Here's what you should ask when you're booking your meeting room
Whether it’s a regular status update or a gathering to work through a difficult business decision, choosing the right room to fit the requirements of your meeting will set you and your colleagues up for success. Plus, getting away from the distractions of a working office is great for opening minds and bringing down walls which, in turn, can lead to better business outcomes.
However, choosing a meeting room is not as simple as it looks because it’s never a one-size-fits-all approach. Meeting organisers need to start by considering the nature of the meeting and what features and requirements they’ll need. To help, in this blog post we cover 5 questions to answer if you’re looking to book the ideal meeting room.
- Is the right tech in place?
Technology has - and continues to – shape the way we deliver and attend events. In meeting rooms today, attendees expect to find the technology in place to facilitate both in-person and virtual viewing – and they expect it to do a good job. Gone are the days of accepting lagging speech and on-off screen outages, in part thanks to technology such as the ‘Meeting Owl’, which uses a 360° camera and a high-spec mic and speaker to provide an ‘immersive hybrid meeting experience’. Depending on whether you intend to offer attendees a hybrid option, it could be worth looking into whether your meeting room has the technology available to enable an engaging and seamless experience between remote and in-person attendees.
Other, standard tech equipment you’re likely to need for your meeting includes a projector or screen for displaying presentations and a decent surround sound system. Organisers should also check there’s high speed Wi-Fi as this isn’t necessarily a given.
- Is the location convenient for everyone?
A beautiful, countryside location might seem like an appropriate setting to hold that innovation meeting or exciting project kick-off – but in reality, picking a room at a venue that’s in the middle of nowhere will almost always be a logistical nightmare, unless you’re able to offer transport to and from your event. The best bet is to opt for a central spot that’s easy to find and reach by public transport. It’ll also be easier to feed your attendees if in-house catering is not the cards, because venues in central locations tend to be well-placed for local supermarkets, restaurant and food delivery services.
- Does the venue lend itself to the purpose of the meeting?
There are all types of business meetings, including interviews, check-ins, quarterly planning sessions, team building days and innovation sessions. So, when booking a meeting room, it’s easy to get tunnel visioned and only consider whether the room itself is fit for purpose, rather than the wider venue. Facilities such as parking and proximity to public transport can have a big impact on how many attendees turn up for the event, as well as the catering options on offer and design aspects like natural light. It’s little good having a well-equipped meeting room if the wider venue is going to cause issues, so make sure this is something you look into beforehand.
- Is there enough room?
We’re not just talking about capacity here. Most venues are transparent with the numbers each of their rooms can accommodate – but if you’re about to book a meeting room, it’ll pay off to think about the space on offer and whether it’s fit for purpose.
Over the course of the day(s), will attendees be sitting down to a shared desk for most of the event? Or will they need to be able to move around freely for breakout sessions and general participation? Will there be presenters, and what room will they need to present comfortably? Answering all these questions before the meeting space has been confirmed will ensure attendees are less likely to be met with logistical issues on the day.
- Does the venue align with your business’s sustainability initiatives?
It wouldn’t be ideal if attendees from a company that’s meeting to go over net zero initiatives turn up to a venue that has the heating on in summer, or an animal welfare organisation that struggles to find vegan options on the in-house lunch menu. That’s why meeting room bookers should research the wider venue before they decide to book, just to make sure that there are no clashes in sustainability initiatives or values.
More than just a meeting room
The City Ground has lots of rooms and facilities that are ideal for hosting meetings. Why not reach out to our team to discuss more?
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