The large majority of professionals prefer conducting face-to-face meetings. In fact, 76% would agree that in-person meetings are more efficient, engaging and collaborative than any other type of meeting.
It’s no wonder, then, that businesses and organizations are dedicating more time and resources to upgrading their meeting spaces. The focus on modern conference rooms, however, shouldn’t purely be based on the aesthetics of the space, but rather on productivity.
So how can one meeting room be more productive than another? What kind of upgrades should businesses and organizations be focusing on? The answer – like many others in the modern corporate world – is through new tech solutions. Technology can elevate a meeting room’s productivity in more ways than just enabling video conferencing and hybrid work.
Let’s look at the top 5 types of technology solutions that can give your meeting space the revamp it needs to encourage productivity across your entire team.
- Video bars
- Smart room control systems
- AI meeting assistants
- Wireless presentation solutions
- Interactive displays
Video conferencing bars
Most modern meeting rooms have a video conferencing system of some kind. But does your space utilize an all-in-one video conferencing bar?
All-in-one video conferencing bars, such as the Logitech Rally Bar, are hardware solutions that combine a camera, microphone, and speaker into one piece of equipment that sits above or beneath your display.
Not only do they deliver clear audio and visuals, but they also offer other benefits too:
- No more clutter: Rather than wrestling with multiple cords and kits, select the tool that has it all built-in. Video conferencing bars reduce the number of tech solutions in your meeting room, making it tidier and easier to manage. Many even come with mounting options so that it’s off the table and provides more room for your team to work.
- Easy to use: Most video conferencing bars require just two cables – one for power and one for connecting to a display or laptop. Your team won’t have to worry whether their video meeting equipment holds up, as audio, visual, and voice are perfectly combined into one.
- Designed for integration: Video conferencing bar manufacturers are aware of the need for integration with meeting platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet. Just like with any other video peripheral, you only need to connect the bar to your chosen display, select it as your input and output, and then join the meeting. It’s that simple.
All-in-one video conferencing bars are a must if your new meeting space is going to be used for a lot of remote and hybrid meetings. Simplifying your video conferencing infrastructure will make collaboration with your team much more effective, as you won’t have to worry about a thousand different devices going wrong.
Smart room control systems
A smart room control system can be instrumental in creating the perfect environment for productivity.
Smart room control systems work in the same way as a home system does: it consists of a network of hardware solutions (lighting, air-con, electric blinds) that are configured and controlled by a central point – either through an app on a mobile device or a fixed control panel within the room.
Smart room control systems aren’t all about making your meeting rooms ‘space-age’. When configured correctly, they do genuinely contribute to the productivity of your team in several ways:
- Ensure natural light fills the room throughout the day by setting your blinds and lights to auto-adjust according to the position of the sun.
- Keep fresh air circulating as people collaborate. Smart room control systems monitor the temperature and humidity within the room and turn the air conditioning on/off accordingly.
- Provide important meeting notifications with a touchscreen panel that can integrate into your room control system and favorite calendar app. You can have the panel display all the room’s meetings for the day, and notify you when your meeting is close to ending.
Providers such as Crestron work with your team to tailor your meeting space to your needs so that you don’t overpay for systems that are not required.
AI meeting assistants
AI has been a hot topic in the tech world for well over a year now and it’s clear why. With advanced machine learning tools such as ChatGPT, and other automated content creation tools, businesses and influencers alike can churn out content at rates never seen before.
For upgrading your meeting space, however, which AI tool should you be looking at? Look no further than AI meeting assistants. Powered by machine learning and trigger commands, AI meeting assistants are software tools that can be used on both personal computers and dedicated meeting room systems. Some of their capabilities include:
- Scheduling: The AI assistant can handle scheduling tasks by coordinating meeting times, sending out invitations, and even rescheduling meetings based on participants' availability. This helps to ensure that meetings are organized and well-coordinated.
- Meeting transcription: During the meeting, the AI assistant can transcribe conversations in real time, generating accurate meeting note templates, minutes and summaries automatically. This eliminates the need for manual note-taking and ensures that important points are captured for future reference.
- Engagement: The AI assistant can elevate discussions by providing relevant information, answering questions, and even suggesting follow-up actions based on the context of the meeting.
Whether through your meeting room’s dedicated PC or a participant’s laptop, AI-meeting assistants are worth looking into for streamlining manual administration tasks.
Wireless presentation solutions
Does your meeting space have wireless screen-sharing capabilities? If not, then it’s a must.
Wireless connectivity removes the stress from awkward wire management and faulty hardware ports. For more casual meeting spaces and huddle rooms, team members want to feel comfortable – they do not want to feel tethered to a particular seat in the room. On the other end of the spectrum, it’s far easier to switch screen-sharers in a large boardroom with a wireless solution, as team members don’t have to get in and out of their chairs to get to the display.
Wireless presentation solutions are also now very easy to use and very affordable. Products such as Google Chromecast and Apple TV provide more than enough functionality at a fraction of an enterprise-level cost. As an alternative to purchasing a second device, opt for a display that comes with screen-sharing abilities.
As an alternative to purchasing a second device, you could also opt for a meeting room display that has wireless screen sharing embedded in it so that you don’t need to set up anything extra.
Interactive displays
If you want to truly elevate collaboration and take your meeting spaces to new heights, then look no further than an interactive display.
Interactive displays are giant touchscreen panels that not only display content but also allow users to write and manipulate content using their fingers or a pen. Instead of one person having to take notes, everyone can be up and collaborating together. Instead of going through yet another PowerPoint presentation, deliver a memorable experience with interactive widgets and activities.
The best interactive displays come with the following:
- Collaborative whiteboarding where multiple people can write, erase, and move objects at the same time.
- Direct inking functionality that enables team members to mark up files and PDFs without overlays or screen switching.
- Built-in components that simplify your meeting space (speakers, microphones, wireless screen-sharing, etc)
- Integrations with your favorite tools so that you can video meet on Zoom, control your room’s temperature with your Crestron control system, and fully utilize Microsoft Office all from one place.
No matter what industry your organization is in, an interactive whiteboard is infinitely useful. Architects can draw, save, and share blueprints and build details. Higher educators can involve their students in learning activities. Military personnel can annotate tactical maps – the possibilities are endless.
"Many companies come to our meeting room and are excited about the interactive display and the possibilities it offers." - Werner Kopatsch, Linz architecture firm
Although one of the costlier solutions in this list, the value you get from an interactive display is well worth the investment.
Simplify your new meeting space with interactive tech
If you took one simple strategy and implemented it into your meeting space, you’d already be on your way to more productive meetings. Whether through AV enhancements or taking the manual load off a team member with an AI meeting assistant, there are no bad avenues to invest in.
The most impactful investment, however, is undoubtedly an interactive display. Not only do they get people excited to participate in meetings, but their integration capabilities and in-built hardware features create a seamless experience. We talked earlier about the benefits of having less tech in the room, and an interactive display does just that: an audio-capable monitor, video conferencing solution, interactive collaboration platform, and much more all-in-one device.
Want to find out more about how an interactive display can make your meeting spaces more productive?
