Client Meeting Between Cities – Find Fair Business Meeting Locations
Meeting a client from another city? Picking a venue that respects both parties' time builds trust and shows professionalism from the start.
Asking a client to travel 3 hours while you drive 30 minutes sends the wrong message. Fair business meeting locations demonstrate that you value their time as much as your own.
Why Cross-City Client Meetings Feel Unbalanced
Common challenges:
- You suggest your city (convenient for you, burdensome for them)—feels presumptuous
- They suggest their city (convenient for them, costly for you)—you feel undervalued
- The "let's meet in the middle" conversation drags on for days
- Someone ends up traveling 2x farther, creating subtle power imbalance from day one
- Travel costs and time eat into the ROI of the meeting
You're an account manager in Austin meeting a new client in Dallas (3.5-hour drive). They suggest Dallas. You suggest Austin. After 5 emails, you "compromise" on Dallas—meaning you drive 3.5 hours while they drive 15 minutes. The meeting starts with you exhausted and them relaxed. Not a great dynamic.
You're pitching a partnership to a company in another city. You suggest meeting halfway. You pick a random town based on the map. It's 90 minutes for you (easy drive) and 2 hours for them (rural roads, no hotels if the meeting runs long). They agree but arrive frustrated. The pitch doesn't land.
Why the geographic midpoint fails:
A geographic midpoint between cities might be a small town with no professional venues, limited dining options, and poor highway access. "Central" doesn't mean appropriate for business.
Why manual planning doesn't work:
Manually coordinating client meetings means: suggesting locations, checking their calendar, debating travel logistics, and hoping nobody feels slighted. Most people just default to whoever has more power—which doesn't build partnership.
When one party consistently travels farther for business meetings, it signals a power imbalance. Clients feel undervalued. Sales reps feel like supplicants. Fair meeting locations set the tone for an equitable relationship.
How Where2Meet Finds Fair Client Meeting Locations
Where2Meet calculates travel times from both cities and suggests professional meeting venues—hotels with conference rooms, coworking spaces, restaurants—where commutes are balanced. Build client relationships on mutual respect.
How Where2Meet helps:
- Show professionalism by suggesting a genuinely fair location
- See actual travel times for both parties before proposing a venue
- Discover cities in between with better business amenities than either hometown
- Filter by venue type: hotel conference rooms, coworking spaces, upscale restaurants
- Demonstrate respect for the client's time—building trust from the first interaction
❌ Before Where2Meet:
You: "Want to meet in Austin?" Client: "That's far for me..." You: "Dallas then?" Client: "That's far for you..." [Week of emails, no decision, meeting gets pushed back]
✅ After Where2Meet:
You share Where2Meet link. Both add locations. The map shows a city midway with 2 hotel venues where you'd each drive 90 minutes. You propose it. Client responds: "Perfect—shows you value my time." Meeting confirmed.
Create a meeting event, add both locations (your office/city and client's office/city), and choose transportation mode. Where2Meet shows cities and venues where travel is balanced. Share options with the client and confirm.
For cross-city meetings, some people drive, others fly. Where2Meet lets you set different modes per person to find venues accessible by both methods.
How to Plan a Fair Client Meeting in 3 Minutes
Create Meeting Event
Set up "Q1 Partnership Meeting" with proposed dates/times. Add your city/office location.
Share Link with Client
Send the event link via email: "I'd love to find a location that works equally well for both of us." They add their location.
💡 Tip: Frame it as courtesy: "I want to be respectful of your time" builds goodwill immediately.
Review Fair Venue Options Together
Where2Meet shows professional venues (hotels, coworking spaces) where travel times are balanced. Filter by amenities.
💡 Tip: Look for venues with good WiFi, AV equipment, and nearby dining for post-meeting meals.
Confirm & Book
Once both parties agree, book the conference room and send calendar invites with venue details.
Pro Tips for Client Meeting Planning
Pro Tips:
Suggest Fairness Upfront
Don't wait for the client to suggest a location. Proactively offer Where2Meet to show you value their time. This builds trust.
Consider Overnight Options
If the meeting is early morning or full-day, find a city with good hotels so both parties can arrive the night before refreshed.
Follow Up with Hospitality
If the client still travels slightly farther, offer to cover their meal or parking. Small gestures reinforce fairness.
Common Mistakes:
❌ Always suggesting your city for client meetings
Why: Clients notice if you never meet them halfway—it signals you don't value their time
✓ Fix: Use Where2Meet to find fair locations, alternating if you meet regularly
❌ Picking fair locations with terrible amenities
Why: A midpoint diner might be fair, but it's not professional—venue quality matters
✓ Fix: Filter for business-appropriate venues: hotels, coworking spaces, upscale restaurants
Frequently Asked Questions
What if the client insists on meeting at their office?
Some clients prefer their turf—that's fine. But for initial meetings or ongoing partnerships, suggesting a fair location shows initiative and respect.
Can we find venues with conference room amenities?
Yes. Filter for hotels with business centers or coworking spaces with meeting rooms. Many offer day passes for professional meetings.
What if one person is flying and the other driving?
Set each person's transportation mode separately. Where2Meet will prioritize cities with airports and good highway access.
How do we handle multiple stakeholders from each company?
Add all locations for your team and their team. Where2Meet calculates based on total travel time for all participants.
Build Client Relationships on Mutual Respect
Stop asking clients to bear the travel burden. Find fair meeting locations that show you value their time.
Plan Your Client Meeting