We had our first live Collision Industry Conference in Phoenix in late April. The last live event was 15 months before. The excitement in the halls and in the meeting room was electric. Wonderful. A relief. And refreshing. Of course, there were many safety precautions including masks and social distancing and frequent cleansing. Yet it felt almost back to a state that we were accustomed to and comfortable with. The opportunity for direct personal interaction including side conversations, witnessing body language, and seeing presentations in person was awesome.
I’ve been contacted by some other industry people who represent entities that have put on live events in the past. One person thanked me — as CIC Chairman — and CIC for returning to a live event and told me that as a result his group proceeded with a live event in May. Someone has to be the first to jump off the dock. And frankly the water feels great!
That’s not to say there isn’t or won’t be some virtual element of these meetings to accommodate those who can’t attend (company travel restrictions, etc.) as well as those who prefer not to travel at this time. The recent CIC meeting could be attended either way. It is a lot more work and expense to have both. To manage such a meeting, it is necessary to not only monitor speaker/agenda times and content (for quality and compliance with antitrust regulation) but to also monitor virtual participants who must be admitted at specific times. Camera action, shrinking and enlarging various screens, and watching for sound and video quality are other requirements. Taking questions and answers in both live and virtual realms brings extra responsibilities. As does moving slides and handling videos. There are more people handling more things than the typical attendee may imagine, especially to make a high-quality presentation.
Don’t get me wrong. Virtual meetings, including virtual training, make a lot of sense in many ways, especially for efficiency and cost. And during the pandemic they have been an incredible solution for meetings and training. Most of us have become quite accustomed to having them frequently. And obviously they have driven down the overall cost of training. One would expect that virtual training and meetings will be prevalent for the foreseeable future.
But we must not overlook the value of in-person meetings. Past chairman of CIC George Avery has many times said, “You can’t shake hands through a phone.” The same applies to computer monitors and projector screens. You can’t observe subtle gestures and body language. Voice inflection may be lost. You can’t gauge the mood of others in the room or see their reactions. All of these and more contribute to the experience of live attendance, even though many are subtle. But they all contribute to the communication, experience, and overall impressions.
The opportunities to network, meet people and have hallway discussions are among the greatest strengths of in-person meetings. Gaining new relationships can be invaluable.
There are many people who struggle with virtual learning. We in the collision repair industry can probably think of many techs who are extremely talented and competent in their field yet struggle with forms of learning other than hands-on. Some simply learn best by witnessing and then physically attempting the process being taught. Having someone looking over their shoulder coaching the specific aspects and nuances of the actions to accomplish the task can be invaluable, yet impossible to replicate in a virtual environment. Repairing structural damage can be a good example. To be able to sense how pulling equipment feels and sounds as chains and brackets and clamps work in harmony to move structure to a specific spot or shape. Even the sense of overcompensating and witnessing the structure move back as it relaxes. Again, it is impossible to replicate completely in a virtual world.
We as humans are social creatures. We have a need and desire to interact with others. Some of us even more than others. And the benefits are very significant, though sometimes underrated. We must remember and recognize this as we adjust to our ever-changing world. And thank goodness our world is starting to allow us to interact again.