12 the uses of corporate meetings many corporate

1.2 The Uses of Corporate Meetings
Many corporate events companies or corporations worldwide are established to fulfil
the consumers’ demand for such goods and services. Surveys consistently show that
corporate meetings make up a large proportion of all business events. It is interesting to
note that although participant numbers for the most high-profile corporate events can rise
into the hundreds and even thousands, the vast majority of corporate meetings involve
much smaller numbers of attendees who gather together for a few hours.
Corporate meetings are defined as:
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EMT201 Corporate, SMERF, and Political Meetings
“routine gatherings that enable employers, employees and colleagues to interact
with each, or allow company representatives to engage with their various external
stakeholders“ (Davidson R., 2019, page 23).
These meetings are essential to the success of any company. They help organisations
achieve commercial goals and are also effective in fostering and strengthening working
relationships.
Corporate meetings take a number of distinct forms, differing from each other in terms
of their purpose, participants involved, size of the group, and the overall design of the
event. However, the most common types of meetings are as follows:
1.2.1 Staff Meetings
An indispensable element of internal corporate communications, staff meetings offer
participants the opportunity to meet face-to-face, catch up, brainstorm, and hold group
discussions. They provide a forum for the vertical and horizontal exchange of information.
Such events can be particularly important during periods of change within companies or
within the market environment in which they operate.
Face-to-face staff meetings can also be used as part of the decision-making process
within companies, as employees generally feel more motivated and loyal towards their
companies when they are consulted on decisions affecting their jobs. Shone (2014)
emphasises that staff meetings that are used as part of decision-making process are held
for the purpose of making a decision and ensuring that any decision that arises was the
result of both a coherent process and communal choice.
1.2.2 Sales Meetings
Rogers and Davidson (2016) define a sales meeting as “a regular forum used by
management to impart information, enthusiasm and team spirit to those selling their
products and services” (p. 5). During such events, sales figures for a particular period are
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EMT201 Corporate, SMERF, and Political Meetings
generally reviewed, and the achievements of particularly high-performing sales staff may
be recognised and praised.
The type of information imparted generally concerns changes in the company’s market
share, competitors’ activities, or new legislation that affects the selling process. Such
meetings also provide sales staff the opportunity to share their experiences, positive and
negative, of selling with those present.