Americans Rank Their Most and Least Favorite People and Places to Meet Preferring Newman-Woodward to Pitt-Jolie, and Home-sweet-home to Golf Course; IRS and Dentist Are Meetings to Avoid SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – February 13, 2006 – While Valentine’s Day – the annual meeting of the hearts – only occurs once a year, a national poll finds that when it comes to life’s everyday meetings, we either love ‘em or hate ‘em depending on who we’re meeting with, why, and where. In a recent survey of American adults conducted by the polling company, inc. and sponsored by GoToMeeting, a leader in online meetings, respondents were asked for their preferences from a list of hypothetical get-togethers ranging from business tycoons, celebrities, sports icons and larger-than-life historical figures. Celebrities Top the List of People We’d Most Like to Meet
America’s love affair with celebrities continues – whether it’s business tycoons or superstar athletes – as the people we would most like to meet. - Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey trumped Donald Trump in the business tycoon category. Bill Gates of Microsoft was a close second choice, followed next by Steve Jobs of Apple, Trump, Martha Stewart, and Virgin Airlines founder Richard Branson.
- Sports superstars Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong tied in the professional athlete category, beating out Michele Kwan, Shaquille O’Neil, Tom Brady, and Derek Jeter.
- Among celebrity couples, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward – who just marked their 48th wedding anniversary – came out ahead of glitzier, of-the-moment pairings of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck, and Madonna and Guy Ritchie.
- A meeting with Abraham Lincoln was the leading choice among historical figures, followed in order of preference by Leonardo Da Vinci, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, Jr., Thomas Jefferson, and Christopher Columbus.
There’s No Place Like Home to Meet
The poll confirms that home is where the heart is for Americans – ranking it as our favorite place to hold a meeting away from the office – thanks to today’s remote meeting technology. Even the golf course was preferred by only 6% of respondents, who also shunned luxurious options like cruise ships in favor of holding a business meeting from home. IRS is Worse than the Dentist
Leading the poll with the highest percentage of negative responses, a whopping 41% said that the meeting they would most like to avoid is with the IRS, followed by an appointment with their dentist (20%), and a chance encounter with a former spouse or former lover (13%), which troubled men more than women. Men were more likely than women to be wary of a run-in with Uncle Sam (45% vs. 38%). Women, on the other hand, were more likely than men to be fearful of the dentist’s chair (23% vs. 16%). As for in-laws, men and women were equally cautious about such meetings. Meetings Made Easy Anytime, Anywhere
Two-time winner of the PC Magazine Editors’ Choice Award, Citrix® GoToMeeting™ provides the easiest, most secure, most cost-effective, and fastest solution available for online meetings, training sessions, and collaborative gatherings. Anyone with a PC and an Internet browser can host, attend, or participate within seconds. For further information and a free trial: http://www.gotomeeting.com. Methodology
This survey of 800 adults aged 18 and older, was conducted by the polling company, inc., January 28-30, 2006. Margin of error was +/- 3.4% at the 95% confidence level, meaning that in 19 out of 20 cases, the results obtained would differ by no more |
