The newly launched "airline" Flypowwownow has seen record registrations as UK based SMEs choose to conference call instead of flying to meetings, proving that indeed conference calls do win business!
Powwownow’s latest offer to giveaway 5,000
free conference calls was created as a response to British Airways’ latest campaign to offer 5,000 free business flights to SMEs, these SMEs still being liable for the taxes and charges though amounting to hundreds of pounds. Powwownow has been overwhelmed by the response with over 3,500 businesses taking advantage of the offer.
‘Here at Powwownow we totally agree that meeting
face to face is a great way of doing business, but we also live in the real world and know that SMEs simply can’t afford to fly everywhere. It’s expensive for them and costly for the environment. Instead of worrying people into taking unnecessary flights, we thought we would do something positive and offer free conference calls with absolutely no hidden charges’ Andy Pearce, CEO, Powwownow.
Powwownow decided to take on the aviation industry after BA flew Boris Johnson business class to New York back in September, where he told an assembled press conference that video conferencing didn’t work
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/sep/15/boris-johnson-british-airwaysPowwownow duly responded:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/sep/17/boris-johnson-business-flightsThis was followed by a campaign by Flybe called ‘Business is Better Face to Face’. Adverts appeared in the National press urging businesses to fly to meetings and proclaiming that ‘Conference Calls Don’t Win Business’. Powwownow felt that this was a very irresponsible and issued a response
http://www.powwownow.co.uk/lifebehindblog/?p=729. Flybe’s Simon Lilley responded
http://www.powwownow.co.uk/lifebehindblog/?p=807 and actually said
‘sure we use conference calls’ !To take advantage of Powwownow’s latest offer simply register at
http://www.flypowwownow.co.uk./