As the weather gets warmer and the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues, outdoor meetings offer media companies an alternative to hosting video calls while working from home (which will likely remain the norm for several more months). Al fresco meetings are a great idea for advertising sales teams hoping to get some face time with their customers while staying safe and opting for fresh air rather than close indoor contact.
In this article, we’ll explore 7 ideas for your next outdoor meeting and share how Lineup Systems’ Adpoint Go solution can help you close deals from anywhere.
While the days of indoor events with large guest lists may still be a ways off in the future, the meeting and event industry is beginning to prepare for a virtual/in-person hybrid model. Publishers can take a few cues from event planners for their own sales meetings by heading outdoors for face-to-face conversations.
“Small, drive-to meetings will be one of the ways the event industry rebuilds and makes its comeback,” according to this article by Cvent. “These include internal meetings, workshops, and seminars, held locally with attendees from a close geographic area. The meetings will also likely be short, as prolonged close contact is thought to further spread the virus.”
Here are 7 outdoor meeting options for your media organization in 2021:
Getting fresh air while engaging in low impact exercise like walking is a safe and healthy way for your ad sales team to have some time away from their home offices and meet with prospects and customers in-person.
“A lot of folks often say they don’t have time after work to go to the gym or exercise,” Dr. Alberto Caban-Martinez, who helped conduct a walking meeting pilot study for the University of Miami, told CNN. “One of the things our pilot study showed is that converting some of the time you’re at work into a walking meeting is really beneficial to cardiovascular health and, potentially, even to productivity.”
In-house dining in restaurants declined by 37% in 2020 compared to 2019, according to research published by Statista. Supporting a local business while enjoying tasty cuisine is an excellent idea for your next meeting.
Tip: find out what your guest’s favorite food is, then suggest a restaurant that offers it on their menu. Your prospect or customer will likely be impressed by the personal touch.
Engaging in friendly competition on the golf course (or the driving range for less experienced golfers) is a great way to infuse some upbeat energy into your meeting environment. Be sure to choose a course with a difficulty level that suits your meeting attendees’ skills, and consider the time it will take to play 18 holes vs. 9.
“Planners can also consider a ‘scramble’, in which more experienced golfers are paired with less experienced players in a foursome. This format helps to take the pressure off,” suggests this article by Successful Meetings.
Whether the body of water nearest to you is a river, lake or ocean, all three options can make for a relaxing outdoor meeting environment. Another bonus? Proximity to water has been shown to foster creativity and better conversations — a perfect combination for an idea-driven industry like publishing.
Tip: bring several blankets to help ensure physical distancing, as well as cushions for added sitting comfort.
If you’re hosting guests in your local area and your company has an outdoor space where you can gather, take advantage of it! Welcoming customers to your home base for a meeting is a smart way to keep your media organization top of mind. Show off your stellar hospitality and arrange for lunch to be catered.
“Bento boxes and grab n’ go’s [are two ways] to solve the lunch and dinner dilemma,” according to this article by Cvent. “Businesses are also interested in learning about the cleanliness standards of food prep staff — and the protocols put in place to ensure minimal touch.”
Be tourists in your own city or town. Many municipalities have local parks with picturesque pathways and gardens that you can explore during your next outdoor meeting.
Visiting a local park is also a great option for entertaining out-of-town meeting guests, as these areas often feature historical information that you can share to keep conversation lively and not solely focused on business.
Going for a 40-minute walk in the forest has been proven to reduce stress and improve both physical and mental health. Take your next meeting into the trees, but be sure to choose an easy trail that’s wide enough for all hikers to maintain a safe distance. Pack a bagged lunch, drink in the fresh air and get down to business.
Tip: although vaccines are moving us in the right direction in the fight against COVID-19, it’s still important to minimize the risk to yourself and others during outdoor meetings. “If we turn up somewhere and that space is crowded, we should leave,” Gwen Murphy, Ph.D., director of epidemiology at LetsGetChecked told Architectural Digest.
To deliver an excellent customer experience, it’s essential to be able to travel where your deals take you and manage relationships, orders and finances on the go. Lineup Systems’ mobile app, Adpoint Go, enables publishers and their teams to have successful outdoor meetings with all the capabilities of the cloud-based Adpoint media sales management software at their fingertips.
Adpoint Go allows you to access customer information in real-time via the Adpoint database, view urgent messages and approve orders instantly, monitor order progress, track sales performance, and ultimately increase advertising revenue.
Learn more about how Adpoint Go can help your team host productive al fresco meetings.
