Meeting rooms are an essential part of any workplace. It’s a dedicated space for employees to come together and brainstorm ideas, discuss goals and collaborate on projects.
Regardless of what type of meeting you host, a short 30-minute catch-up or strategy meeting that goes for hours – you need smart and comfortable furniture to get an efficient and productive result.
Troy Mihaere, National Sales Manager - Interiors for OfficeMax, says an incomplete meeting room setup can adversely impact a business and its goals.
“Poorly designed furniture setup in a meeting room can lead to discomfort for attendees, increase the risk of injury, affect productivity and overall morale of the employees,” Troy said.
1. Meeting room compatible chairs:
There's nothing worse than an uncomfortable or squeaky meeting room chair which disrupts the focus of your meeting. A good chair needs to take into account multiple people with different body structures who will be using the chairs - so chairs need to be both comfortable and durable to be used for the long term.
- Get chairs that are a good blend of modern design and functionality.
- Ensure they are height adjustable and have ergonomically designed seats and backrests, enabling customised support.
- Have armrests for posture stabilisation and stable castors [wheels] for mobility.
- Select the right upholstery for durability, ventilation, and overall comfort.
- A great meeting room chair should reflect your brand and company culture and is aesthetically pleasing.
2. Conference room tables:
The conference room table should be proportionate to the average number of participants expected to attend the meeting on a regular basis. Pick a table that fits the meeting room space, not too big or too small.
- You can also get customisable options where tables can be added or removed to create larger or smaller configurations to suit the number of attendees in the meeting.
- An ideal table should have enough room to accommodate multiple devices such as laptops, notepads, collaboration sheets, etc.
- The table should have a sturdy base, and the table material should be long-lasting, such as solid timber or Melteca [melamine] panels with PVC edging.
3. Soft wiring and power board:
Often, people forget about cable management when putting additional power boards on the meeting room table. They can look tangled, unorganised, and unsafe as well to use.
- No power outlet on the conference room table to charge devices such as laptops can be a challenge, especially when conducting long meetings, presentations, or training sessions.
- Get an under-table single or double-tiered cable basket to keep your wires tidy.
- Cable channels or baskets also reduce tripping hazards and improve the safety of the meeting room.
- Soft wiring pre-installed or custom fit on the meeting room table adds convenience for attendees to plug and charge their devices and stop them from running out of battery.
4. Acoustic Panels:
- Acoustic panels are an excellent way to reduce noise and control echoes, especially if your meeting rooms have glass walls and doors or are divided by thin walls or concertina retractable doors.
- You can get free-standing or wall acoustic panels that massively cut down noise travelling in and out of the meeting room.
- Acoustic ceiling lattices add style to your meeting room, making it look more vibrant.
Whether you are looking at setting up a meeting room from scratch or want advice on how best to utilise the equipment you already have by changing your room layout or installing acoustic panelling to assist with audio-video issues, our specialists are here to advise and assist you.