Even though we can do almost every meeting without being in the same room it is critical for some meetings to be face-to-face. If possible, it is always good to have the first meeting with a new person or group face-to-face because you might get a very different impression and you can't repeat the first impression. Note that this is not just the case for very important meetings, this applies also to your regular business partners and direct reports.
I found that, most of the time, I got a stronger relationship with people I first met face-to-face. This is no surprise since 93% of our communication is impacted by non-verbal cues. In addition to that you will probably go on some non-business activities like lunch or dinner where you get a chance to learn more of the other person in a non-business setting. These meetings and discussions help to form a different, more refined view, of someone than just the regular phone or web meetings. Keep this in mind before you decide about the next travel budget. Nevertheless once you met, I found that it is perfectly fine to work with them remotely as long as you can see them face-to-face on a regular basis.
