‘What is the experience?’ By Mike Van der Vijer


Inertia. A simple principle from physics: a mass that is moving in a certain direction requires a force to change its course or to make it stop.


Of course, we all know that inertia applies to humans as much as it does to rocks or super tankers. We do many (many!) things how we have always done them. Often this is useful. Breathing is a good example. The way we do it serves the right purpose and there is no better alternative. But we also know many examples of where it would be better to do things differently. While we don’t. Inertia.


Connections breaks the inertia that has held Business-to-Business meetings in a stranglehold for decades. For in most cases, these meetings defy the most important characteristics of meetings as a form of communications: meetings give participants an experience. Not the opportunity of an experience – no, an experience, period. And what is that experience most of the time? Sitting at a table in an uninspiring environment, exchanging factual information that can be found on the web. The inspiration is saved for the evenings, where a lot of it is fogged up by large amounts of alcohol. It is true, some exceptions are known, but only some.


Last week, I was in an Asian capital for a B2B meeting. It was held in the basement of a five-star hotel. No daylight. No vegetation. No wind caressing my hair and no birdsong. No butterflies around me and no orchids. Instead ugly carpet and fortunately great food. So the latter automatically becomes a major attraction. Speakers? Yes, but it is tough to be inspiring if everyone knows that the real tropical butterflies are outside…


And so, Connections is breaking that mould of the “usual” meetings, is applying the positive force that makes the mass change direction. Not just for the sake of breaking it (well, perhaps some of that, too…), but because we know what is more effective. We know because recent research in neuropsychology tells us which force to apply. We already indicated this in our previous blog: creating memories of shared positive experiences is the best way to establish trust between people and trust is the most important contributor to to successful business relations. To all relations, for that matter. to successful business relations. To all relations, for that matter.


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The next generation of B2B meetings is here and Connections is inventing them as we are speaking. Have a look at the reactions from our participants in Connections Luxury Travel: [youtube. com/watch?v=OfbdL_VCvck] . As you can see and hear, that next generation of B2B meetings is rightfully called H2H: Human-to- Human. Humans meet humans, in the interest of humanity. Yes, also in the interest of pure business, because otherwise businesses wouldn’t survive. But humanity is more important.


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