What Makes Up a Productive Meeting Room Environment?
When it comes to work, having the proper environment can be the difference between having staff who are engaged and involved or an office that lacks productivity. The same is true of meeting room environments.
Your meeting room environment is the backdrop for your meetings. Everything from light and seating to the room’s layout can affect mood and productivity. When creating a meeting space, what does it take to make a room pleasant and work-friendly?
What is a Meeting Room?
Before getting into the details of what a conference room needs to be productive, you’ll first need to consider exactly what a meeting room and how it’s used. What is a meeting room and what is its purpose?
A meeting room is simply a room that’s set aside and is designated as a place to hold meetings. It’s that simple. However, these days, the meeting room may also double as a place to hold lunch, training sessions, client meetings, brainstorming and/or strategy sessions.
While the concept of a conference room is simple, you can see that it has multiple uses. Keep this in mind as we consider different aspects that make for a great meeting room space.
When it comes to a meeting room layout, you have many options. You don’t have to stick with the traditional conference room setting—one large table surrounded by chairs. In fact, you can even keep the space flexible.
There are many layouts to choose from. Since a meeting room is often used in a multiple of ways, you may want to keep the space more flexible. Before we get to the furnishings and flexibility, let’s take a look at some of the layout styles you can consider:
•U-shape: this is often used for smaller or mid-size meetings. This type of layout allows the speaker to easily move around the room and interact with everyone. You’ll also see more group participation with this style.
•Classroom: this style is very popular and is often used for workshops. It’s great for trainings and people who will be using their laptops and smart devices during the meeting for taking notes.
•Theater: just as the name implies, this is a set-up similar to what you’d find in a movie theater. Here, the seats are set up in rows, which makes the space easily accommodate more seating. This style is often used for conferences, seminars, etc. where people are mostly listening and not taking notes.