Optimize Hybrid Collaboration: Meeting Room Enhancements

Gone are the days of cramming as many people as possible into a stuffy boardroom. Today’s meeting room setup styles now take into account a wide variety of factors, to accommodate a wide variety of purposes and goals. This leads to more exciting and diverse meeting room designs than in the past.

With the rise of the hybrid workplace and other flexible work environment types, employees are now using the physical office differently than ever before. That means they’re using collaboration spaces differently, too.

To keep pace, smart companies are experimenting with new meeting room styles, along with the technology and systems they use to support collaboration strategies in the workplace.

This article explores the latest meeting room setup styles, reviewing which work best for different types of meetings, cultures, and approaches to work. It focuses on physical aspects of meeting rooms like seating and layout, as well as the office workplace technology and equipment required to make them most successful.

New ways of working impact meeting room setup styles

Hybrid employees need easy ways to book desks and rooms, reliable home technology, and wayfinding to navigate less familiar spaces. However, how these elements play out will differ from office to office and culture to culture.

As companies adapt to hybrid work, the physical workspace still plays a significant role in the future of work, especially in meeting rooms where face-to-face collaboration and culture-building occur.

The rise of hybrid and distributed work means fewer people use the office daily, leading to less demand for physical collaborative workspaces. Modern meeting room design now incorporates better technology and layouts to ensure everyone can collaborate, whether or not they’re in the same room.

Video conferences, when following hybrid meeting best practices, can be as fruitful as face-to-face meetings. They reduce travel costs, save time, and can improve collaboration and work/life balance. The ability to record and archive meetings is also beneficial.

A hybrid workplace still needs meeting rooms, even though how employees use those rooms may be in flux. Meeting room setup style should be purpose-driven, using data and technology to create better spaces for everyone. Companies that see this disruption as an opportunity to experiment are best positioned to optimize both their hybrid workplace and employee experience.

Every office (and every conference room) is unique

Industry benchmarking for facility management and space planning is becoming less relevant in the age of flexible working. Similar industries or employee counts no longer guarantee similar space requirements.

Conference room layouts were traditionally dictated by the number of people using them at one time. With remote/hybrid work and videoconferencing, usage fluctuates, and rooms may need to accommodate remote team members.

Fostering a more flexible work culture

Many companies are fostering flexible work cultures to boost talent retention and attraction, while still wanting the office to be a place for collaboration and connection. Inviting spaces can entice employees into the office.

Testing, iterating, collecting data, and surveying employees are crucial. For example, HUB International reoptimized their real estate by redesigning their headquarters to include shared desks and more private offices, open to a broader list of staff. This allowed for efficient meetings and whiteboard sessions without booking large conference rooms.

The key takeaway is the willingness to experiment, test data, and find bespoke solutions for unique cultures.

The purpose of meeting rooms should dictate their setup style

Certain must-haves exist for any meeting room: comfortable seating, good acoustics, and privacy. Having a solid strategy for creating unique room names can help with wayfinding, branding, and culture.

Thanks to hybrid work, companies need rooms that allow for mixed presence attendees. Many are planning to add more collaboration technology to their workplaces.

The purpose of a meeting room should most impact its setup style. Client-facing rooms need to make a good impression, while smaller groups may prefer huddle rooms.

Bespoke seating arrangements

Common purposes for rooms and their seating needs:

• ​Private calls: Require privacy, phone/videoconferencing tools, and sometimes private phone booths.
• ​Huddles, 1:1, and stand-up meetings: Need small spaces (preferably no smaller than 100 sq ft), with a small table and chairs, possibly partitioned with furniture or sound panels.
• ​Brainstorming and breakout sessions: Benefit from whiteboards (digital preferred) and enough hookups for participants to bring their own devices.
• ​Team building, training sessions, and company-wide meetings: May need special audiovisual equipment for remote team members and webinar recordings.
• ​Social connections: Require social spaces like lunch or game rooms, often best designed with employee input.

What are the different conference room setup styles?

While companies can experiment with meeting room setups, there are some default styles that stand the test of time. Most meeting rooms draw from one or more of the following nine basic conference room styles:

1. 1.Auditorium (Theater) Style Layout: Rows of chairs facing one speaker, best for large meetings like town halls. Not ideal for note-taking.
2. 2.Banquet Style Layout: Several round tables in a large space, each seating about eight. Good for networking and group interaction. Crescent or half rounds allow everyone to face the front.
3. 3.Boardroom Style Layout: One large table with seats on all sides, suitable for up to 25 people. Ideal for focused discussions and brainstorming.
4. 4.Chevron Style Layout: Rows of tables or chairs in a ‘V’ shape, fanning from a center aisle. Good for single screen presentations.
5. 5.Circle and Semicircle Layout: Chairs form a circle or semicircle, encouraging participation for small to medium groups. No tables.
6. 6.Classroom Style Layout: Desks in rows facing the front, good for note-taking and learning, but less for peer-to-peer participation.
7. 7.Hollow Square Style Layout: Tables arranged in a square or rectangle with chairs on the outside, allowing everyone to face each other and take notes.
8. 8.Team Tables Style Layout: Clusters of people around several tables in one room, suitable for small groups working on related projects.
9. 9.U-Shape Style Layouts: Tables form a U shape, with participants around the outside and an open end for the presenter.

Conference Room vs. Meeting Room

‘Conference room’ typically refers to larger, more formal spaces, while ‘meeting room’ can be smaller and less formal. The important thing is supporting workplace collaboration with well-designed spaces.

Boardroom Setup Style

A boardroom setup features a large table surrounded by chairs, traditionally for board meetings or important gatherings. It accommodates around 25 people, allows for note-taking, and encourages participation and collaboration. With modern technology and design, boardrooms can be versatile and contemporary.

How to create a meeting room setup style strategy (hint: use good data)

Pre-pandemic, gathering everyone in-person was easy. Now, space planners must consider the meeting room’s purpose, expected use, remote attendees, and setup options.

Collecting and analyzing the right data helps companies optimize workplace strategy, including meeting rooms. Data from room booking software and employee surveys can reveal popular rooms and setups, guiding future design and technology investments.

For example, adding video conferencing capabilities to popular rooms can better serve hybrid workforces. Data can also help identify and solve issues like underused rooms or booking problems.

Companies should be willing to experiment and follow where the data leads, setting goals and iterating as needed. A ‘no policy’ approach is less effective than starting with a meeting room policy and using analytics and feedback to refine it.

Three elements to include in every meeting room setup style

Designing meeting spaces for a distributed workforce is challenging, but meeting room setup matters. Well-designed spaces significantly improve user experience.

1. Technology

Modern meeting rooms need integrated hardware and software for hybrid meetings:

• ​High-quality hardware: display screens, speakers, microphones, monitors/TVs with hybrid options
• ​High-quality software and integrations: Zoom, Microsoft, and other collaboration tools
• ​IoT sensors and data sources: to collect information on room use

Collecting data from booking software and occupancy sensors helps planners iterate and create rooms that meet user needs.

2. Comfort

Comfortable, clean, and welcoming meeting rooms encourage collaboration. Provide ergonomic chairs and tables, privacy, good acoustics, reliable wifi, whiteboards, projector/laptop sharing, good lighting, and adjustable temperature.

Remote attendees also need good wifi and digital workplace solutions. Providing reliable headsets and webcams ensures meaningful participation from home.

Meeting rooms and equipment should always be clean and tidy. Room reservation systems help facilities teams track usage and cleaning needs.

3. Accessibility

Rooms must be easy to access. Room booking software allows employees to see availability, book, check-in, and cancel as needed. Mobile app access and integration with wayfinding solutions (kiosks, digital signage) further improve accessibility.

Visual directories can help employees coordinate in-office days and seating for collaboration.

How many types of conference room setup styles are there?

Some strategists focus on six ‘official’ meeting room setup styles, others list nine or more. In today’s flexible environment, there are virtually endless options, as companies experiment with new layouts and technology to enable better hybrid meetings and collaboration.