Face-to-face contact in business, for example with clients, colleagues and business partners, is key to maintaining good relationships and effective working practices, but when overseas travel is required costs to have meetings in person can quickly spiral. Therefore, intelligent business technology provider, the Remark Group is reminding companies that using cutting-edge audio and visual conferencing equipment and software could result in significant travel, and accommodation, savings.
In June, a report by the Global Business Travel Association suggested that the UK market would see a spending increase of four per cent in 2013 as a result of international outbound business. Supporting this, the 2013 Global Corporate Travel Forecast revealed that the estimated inflation rate for European hotel prices will be two per cent and ticket prices in Europe for global airfares are set to rise by three per cent.
Therefore, with the cost and frequency of meetings continuing to rise, businesses should be starting to organise next year’s travel budgets now and considering whether an upgrade to their existing video conferencing would minimise meeting costs in the long and short term. Furthermore, being able to hold virtual conferences is beneficial for businesses whose employees must travel from office to office for meetings within the UK; not only is the journey time saved, effectively making additional staff resource available, but also the company’s carbon footprint reduced.
Remark’s IT and AV Manager, David Lyons, commented: “Video conferencing is sometimes overlooked, but it is a very cost-effective way of maintaining face-to-face contact with colleagues and stakeholders. Virtual meetings cut travel costs, which can be huge if regular trips overseas are required, and they also allow the time that would have been spent on a plane, train or car to be used more productively.”
Remark, an accredited technology partner of Polycom, undertakes conferencing AV installation safely, to schedule and on budget, and specialises in the design and project management of bespoke solutions. Its specialist engineers, who understand the latest technologies on the market, can design, create and install audio and visual conferencing systems suited to any business’ needs.
For more information about Remark’s services, including video conferencing, installation of digital business telephone systems and commercial lighting, please visit www.remark-group.co.uk or call 0800 597 5558.
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About the Remark Group
A provider of intelligent business technology, the Remark Group, boasts an impressive portfolio of national blue chip clients and has an established reputation for building smarter connections in schools, offices and industrial premises.
An innovator in the design, installation and aftercare of bespoke services spanning ICT, data cabling, audio visual and electrical, Remark has enjoyed year-on-year growth while retaining its family-business values.
For media enquiries, please contact Georgina Dunkley or Keredy Andrews at Punch Communications – 01858 411 600 or remark@punchcomms.com.