Meeting rooms are still an important part of any office. Even with the growth of remote meetings and remote workers, you still need physical meeting rooms. Some businesses might choose to rent meeting rooms when they need them, but plenty still rely on their own rooms to provide them with essential meeting space. Any room can be a useful meeting space, whether for in-person or virtual meetings. However, not every meeting room is fit for purpose and provides you with everything you need. If you want to make your meeting rooms more useful and suitable for productive meetings, you need to design them carefully.
Essential Meeting Room Tech
The technology you need in your meeting room is likely to be one of the first things you think about. When you need to wire things in and plan where to put screens and cables, it makes sense to do this before anything else. A modern meeting room will often need a video conferencing system so that you can carry out virtual meetings, as well as meetings in person. You will need to think about audio and visual equipment that will provide you with the tools you need. You might also need tech such as screens or a projector to provide the right meeting experience.
Create a Comfortable Environment
Meetings can be long and aren’t always entirely engaging. If you want people to pay attention, it needs to be a comfortable space that doesn’t make everyone think about when they can leave. Creating a comfortable meeting room will help with productivity, ensuring all participants can pay attention. Some of the things to think about include the lighting and temperature, which can both affect how comfortable the room feels. Of course, it’s also a good idea to choose comfortable seating. However, you might not want it to be too comfortable.
Design a Useful Layout
The layout of your meeting room can make a difference in how effective it is for meetings. You should start by thinking about how meetings are usually conducted. Is there someone who is in charge and leading the meeting, or is it more of a free-for-all where anyone can contribute at any time? This can affect the layout you choose in terms of seating and other factors. A round table in the centre of the room allows everyone to be on an equal level, whereas a long, rectangular table could put one person at the head.
Choose Snacks and Drinks Thoughtfully
Snacks and drinks are an important part of meetings. They help to engage everyone, ensure they’re not hungry and thirsty, and can even draw people into the room in the first place. While it’s fun to have coffee and croissants on offer every morning, it’s not always the best idea. More thoughtfully chosen healthy snacks are often appreciated, especially by anyone who might be trying to eat healthily. Of course, there’s no reason you can’t have both.
Supercharge your meeting rooms by designing them in a thoughtful way to meet everyone’s needs.