Holiday Inn Studies Meeting Behavior

LONDON— Holiday Inn recently commissioned research of British business people to learn more about current behavior and attitude in meeting rooms across the United Kingdom. Londoners blame traffic as the biggest cause of lateness to a meeting, while the rest of the UK blames pet emergencies and sick children. The research also revealed some risqué ways people pass the time. Imagining everyone else in the room naked and playing “footsie” under the table were popular choices for both men and women, according to the survey. Sending humorous messages to other people in the meeting and using irrelevant words, such as toupee and aardvark, are also common forms of entertainment in meetings. Emma Doggart, spokesperson for Holiday Inn, noted that the online survey gives the hotel chain “insight into the way people view meetings and what prevents them from being ready for business.” She added that a “vast” number of meetings take place in Holiday Inns in the UK on a daily basis.