For a company, creating a perfect workspace environment is as important as finding and hiring the right skillful people. To accomplish business objectives, an organization has to make use of all the talents that it has cultivated through brainstorming and active collaborating sessions. According to The Muse, employees in middle management spend about 35% of their time in meetings and those in top management, spend a whopping 50% of their time in meetings. Meetings are probably here to say and most likely increase, but it would be a monumental waste of a company’s resource if so much time were to be spent in meeting rooms that are unproductive. In today’s fast-paced workspaces, a lifeless conference or meeting room with just a big table and really uncomfortable chairs will not confirm with the vision and mission of a business. It will be quite similar to handing out notebooks to employees instead of high-tech gadgets like, tablets and laptops.
A conference room is that place in an office where the stakeholders, clients and employees come to share their insights and also engage in healthy, active discussion. It is a place where first impressions are made and given the cut-throat nature of business today, one chance is all that a business gets to make an impression. An ideal conference room is one that creates a conducive environment that evokes collaboration, interaction and connection. It should have the right balance of equipment, modern office furniture and elements that keep the room distraction-free and comfortable.
Here are a few things that you should keep in mind when designing a creative and collaborative conference room.
Conference Table Shape – Carefully Choose as Each Shape has its Own Advantage
- Rectangular table – Rectangular tables are usually the biggest of sizes, and therefore, they are suitable for large meeting rooms that have a lot of free space to work with. You could even look for extendable options that would allow you to increase or decrease the size of the table as per the number of people coming to the meeting.
- Semi-circular table – These conference tables can be found in small compact circles or large oval shapes. This table is ideal for small gatherings or for conference rooms that have limited space.
- Square table – This shape is a bit unusual for meeting rooms, but it is a great choice if you have a medium-sized conference room. These tables offer more surface area than semi-circular or round tables, and can help you make a statement.
- Trapezoidal table – If you want a multi-purpose table for your meeting room, trapezoidal-shaped tables are perfect. These products can fit any meeting room and usually found in meeting rooms that have folding legs for storage.
- Round table – Round tables are one of the most common and preferred conference tables. These tables are versatile and economical with a functional and simple design. These tables are specifically designed to meet any conference room environment needs.
Meeting Room Furniture Styles That Show-off Your Design Sensibilities
Today, conference or meeting room furniture is available in a variety of styles. It ranges from classic traditional pieces to modern. It is possible to find furniture pieces for your meeting room that is consistent with the overall office décor and matches your unique workplace culture. If your business is focused on the cutting-edge innovation of today, going for modern style furniture pieces would be perfect. In most contemporary offices, meeting room furniture in greys and whites or bright colors are found. The design is minimalist and has clean lines. If your business is more suited to a more traditional and versatile style, you try using furniture in light woodgrain colors like, natural oak or maple.
You can also use dark woodgrains, such as walnut or beech to create a formal meeting room environment.
Seating Should be Comfortable for Long Meetings and Discussions with Results
There are many different seating options that you will come across when buying chairs for your meeting room. Here are a few for you to consider.
- Leather chairs – Leather chairs are designed to add a touch of sophistication and class to your conference room. It comes in the form of big comfortable cushions or can have thin frames.
- Executive chairs – High-end chairs that offer comfort and style with good quality materials and high backs. These chairs are built with ergonomic benefits in mind and perfect for all-day management meetings.
- Boardroom chairs – These are great-looking chairs that are perfect for your conference room. These chairs are very versatile and can be used for other purposes as well. It is not just for the meeting room. These chairs are specifically designed to offer comfort when sitting long hours.
Conference rooms are a lot more than just an office conference table and a few chairs around it. For a truly productive meeting room, you need to keep in mind the following:
- Presentation facilities – The items that you need for your meeting room depends on the type of presentation that you will be giving to impress the clients and stakeholders, such as presentation boards, projectors and whiteboards. You might even choose to wall-mount a projector or TV. If your company is all about innovation and technology, tapping into VR design capabilities should be on your list.
- Storage solutions – It may not seem like a necessity to have a storage space in your conference room, but you need a place to put away everything when the meeting is ongoing or after the meeting. Your meeting room might have a coffee machine and you would want to properly store the coffee mugs. Some storage options for a meeting room include filing cabinets, bookcases, credenzas, tambour storage units and cupboards.
- Boardroom accessories – Add accessories to give your meeting room a comfortable and productive atmosphere. You can add lighting fixtures, artificial or real plants, clocks and so on. You can also place phones in the meeting room that will help in making conference calls and also place tea or coffee machine and water dispensers. Also, have a hand sanitization machine in place inside the conference room that will make you appear responsible and concerned about the current pandemic.
So, take into account the available space and the overall design of your office before you start planning the conference room design. But, always make sure that the focus is on productivity and making a good impression.
