If you ever exchange work-related memes with your work buddies, you’ll have seen the ones on meetings that could have been emails. Almost every single employee, regardless of industry, has at one point sat in a meeting that could have easily been summed up in a few bullet points.
Sometimes, however, talking about things in person is essential. Today, we’ll be discussing those very times, and providing tips on finding and booking the best meeting room in your area, so that you and the rest of your virtual team can have your most productive get-together yet.
When to book a meeting room
Although emailing or messaging someone can save time in some situations, it’s not always ideal to exchange information that way. Messages can make it harder to accurately interpret someone’s tone, and written communication isn’t everyone’s strongest suit, which can lead to miscommunication and delays.
Typically, it’s better to arrange a meeting instead in the following scenarios:
- When you need to have a long, complex exchange with one or more people
- When you want to brainstorm ideas alongside others
- When you require immediate feedback from someone
- When you feel that team camaraderie could use a boost
The benefits of meeting rooms
Booking a meeting room for your remote team has a number of benefits. Let’s explore the main ones below:
1. It eliminates WFH distractions
People who work from home (especially those with kids, pets or other cohabitants) will know just how distracting it can get working remotely. If you pick a physical location to meet over arranging a virtual call, you won’t be carrying those distractions into the meeting room with you.
2. It makes meetings more engaging
Studies have shown that virtual meetings are less engaging than in-person ones. While it’s no doubt more straightforward and cost effective to hop on a video call with your colleagues, you might still want to take the time to organize in-person meetings when the topic you want to discuss is complex or of high importance.
3. It allows for organic interactions
Anyone who has ever been on a virtual call will know the pitfalls of it: someone’s internet keeps cutting off, another person’s screen freezes, your microphone spontaneously disconnects, and so on.
When you eliminate all of that by meeting in person, conversations start to flow more organically with no obstructions.
4. It can boost team building
When team members are more engaged and can interact with one another with minimal interruptions, it can result in a stronger sense of unity. This can be beneficial to team morale.
5. It can enhance problem solving
With improved morale, higher levels of engagement and a 0% chance of being sabotaged by your PCs while you’re trying to express yourselves, in-person meetings can enhance productivity and creative problem solving.
Key considerations
To find the ideal meeting room, you must first determine your needs. Here are five things to consider before you start to look for a venue:
1. Determine how much space you’ll need
Meeting and conference rooms can vary in size. Depending on the number of people attending, you might need to search for:
- Small meeting rooms, which typically hold up to 10 people
- Board rooms, designed for executive meetings, which can typically fit a party of 20
- Conference rooms, which can hold between 15 and 50 attendees
2. Determine the equipment you will need
Consider the nature of your upcoming meeting to determine the type of equipment you will need to facilitate your discussion. This could include:
- A projector
- Microphones and speakers
- WiFi
- A whiteboard
- Video conferencing equipment
3. Determine the amenities and services you require
Depending on the duration of your meeting, you might require anything from a water dispenser to a coffee machine to proper catering. Comfortable seating is also a must for long meetings, otherwise back pain can slash through your productivity.
Other things to consider include accessibility for wheelchair users, and if you require ancillary spaces, like a terrace for your breaks.
4. Identify the most convenient location
If your team is spread across cities (or states!), speak to those who are required to attend to identify the location that suits everyone best.
5. Consider your budget
Finally, one of the most important things to take into account is how much you are able to spend on a venue. When making your reservation, remember to inquire into any additional charges that may apply.
How to book a meeting room
Once you have determined your needs and budget, it will be time to narrow down your options and make a booking. Let’s break that down into steps:
1. Note down all your requirements
Before you pick up the phone to make a booking, you should have a list of all your requirements at hand. These include the things we talked about previously, such as your desired date(s), the number of attendees, and the equipment and services you hope to receive.
If you would like additional clarifications (for example, regarding visitor accessibility), it might be a good idea to write these down, too, to avoid forgetting any crucial details.
2. Search for venues in your area
Once you know what you’re looking for, it’s time to… well, look. Much like when you want to buy a coffee, a book or a life-size cardboard cutout of Ryan Reynolds, the search typically starts and ends with the internet.
Your go-to search engine can produce several venue suggestions in mere seconds. A generative AI tool like ChatGPT, meanwhile, can help you quickly compare different options, taking into account factors like location, amenities and price.
While you’re at it, you may also like to look at a few online reviews before making a decision. Asking your professional network for opinions can also prove useful.
3. Compare different options
If you live in a big city, you might be spoiled for options when looking for meeting room rentals. Should that be the case, you might find it useful to create a short list of your strongest contenders, jotting down things like price, services and location, to make it easier to identify the one that most closely meets your needs.
If, on the other hand, you’re searching for a room in a town with limited options, it might be good to expand your search area a little, so as not to compromise on things that are essential to a successful meeting.
4. Contact your preferred venue
With over 70% of businesses having a website as of 2023, you should be able to find all the information you are looking for online — including how to book the venue of your choice. In some cases, there might be an online booking form for you to fill out. If there isn’t one, you should be able to find a phone number or an email address on the venue’s website.
Whichever way you go about making your booking, remember to specify any additional requirements or request clarifications where necessary.
5. Inquire into cancelation and rescheduling
As the saying goes: “Man plans and God laughs.” In other words, when we make plans, life sometimes gets in the way and throws us off course.
Whether it’s due to terrible weather, an illness or some other type of emergency, you or other members of the team might not be able to make the meeting after all, which is why it’s important to ask your chosen venue about their cancelation and rescheduling policy ahead of time.
Frequently asked questions
Do you still have some questions about booking a meeting room for your team? We’ll try to answer them!
Q: How much does it cost to book a meeting room?
This will vary greatly depending on your location and the equipment and services you require. Generally speaking, the bigger the room and the number of services required, the higher the price.
Q: Is it really worth the money and effort?
Given that virtual meetings seem to be significantly less engaging and interactive than in-person ones, the answer is: yes — especially when you have something of high importance or urgency to discuss with your team.
Q: Are virtual meetings ever better than in-person ones?
When it comes to you and your team, there is no one-size-fits-all. While some people might find in-person meetings more interesting to attend, some individuals might prefer to attend online sessions from the comfort of their home.
In some cases, you might also not have the budget to book a conference room or reimburse your remote employees for any travel expenses — and that’s okay.
If that applies to you, invest some time in finding out how to make online meetings more engaging: for example, by keeping them shorter or by asking your colleagues to take turns voicing their ideas and opinions, to make sure everyone remains alert and gets heard.
Key takeaways
So, there we have it: that’s how you identify and book the most ideal meeting location for your team. Before you go off making arrangements and blocking out time on everyone’s Outlook calendars, remember:
- Start by identifying your team’s needs.
- Do your research, comparing different options.
- Turn to your network for opinions on different meeting rooms.
- Ask about cancelation and rescheduling policies prior to making a commitment.
From your experience, are in-person meetings more effective compared to chatting with colleagues on Google Meet or similar platforms? Let us know in the comments section below!
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