Top 4 Things to Consider When Designing Your Conference Room
Create a Meeting Space That’s Easy & Accessible
Remote work may have experienced a recent boom, but there are still compelling reasons to work in person. For instance, Microsoft researchers found that remote work collaboration became “more static and siloed, with fewer bridges between disparate parts.” Research from the Stanford Graduate School of Business also concluded that while people working from home were 13 percent more productive, promotion rates plummeted for virtual staff.
Why? Some believe that when people aren’t together in person, they don’t develop relationships and managerial skills as readily or aren’t presented with opportunities to show these skills.
Remote work will continue for some, while other businesses rely on face-to-face interactions. In this new decade, we predict we’ll see a hybrid approach that many organizations need to prepare for.
If your Plano, TX, company has returned to the office, it may be time to think about how you’ll take your business into the new decade. Is it time for conference room AV upgrades? Could your meeting technology be easier to use?
Consider the following features to include in a new conference room design. And to get started with a commercial technology installation, contact Texadia Systems here.
SEE ALSO: 3 Meeting Pain Points That Zoom Rooms Can Solve
1. High-Quality Audio & Video
If you’re renovating a large meeting space, is the screen wide enough for everyone to see? Do the speakers reach every listener – without cranking the volume too high? Consider implementing a UHD 4K video wall that can span any space you’d like. Or a projector screen that descends from the ceiling through one press of a button.
In smaller spaces, you can virtually meet with clients, customers, and teammates with a crystal-clear 4K display. Short-throw projectors are another option for huddle spaces and small conference rooms. They sit only a foot or two away from the wall while projecting an image up to 100 inches.
And for audio? In-wall and in-ceiling speakers can deliver high-fidelity sound across your office without clutter and wires. Through a smart control system, you can connect to loudspeakers and adjust the volume for entire rooms or floors at once.
2. Wireless Connections
If George is presenting a report that he’s been working on for weeks, the last thing he wants is to run into technical difficulties. Unfortunately, he realizes the laptop he brought doesn’t include the correct input. Jenny might suggest emailing it to her tablet; she takes it out, opens her email, and then struggles to connect the audio. It’s several minutes before the meeting begins, and by the time the presentation starts, everyone’s attention has drifted.
You can save your business from technology mishaps with wireless sharing. Systems like Crestron’s AirMedia or Solstice by Mersive let you wirelessly connect and share from personal devices, quickly and seamlessly switching from one person’s computer to the next.
3. Easy-to-Use Automation
What if you could press a button on the wall that instantly lowers the shades, powers on the projector, sets the lights to a comfortable level, and turns on sound masking? With an automation system, all of your conference room devices are synced together for simple and intuitive control. If you’re upgrading your meeting technology, smart systems make the day run faster and smoother.
4. Microphones and Cameras
Teleconferencing can be difficult in a room full of people. We recommend finding a camera with a wide-angle lens mounted above your display. That way, you’ll capture everyone at the table, so no one is left out. And to ensure everyone’s heard, ceiling microphones pick up 360 degrees of audio. Even if someone’s sitting far away from the screen, they’ll still be easy to see and understand on the virtual call.
Is it time to upgrade your business’s conference room AV? Texadia Systems is here to help. Contact our team of integrators to get started today.