Destination meetings and corporate travel strikes a nerve in this economy, and Manpower Inc. made the decision not to host its 2009 Global Leadership Team meeting in Milwaukee as it has in the past. In late 2008, Manpower turned to its IT consulting partner PointBridge to take its January meeting online, looking to cut costs by hosting a three-day meeting in the cloud. In just seven weeks, PointBridge planned, built and deployed a virtual meeting using Microsoft SharePoint Online, creating a robust meeting experience for 160 senior Manpower executives around the world. The meeting was compelling and interactive, and generated rave reviews from participants who preferred the online event to a traditional meeting format. The business advantage goes beyond effectiveness to also include a fast return on investment and cost savings going forward. In just 3 years, Manpower will save around $1,400,000 in trave and expenses associated with this annual planning event.
Manpower Inc.’s leadership team hails from all corners of the world: the U.S., China, Greece, India, Denmark, New Zealand and points between. They all benefited from new SaaS technologies that enable lively meetings that not only replicate every aspect of an on-site event, but also provide an enhanced user experience. “The virtual format is engaging,” wrote one Manpower attendee in his feedback. “Great meeting, great experience,” enthused another. “I felt it was MORE personal; I got to know more people than I have in the past,” agreed another. Several noted the online format actually improved communication and collaboration, allowing them to work together with their colleagues around the world. Virtual events took place around the clock at times convenient for the global team. The meeting featured kick-off and wrap up keynotes, individualized daily schedules for attendees, announcements, video presentations, work assignments, discussion groups, surveys and a board that tracked participant progress. All meeting content is now cached online for review. The January meeting saved Manpower substantial time and money while establishing the highest levels of communication, collaboration and productivity. The virtual meeting format is also a more eco-friendly approach to business. Manpower’s investment included the cost of the PointBridge consulting team’s time to envision, plan and build the solution, plus the cost of SharePoint Online. Manpower’s total investment in the solution of less than $50K is dwarfed by the potential cost of flights and hotels to bring the global leadership team together for an on-site meeting. The Global Leadership Team plans to use the SharePoint Online solution again next year for the 2010 meeting.