A conference room is often considered the heart of any workplace and where some of the most significant exchanges of communication are held. It’s also the place where you’ll likely be taking clients and holding important meetings with external bodies so it’s vital that your conference room design makes the right impression. As a whole the design should reflect your company culture but don’t worry, we can help with that along with more specific features like furniture and amenities to create brand consistency.
Technology at the touch of a button
As well as intuitive touchscreen video conferencing technology, we also offer a range of innovative products which guarantee to streamline your meeting and collaboration sessions. All of our audio visual and tech products can be seamlessly installed into the space and make international communication, shared projects and creativity more productive than ever.
Some of our most popular AV and tech products are:
ClickShare – ClickShare allows plug-in collaboration, reliability and increased flexibility that traditional conference rooms of the past have commonly lacked. With no software to be downloaded, users can simply connect their device and start work straight away, negating the need for tangled wires and wasted time spent disconnecting and connecting individual devices.
media:scape® – Integrating furniture and technology, media:scape® allows multiple users to quickly connect and share information from personal devices. This is a great resource for technology supported collaboration. View the media:scape® family or get in touch and we can talk you through your options.
SMART Board – SMART products are a great tool and bring many benefits to conference room design including wireless screen sharing, interactive annotation and the ability to send notes as PDFs or JPEGS post-meeting.
Reserva – This is an interactive room sign and booking system which enables staff to track room usage and manage the space more systematically to avoid mid-meeting interruptions and schedule overlaps.
The sound of silence
Another effective way to create a distraction free meeting space is by incorporating acoustic solutions into your commercial interior design. Conference rooms need to be distraction-free spaces and completely private when necessary so the ability to block out excess noise is paramount. Employing acoustic solutions such as wall panels, acoustic lighting or sound-absorbing furniture is an effective way to make sure you’ve got the ABCs of acoustics in hand – Absorb, Block and Cover.
Are you sitting comfortably?
Time spent in a conference room can quite often become quite lengthy and before you know it, an hour-long scheduled call has turned into a three-hour brainstorming session. For this reason, it’s essential that you provide functional, ergonomic furniture that is going to keep users focused and most importantly, comfortable. We’ve all been in important meetings when all you can think about is the pain in your back from a poorly designed chair but you can eliminate this by making more conscious furniture choices.
As well as the individual items of furniture, it’s also crucial to dedicate some time during your conference room design planning process to consider seating configuration. Some common choices include u-shape, horseshoe, hollow square and classic boardroom. The Moment table pictured above is an ideal furniture choice for the modern conference room with boardroom-style seating as it features angled legs designed with comfort and increased accessibility in mind.
Those little finishing touches
As well as making sure you stay on top of technological innovations and ensuring your workplace design and furniture choices have been carefully considered, we always recommend providing some user-focused amenities. As we mentioned previously, conference calls or meetings can often run over and mean you end up being in there for a few hours at a time. Providing even just basic amenities will ensure users are comfortable, able to concentrate and not restricted by a lack of resources.
Some features you could incorporate into your design include a fridge for cold refreshments, a machine for hot beverages and biscuits or a fruit bowl for some light refreshments. It’s also a great idea to provide a bin to dispose of any rubbish in order to keep the space tidy and conducive to concentration, as well as a place for users to store their personal belongings neatly and out of the way.
Amenities that are more necessity than luxury these days are free internet connectivity, air conditioning, easy access to multiple power sockets and provision of stationary items such as notebook, pens and markers. Making sure all of these things are on your shopping list when it comes to kitting out your conference room will stimulate collaboration, boost productivity and ensure the efficient running of tasks in hand.