We can do almost everything online these days. Meetings can happen on Zoom. Questions can be answered by AI. Information is available at the click of a button. We can connect with people all over the world without leaving our desks.

So why are business events still so popular?

Look at events such as Ideas Fest, taking place this week. It brings thousands of entrepreneurs, founders and business leaders together for two days of talks, workshops and, importantly, conversations. This year’s event even has a dedicated Franchise Launchpad, giving people the chance to explore franchising as a route into business ownership.

Perhaps the answer is quite simple – information isn’t the same as interaction. Sometimes you just need to talk to someone.

There is a lot that technology does brilliantly. A Zoom call can save hours of travelling. An email gives you time to think about what you want to say. AI can help with research, analysis and all sorts of tasks that would once have taken considerably longer. But none of these quite replaces sitting down with someone and having a proper conversation.

You can pick up things in person that are difficult to capture on a screen. A person’s enthusiasm. Their hesitation. Their sense of humour. The questions they ask. The things they don’t say. Sometimes a five-minute conversation at an event can be more useful than several emails. And sometimes you don’t even know what you need to ask until you’re talking to someone who has been through something similar.

Business networking

We’re seeing the same appetite for face-to-face communication in business networking.

Our consultant, Rebecca Newenham, hosts her own Get Connected and Link Up (formerly LinkedIn Local) networking events for business owners, giving people the opportunity to meet, chat and build relationships in person.

They have proved popular for a reason. LinkedIn is a great way to make connections, but there is a difference between being connected to someone and actually getting to know them.

The same applies to exhibitions. We’ve had countless conversations at franchise exhibitions that started with a fairly simple question and ended up somewhere completely different. That is often where the value is.

You can have a conversation without an agenda. Explain what you’re considering. Ask questions. Talk about challenges. Or simply realise that franchising may, or may not, be right for your business.

Franchising is particularly personal

For us, this is especially relevant because franchising is ultimately about people. Of course, systems, processes, financial models, legal agreements, and technology are involved in building a successful franchise. But a franchise relationship is still a relationship.

If you’re considering franchising your business, you need to feel comfortable with the people advising you. You need to be able to ask questions and have an honest conversation about your business, including the things that might make franchising more difficult.

And if you’re considering becoming a franchisee, you need to get a feel for the people behind the brand. What are they like to work with? Do you trust them? Do they understand what you are looking for? Those are difficult things to work out from a website.

Technology hasn’t made face-to-face obsolete

If anything, the growth of AI and digital communication may make genuine human interaction more valuable. When information is increasingly easy to find, the value isn’t necessarily in having access to more information. It’s in knowing what to do with it.

Experience, judgement and relationships still matter.

Technology can help us prepare for a conversation. It can help us research the options and make better use of our time. But it can’t completely replace the value of sitting across a table from someone and saying: “This is what I’m thinking. What do you reckon?”

Exhibitions still have a place

The National Franchise Exhibition takes place at the NEC in Birmingham on 2 and 3 October, bringing together franchise brands, industry experts, finance providers, specialist lawyers and people exploring franchising. There is also a programme of more than 50 free talks and educational sessions. We’ll be there too, and we’re looking forward to having that face-to-face interaction.

If you’re thinking about franchising your business, it is a chance to talk to people who understand the process and ask the questions that are relevant to your business. You don’t need to have everything worked out before you arrive. In fact, that’s rather the point.

Sometimes the most useful thing you can do is have a conversation. And then see where it takes you.