idea or concept to multiple locations at once, there isn’t just a cost saving, but there can be value in distributing that message all at once,” Kellogg argues.
“While a video conference will never take the place or maintain the same impact as someone in person, it can be a tool for communicating to those who may not have been able to participate locally.”
And it is the appeal of physically seeing someone during a business meeting which 3dve chief operating officer, Richard Scorsa, believes makes video conferencing such an attractive proposition.
“The ongoing drive to the ubiquity of video communications is often seen as a technology play. User based services such as You Tube and UStream; the technologies of industry leaders such as Cisco and Polycom’s TelepPresence; and, the eventual video access of the IPAD certainly have the wow factor that piques our interest,” Scorsa says.
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“The real driver though, lies not in the picture but in the very human need to remove the barriers to understanding — it is the never ending quest to approach the reality of same space interaction. Video — in ways audio alone cannot provide — allows us to duplicate more closely the visceral experience that drives our emotions, which in turn moves our perception and therefore it ultimately moves our decision making.
“The video genie is out and as the world’s infrastructure continues to evolve visual communications will change, in unforeseen ways, how we see the world and our roles in it.”
And as video conferencing continues to adapt and upgrade to suit the needs of business travelers, hotels will certainly need to think about including it as part of their meetings package if they want to remain at the forefront of meetings technology. And then it will be for the customer to decide if saving money on travel will cost them in networking.
Top 5 products recommended by suppliers
1 Media Hub HD by Teleadapt —allows guests to stream their audio through the in-room TV.
2 Chargehub by Teleadapt — a compact, mobile device charging station.
3 BeoVision 7-55 by Bang & Olufsen — 55 inch television for rooms and luxury suites.
4 BeoVision 4-103 by Bang & Olufsen — 103-inch television for conferencing.
5 Retractable LCD screen with built in microphone by Audipack — for conferencing.
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