Don’t sound the death knell for in-person trade shows yet.

While virtual events have proliferated amid societal shutdown measures caused by COVID-19, more than seven in 10 (72%) respondents to a recent survey say they prefer in-person conferences to virtual ones.

Performed by research firm CensusWide on behalf of Utah-based promotional products distributor PromoLeaf (asi/300534), the study surveyed more than 1,000 conference participants throughout the United States and across a wide variety of industries and age groups. Respondents had attended both in-person and virtual conferences.

“Clearly, most of those surveyed, including the youngest segment, prefer in-person conferences over virtual ones, and they are more willing to pay for them,” PromoLeaf shared in a blog that discusses the findings.

Want to know the surprising truth about virtual vs. in-person conferences? Our survey reveals a majority of conference-goers prefer in-person events. https://t.co/kI0FbEQGR8#VirtualConference pic.twitter.com/TA8wFJXbaB

— promoleaf.com (@promo_leaf) June 15, 2020

The study offered several possible reasons for the preference for in-person conferences. They include that people feel that better networking happens face to face; that body language and subtle communication cues don’t translate as well via video chatting; and that vendors and service providers can’t deliver the same level of examples and demonstrations virtually as they can in person.

The survey found that people in the age group of 16 to 24 were most eager to attend in-person conferences, with 85% of those in that demographic saying they prefer in-person to virtual. Meanwhile, 70% of people in the 25- to 34-year-old age range said the same.

About 73% of respondents 45 years and older are more partial to face-to-face conferences. Those who favored in-person the least were in the 35- to 40-year-old demographic, but even among that group 67% of respondents still preferred in-person events over virtual.