Conference rooms serve several needs for businesses – as a place to carry out presentations to clients, conduct meetings, or even host brainstorming sessions. The one constant however is that they are going to be the setting for important business deals – and as such need to project a strong impression.
While there are many different factors that contribute to the design of an impressive conference room, there are six in particular that are crucial to it:
- Location
Ideally the conference room should be located somewhere that is quiet and has few distractions. At the same time it should be a room that is large enough to fit a sizable number of people without being too cramped.
- Table and seating style
In most large businesses the standard ‘board room’ table and seating layout with a long elongated table is preferred. However you should consider the needs of your own business and how your conference room will be used. For example, if you are conducting lots of presentations the ‘U-shape’ layout might be better – or you may even want something adaptive that you can change according to the needs of each meeting.
- Audio and video needs
Once again the audio and video needs of a conference room is a fairly subjective area. Most modern businesses tend to have big built-in screens and speakers for presentations, though some prefer using a portable projector screen instead. The same considerations also apply if your business intends to have large video conferencing sessions in the room and it is important to make sure that the video is clearly visible and audio quality is good throughout the room.
- Lighting
Often businesses overlook lighting when designing a conference room and only take into account how bright it is. That is far from the only factor – especially when projectors and screens are in use. Ideally conference rooms should have diffused lighting that doesn’t cast too many shadows. Any other sources of light (i.e. windows) should be blocked with blinds.
- Storage space
It is best to keep the conference room as clean and uncluttered as possible – and that is where storage space is important. Having sufficient cabinets within the conference room will ensure that any equipment can be stored close by and leave the room looking pristine.
- Connectivity
Another subjective area is connectivity. It goes without saying that you’ll want your conference room to have a stable internet connection – though you may also want to make sure the signal for wireless LAN connectivity is good. Aside from that you may want a central box that allows HDMI, USB, display port, VGA, and other types of input.
As you can see to design a good conference room the first step is to identify how it is most commonly going to be used. If you aren’t sure, it is best to stick with the basics and expand as and when you need to. Assuming you take care of all these six factors, you should end up with an impressive conference room that will serve your business well.
