We analyzed 30,000 recorded B2B event meetings from shows around the world to understand what actually happens inside high-stakes 1:1 conversations. Our dataset includes scheduled and hosted-buyer meetings across industries, roles, and company sizes. We share insights into:

• What great meetings sound like (and what predicts deal momentum)
• The structure of event meetings (who talks, what topics appear, and when)
• Top drivers and blockers (objections, competition, pricing, urgency, fit)
• Follow-through and outcomes (next steps, tasks created, and conversion signals)

We built this report because we have access to one of the largest sets of real event-meeting recordings, and we believe conversation data is the most reliable way to improve sales execution, buyer experience, and event ROI.

This ongoing report is brought to you by Backtrack.

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Overview

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Here are the top takeaways from this year’s Backtrack report:

(Edit) Remote work continues to be perceived as very positive. Ninety-eight percent of respondents would like to work remotely, at least some of the time, for the rest of their careers, this is up slightly from 97 percent in 2022. Another 98 percent would recommend remote work to others, which is also an increase from 97 percent in 2022. Overall, 91 percent of respondents report having a positive experience with remote work. Just 1 percent said their remote work experience was negative and the remaining 8 percent were neutral.

EMERGING KEYWORD TRENDS

Flexibility remains the top benefit of remote work. According to respondents, 22 percent say the biggest benefit to remote work is flexibility in how they spend their time, for 19 percent it’s flexibility in where they choose to live, and for 13 percent it’s the flexibility to choose their work location.

One in three remote workers reports their biggest struggle is that they stay home too often because they don’t have a reason to leave. The next most selected struggle for remote workers was loneliness, with 23 percent of remote workers selecting it. These two struggles go hand in hand and paint a picture of how the reality of remote work can be very challenging.

When it comes to feeling connected at work, 75 percent of remote workers feel connected to their colleagues, even though a majority work across time zones.

Half of remote workers report feeling more energized (48 percent) than last year, compared to 21 percent who report feeling burnt out. Similarly, 58 percent report feeling engaged about the job compared to 30 percent who are unengaged.

Remote workers are split on the impact that working remotely has on their career growth. Thirty-six percent of remote workers said career growth is easier as a result of working remotely, which is 14 percent higher than last year’s response to the same question. On the other side, 28 percent of remote workers said career growth is more difficult for them. This is down from 45 percent last year. The final 36 percent said remote work has no impact on their career growth.

One in three remote workers is actively looking for a new job, and, of those, 76 percent report it’s important that their job can be done remotely.

Let’s get into the full report!

The flexibility in remote work means that it can be structured differently depending on the company or employee. In this section, we take a deep dive into how exactly people are working remotely, what collaboration looks like to them, and how businesses are supporting remote workers in 2023.

82% of remote workers are working from home

An overwhelming majority (82 percent) of respondents shared that they are working from home. This was significantly higher than in 2022 when 59 percent of survey takers said they were working from home.

This data is on par with the trends we’ve seen over the years. In 2018 we found that 78 percent of individuals worked from home and in 2019 it went up to 84 percent.

We dug a little deeper and asked participants which room they utilized when working from home. A little over one-third (37 percent) said they work in a dedicated office space, while 21 percent said they work from their bedroom. Twenty percent of participants said they work from their living room, while 14 percent said they move from room to room while working. A small percentage of individuals (2 percent) included other answers, while another 2 percent of survey responders said they do not work from home at all.

Though the top response was the office at 37 percent, the majority (45 percent) of people who work from home utilize a room with multiple purposes like the bedroom, kitchen, or living room.

Most people who work remotely are fully remote, and they want it to stay that way

We wanted to get a better understanding of the nuances of remote work, especially since there have been a lot of fluctuations over the years as some companies have gone fully remote while others have prioritized hybrid work. Here’s the current reality for remote workers.

More than half of workers (64 percent) are fully remote. This is up significantly from 2022 when the number was at 49 percent. Every other category describing a hybrid set-up is less than last year.

This year, more individuals said they prefer a fully remote structure (71 percent) than compared to last year at 49 percent. This could be because more people have experienced hybrid work and appreciate its benefits. Very few folks selected hybrid options other than the option that remote first and not required to be in the office regularly.

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^{Insights provided by Dr. Joey McKinley, Ph.D., Backtrack}

_{Last Updated: Jan 20, 2026}