Resources

Meetings come in all shapes and sizes and so do the conference rooms that host them. Thoughtful design and careful planning ensure you make the most of every gathering in your conference space. 

Define Your Needs

What do you need to ensure that every meeting is meaningful? Consider what occupancy, technology, and office supplies you need to complete your space. Next, add suitable storage pieces, such as a credenza or bookcase, to keep everything neat and tidy.

Size vs. Space

In a world where proper spacing is crucial, ensure that larger furniture pieces are the right size for your meeting space. Maintain several feet of clearance around the table, ensuring that walkways are wide and comfortable for everybody.

Balance Your Budget

On-trend designs might break the bank, but similar styles are often available at manageable price points. Once you've considered your interior design scheme, seek multiple options to ensure that your finished conference room stays within budget.

Accessibility for All

Along with your local fire and building safety codes, ADA requirements ensure spaces are accessible to all. Maintain proper spacing at points of egress and around the table to accommodate mobility aids of any size.

Design and Function

As you build or refresh your conference space, pay attention to design trends that will remain timeless and tasteful for many years. Lean toward simplicity with larger, more expensive pieces and use art and décor to tell a visual story.

Tech-Ready Capabilities

Technology has revolutionized the way we think about meetings. Stay up-to-date with A/V equipment for both in-person and remote attendees. Keep power sources nearby so laptops and tablets can stay powered up during long periods around the conference table.

Health Concerns

Many safety standards implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic can also apply to the standard flu season. Whether it's a new build, quick refresh, or thorough renovation, be sure your conference room layout considers health and safety standards.
Conference Rooms
Design & Innovation
Tips

More From NBF

A Safe Return: Conference Rooms

Collaboration and innovation thrives in group settings. Whether it's a discussion amongst executive leadership, strategic team meeting, new hire training, vendor presentation, or a conversation between departments, conference rooms are a central meeting place within any office setting. No matter if it's big or small, modern or minimalist-- your conference spaces may be varied throughout the office or perhaps custom-tailored to fit a myriad of meetings. Whatever the case, a slew of important changes are necessary to make these as safe as possible as you return to work.

National Business Furniture Conference Rooms

One of the primary issues that NBF employees faced at their former headquarters location in Milwaukee, WI was that there were never quite enough conference rooms to house the company’s ever-growing number of workers. In Milwaukee, NBF had four formal conference rooms—one main conference room that was large enough to seat up to 14 people around a 14-foot-long table, and three smaller rooms with enough space to seat six people each. With more than 100 employees working for NBF and that number growing more every year, this just wasn’t enough. And what’s the solution when you need to meet with your team members but there’s nowhere to go? Most employees resorted to meeting at one another’s desks where privacy was at a minimum, or worse—not meeting at all.

Game of Conference Rooms

Game of Conference Rooms

According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, the conference room is no longer just a place to hold meetings and take conference calls—it’s a battleground.

Why? A lack of space. With private office space continuously dwindling, meeting rooms are now being utilized more than ever by more individuals. Many meetings used to take place in private offices, which isn’t an option in most modern-day workplaces where private offices are a thing of the past. 

Instead, the conference room takes the place of the private office. With more individuals using these conference rooms, conflicts come in the form of double booking conference rooms, going over your meeting time slot, and having to boot coworkers and superiors who go over time out of the space. This results in unneeded tensions in the office and confusion—both distractions from work that needs to be done.

So how do we solve the battle over the conference rooms? 

Clearly Define Conference Room Rules and Etiquette

A code of conduct for conference room usage can go a long way to dispel unneeded tensions and distractions. It may feel stilted, especially in a company with a more laid-back culture, but it’s an effective method nonetheless. 

Ensure that everyone knows the constraints and how they are expected to act. You can share this information as a company-wide email or a quick meeting detailing the issues and the new rules established to solve them. For example, making it clear that meetings should not go over the reserved time can help people avoid clashes and force more productive meetings. Constraints can be powerful motivators—knowing they only have a half hour to get everything done can keep people focused during meetings.

Create More Space for Meetings

The most obvious way to solve this problem is to add more conference rooms. In some instances, this may be all that is needed. Perhaps there is an unused office that you can easily convert into a meeting space by adding the appropriate furniture items. 

However, we understand that adding another conference room is not a simple prospect for most businesses. Space comes at a premium, and most of it is probably in use. If that’s the case, it’s time to think creatively about how you can use the space you currently have.

Think About the Office Building Beyond Your Floor 

Some office buildings have general conference rooms available for use. Some even offer these spaces free of charge—you simply have to sign up. Consider if this is an option for your company. 

Many furniture options allow you to create separate office spaces. Using dividers and partitions allows you to section off a designated meeting space that teams can use when the other conference rooms are booked. Dividers don’t have to be boring; LOFTwall creates incredibly stylish ways to divide and section off spaces.

Add Collaborative Functionality to the Breakroom

In most companies, the breakroom is occupied for only a few hours each day. This means it stands almost completely empty for most of the day. Outfitting your breakroom with multipurpose furniture will allow teams to use it as a meeting space without disturbing anyone. Consider multifunctional furniture that includes couches and adjustable height tables. With such products, employees can choose how to best use the furniture to suit their needs, whether collaborating or resting.

 

0 Comments

Leave a Comment

Your comment has been sent.

National Business Furniture’s team of experts is dedicated to helping you create a better space to work. We’ll help you find the best information. From office planning and furniture guides to sustainability and workplace trends, we’re here to help.